Econfina Creek Canoe Rentals LLC — Local services in Lynn Haven

Edit: Jordan called me and apologized for the situation. He refunded me immediately and offered me a free trip for a friend and I. I will definitely take them up on that offer as it was a nice trip and it does seem like the people running the place are good people just may be miscommunication issues among the team.

Had a small hole in the kayak from previous patching rusting, slowly filling the kayak with water so it was not noticed until way after the bridge they advise you to stop at to replace equipment. I am disabled so trying to keep up with everyone I was with, with that added weight destroyed my body where I did not get out of bed for two days after and my shoulders gave out during the trip. I had to be towed for a bit of it during a lightening storm, then when the boat had taken on too much water it almost capsized in the middle of deep dark water where I had definitely seen a very large snake earlier. I ended up having to balance on my friends paddle board while we towed the kayak. We had to stop and remove excess water multiple times due to the rain and the boat just being low enough to take on water when I moved. We search for a spot to drain the water out but the one plug on the bottom of the kayak that seemed like it would be where you would drain the water out of was pushed so far in and the handle was broken we couldnt pull it out. On finally arriving at the end the person pulling our kayak in made the comment that "this one always does this, ive told my boss already" so this was a KNOWN issue with this specific kayak which is why I feel more upset by this incident. Ontop of that we heard from other people waiting for pick up that the same thing had happened with their kayaks. I called a day after the trip to let them know they needed to remove that kayak from rotation because I wrote down the number of the kayak and the man on the phone inquired as to who told me they had told their boss about this known issue, clearly seeking to cause issues for them, I did NOT give them a description because I gave them the kayak number so they had no business with them. I was hoping for a refund just for me not our whole group even though it absolutely ruined a massive portion of the day for our group because we got so spread out during the storm and I couldnt paddle fast enough to out run the storm with all the added weight of the water, which I tried and thats why my shoulders gave out. The guy on the phone said he'd talk to the owners and its been a week now and ive heard absolutely nothing from them. So im writing the review, given them a chance to rectify this and they didnt. I personally wont be using them again but the trip itself, minus the...

This is a firm warning. We have been coming to Panama City Beach for over 30 years. We have seen the Econfina Livery advertised as a quiet tranquill ride, so we finally decided to sign up this year. When we first got there they gave us little information, we were told about the springs and that we're not allowed on the private property along the creek. Then, we were off down the creek. What you are not told is... The springs are within the first hour of the trip. After that, it's 3+ hours of navigating in murky dangerous water. This would probably wouldn't be a problem for experienced kayakers but for the non- experienced it's a hell of a trip. You have to be on your toes constantly. There are downed tress, stumps, and rebar all along the way. Also, many many wasp nest on the over hanging downed trees. I turned my head once, hit a log under the water that capsized my kayak and lost all my gear. If you capsize anywhere after the springs ... There is no where to stop and get back on your kayak. I met one family along the way that had capsized and their daughter had been hurt. They called the people at the livary for help but they wouldn't send anyone. These people will not assist you if anything happens to you. YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN ONCE THAT KAYAK HITS THE WATER! They also advertise that the trip is around 3 1/2 hours. This is true if you paddle CONSTANTLY! Once you finally make it to the second bridge for pickup, you will have to wait 30 mins for the shuttle to pick you up on the side of the road. We were waiting during a lightning storm. They were not concerned about our safety at all. I met a local man that takes his own personal boat out everyday to check for people who may have been hurt and stranded because he knows this company will not send anyone out to help. This trip is not what is advertised at all. Again, if you are an experienced kayaker you will probably be fine but your better off taking your own kayak and putting it in down the creek in the public access area. All the springs can be accessed by driving your own vehicle and walking. I highly recommend doing that then renting a kayak through this company. Once the first hour is over and you've seen the springs ... your in for a long, very hard,...

I recently tried the Econfina Creek Canoe Rental instead of the usual public launches. It is a very convenient launch, and does not feature the steep banks or stairs that the public launches have. It is a quality launch, the rental operation, not so much.

We brought our own kayaks, PFDs, whistles etc. and strictly wanted to park and use the launch. I figured there would be a minimal charge ($5 or something), but they charged us $30 to launch. We paid this, and we told them we would be back late, did not need a ride and they assured us this would be no issue. This is an insane launch price; to put it in perspective, King's Landing, one of the jewels of Florida kayaking, rents single kayaks for $49/4 hours. Not sure how they are charging almost the same fee to launch as an Orlando destination rental spot...

The second star is strictly for the launch, the rental operation gets 1 star.

We returned to the launch around 6 or 6:30, to find the launch chained off, with the owner showing up yelling at us, demanding a late fee. We informed him that we paid to launch OUR vessels, used none of their property, did not need a ride and communicated this all to the rental guy earlier in the day. The owner called the guy who assisted us earlier, only to be told he didn't remember us-despite having a pleasant 40 minute conversation and exchanging info and names. I might be forgettable as a person, but my kayak is not. I don't think there were many green, motorized kayaks with wheels that day, and I did not appreciate the rental guy lying to the owner to save face for HIS miscommunication.

I think if you are just renting a canoe or a kayak, this place would be fine. However I was very disappointed to pay $30 to launch (considering many comparable counties have $25 ANNUAL launch/ramp passes) and then be yelled at and asked for more money upon returning. We were very supportive and appreciative of this place, and eager to support an up-and-coming kayak business, and the launch was indeed pleasant. I think there is some miscommunication between management and the landowner, but I cannot recommend this place to anyone looking to launch their own kayak.

I...