Otter Paddle Orlando — Local services in Winter Park

Otter Paddle is THE BEST!!!! Our family spent a week at Disney, and our day with Otter Paddle was by far the most memorable day of our trip (they're about 90 minutes from Disney). When we went back home barely anyone asked about Disney, but EVERYONE said, "WHAT WAS THAT PADDLE THING YOU DID??"

From start to finish Rachelle took INCREDIBLE care of our large group, and it was evident she took as much joy in sharing some of her favorite spots with us, as we did in discovering them.

Rachelle went way beyond what was standard customer service to ensure our group had an amazing experience. Everything was set up and ready for us when we got there, but she also never made us feel rushed. We had a bit of a delay due to thunder--and we worried we might have to cancel But, it was clear that our safety was paramount, even as we could also tell that our adventure was still important to Rachelle

We had a big group--ranging from younger kids to rowdy college students to adults looking for a calm day on the river (although as our trip progressed it got more and more difficult to distinguish me from the kids). Rachelle interacted well with all ages--learned everyone's names, made sure everyone felt comfortable, and never seemed bothered by any of our antics. She made a point to check in on each of us throughout the day. We also went way beyond our time, but even so she stopped on the way back to point out one last feature (an underwater cave!!!), easily adding 20 minutes to her day. She also served as our photographer -- freeing us up to simply take in the moment -- later sharing a dropbox with hundreds of pics and videos.

We took the Rainbow Springs tour, which was breathtakingly clear. I didn't anticipate how much we'd be able to swim--if you like swimming as much as paddling, this is the tour for you!!! We saw tons of fish and a variety of birds, Rachelle showed us natural spring vents (you gotta see it to get it), a rope swing, and the already mentioned underwater cave. At one point we were wading up a translucent creek and got caught the middle of a torrential downpour --absolutely a core memory for all of us. I'm smiling right now thinking about it.

We will 100% book with Otter Paddle again next time we're in the area--we've got our eyes on the...

Truly an unforgettable bucket list must do experience if you ever make your way this part of Florida . My family ( husband and two teens) visited Orlando during the holiday season but on New Year’s Day decided to take a paddle boarding tour with this company. They have 3 tours in different locations and since we had a rental car , we decided to make the hour and a half drive to Silver springs, It was easy to book over the phone and online. We took the tour in silver springs to see the Manatees —and it was just a truly amazing sight to behold this gentle creatures! We like this company because it’s a small company and the tour is private and feels very personalized. Our guide Rachelle was also very knowledgeable about wildlife, so my teens not only enjoyed paddle boarding ( it was their first time) but also learned about the animals they saw . We saw herons, birds of all kinds, blue tilapia, turtles apart from the manatees. The water was turquoise blue and you are just surrounded by the beauty of nature. The whole tour was a little over 2 hours and they use high quality boards. Not rushed and a great break from the busy theme parks. Actually I think it’s even better than the theme parks! Very enjoyable , relaxing tour and unforgettable if you see the manatees ( which they guarantee you will —if you come between the months of November to march) . I also want to mention that they take photos /videos of you and your family. We had some great videos along with the manatees —just precious memories we show all the time to our friends and family members. Great experience and great company to...

We looked at a lot of paddle tour companies, but Otter Paddle stood out. And we're always keen to support family run businesses when we can. We were not disappointed!!

Craig was our guide for the Merritt Island tour, and he was brilliant. Loved hearing his stories about his encounters with the wildlife, although I still think he made the bear story up! No photos to prove it 🤣.

We didn't expect to see manatees in July (and we didn't!), but we were really hopeful to see dolphins. Getting close to the end of the tour and we had almost given up hope of seeing them, but with a bit of dolphin whispering from Craig, there they were! Four of them playing in the water up ahead. We paddled over to them and just sat watching for 20 minutes. I could have sat there all day! It was awesome to see.

Just being out on the water, in the calm and peaceful surroundings was an experience in itself. We were the only ones there for the whole 2 hours.

Don't forget your mozzi spray... there were loads of them hanging out in the restrooms!! They didn't bother us when we were paddling though.

When we come back to Florida (we're from the UK), we will definitely try out some of the other tours with Otter.

Thanks, Craig, for an...