I booked my daughter in for a Scuba Diving course from the UK and came across Calypso and I am so…read moreglad I did. Dan Capobianco was a fantastic Dive Master and trainer and worked at Kate's pace, yet she did exceptionally well and all because of the skill and warmth. Nothing was too much trouble. If you want to learn to dive and are in the Tampa area then look up Calypso and see for yourself

I am so glad I found Calypso Diving of Tampa! I originally went in to learn more about scuba diving…read moresince I am going to the Great Barrier Reef next year. Everyone was so nice and treated you like family. That is when I realized this is where I wanted to get my open water certification. I met Dan the instructor for the first time on day one. He was personable, patient and genuinely wanted to get to know us. What I appreciated the most was that he always reiterated that he would go at our pace and would not rush us. He constantly checked in through out the process and made it fun. Dan also mentioned a good mask was very important, which I learned very quickly in the first open water dive. That day I drove to Calypso and Rob helped me find the perfect mask. Day two of open diving at rainbow river was an experience I will never forget. I truly appreciate all the staff I have met there and look forward to future dives with the Calypso family!

Gulf Coast Divers is located in a small plaza off N Dale Mabry and they are great if you're…read morelooking for a local, family owned dive shop that actually cares about their students. I just completed both my Open Water certification and my Nitrox class with them, the experience was solid from start to finish. The shop has a friendly vibe, you can tell they genuinely love diving and teaching. Matt and Jason were my instructors, and they were both informative, patient, and safety focused without making anything feel intimidating. They took time to explain the "whys" behind everything, not just the steps, which helped a lot with confidence and understanding. They were also very cautious in a good way always giving helpful corrections, and making sure everyone felt comfortable before moving on. Training days were a lot of fun, not as stressful as I imagined . Our dives at KP hole at Rainbow River State Park and Devil's Den were well organized and ran very smoothly. They balanced learning with fun. If you like supporting local businesses and want instructors who are knowledgeable, safety focused and that still make the experience enjoyable I'd recommend Gulf Coast Divers. Great people, great training, and a great overall experience.

Everything Very helpful Gave us great information where to launch jet ski in busy clearwaterread more

We were super lucky to have Dylan recommended to us by a friend. He's a great instructor and very…read morepatient. He is very thorough and makes sure you're having a great time. I can't wait to dive with him in the future!

We're just back from our open water certification with Dylan and I can't say enough nice things…read moreabout him and his operation. We took four 13 year old boys and three novice adults down to Tampa to complete our PADI certification and were just plan lucky to have landed with Dylan. For 2 days he instructed and tested our group and led us on some cool dives. Even though the conditions weren't ideal, Dylan did his best to keep it fun, particularly for the kids. He's a true professional and really knows his dive stuff. I felt comfortable with his leading all of us inexperienced divers, ensuring our safety and making sure that we had a good time. I really can't recommend him highly enough. Don't take a chance on your dive trip to the Tampa Bay Area, go Dive with Dylan!

This was our second time using Birds to swim with Manatees and we will choose them every time now…read more Had an amazing experience with Captain Misty and Guide Gina. Highly recommend the 6am tour as you get viewing time before it gets really busy. I really appreciate Birds Underwater as they do a great job educating you about the manatees and how to passively observe. Made the manatees more comfortable and as a result we got to have some amazing interactions with them.

If you want to be the first on the water in the morning to see the manatees before the crowds of…read moreother people get out there, this is the place to come. We set out before sunrise and were ready to go once the sun hit the water in the morning. Our guide was the perfect mix of hands off and hands off. He showed us how to attract the manatees and interact/passively observe them, and created a shared group experience that you could partake in, but also let us wander about in our own and have intimate one on one time with the manatees, which I didn't see happening with the other groups that came out into the water later, they seemed more uptight and controlling of their groups. This was the highlight of our Florida trip and I'm so grateful we picked the best company to go with. They supplied snacks and drinks on the boat and a changing room after getting out of the water. The wet suits and snorkel gear they supplied was very quality and felt new. The main store we met at had lots of manatee goodies and snorkel and scuba gear. It was very cute and were pleasantly greeted by the boat captain when we came in in the morning. It felt like a big happy family of a crew and we had the greatest time out there. I will never forget having a manatee come hug me and try and eat my hair. We had a total love fest with each other for a solid 2 minutes, and the manatees were very interactive and curious and playful in general which made for a great experience. We were in silver springs that day and we saw so many manatees. This crew knows where to go and makes for the best experience. It's flexible to spend as much time as you'd like in the water and get out whenever you've felt you've fulfilled yourself and then enjoy sitting on the boat and watching the manatees go by on the beautiful morning.

Only received half the order. Please refund me in full for the Riffe torpedo float…read more I will be sending a review to all social media outlets on the non-communication of your company. And a total review to Shop of your customer service despite the added fees for shipping security. If you wish to comment you can respond to my email in detail. I await your response.

I placed an order 3 weeks ago and they sent everything. I…read morejust got off the phone with the new owner Tony, great guy. He was just checking in to make sure I got everything and was happy with the order. They had some management issues over the past 8 months but it is under new ownership and back to solid business. These guys are known for quality and having all the accessories nobody else has. So happy they're back.

I've recently become a stay at home mom and I'm looking for more to do in the Clearwater area. A…read morefriend recommended the aquarium which I somehow had never been to! Well it turns out it's much more economical to be a member so we splurged on the 4-person membership for around $240. The staff is all super nice. It was a weekday so rather than paying $14 for parking (members only pay $7 with validation) we found free street parking. My 4 year old loved the touching tank upon entry and we learned about how lobsters shed their shells. It's a mixture of old and new structures so it can get confusing to navigate but we figured it out for the most part. Another favorite was the stingray area as well because you can get wet. I personally couldn't locate the otters but I will make it my mission next time. Lots of scheduled presentations! I think we will find plenty of reasons to come back. I noticed they also have a food court. Would love to see some sort of splash pad addition like at the one in Tampa. There is a cute waterfront playground just a stone's throw away!

Positive: Become a member. Everything in the gift shop is discounted and your parking is half…read moreoff. Not to mention it's only an extra $30 and you can come back as many times as you like. Which turned out to be a caveat because apparently today was a day everybody decided to come to the aquarium. If you didn't already know this is where "Dolphims Tale" emanated from. Florida is and has always been dedicated to the preservation and rescue and Rehabilitation of the marine species and environment. The drive out here is something. Crystal Blue Azure Waters surrounded by pristine white sandy beaches.

One of the best things about the trip was Captain Sean. He was a great guide. He was filled with so…read moremuch information and so many fun facts. He had a great sense of humor. He also knew where to find all the manatees. Also our photographer Serena was great. The photos she took were unbelievable. Well worth the money spent. Which was not a lot considering the amazing pictures we got. It's going to capture our memories at snorkeling with manatees forever. It was on our bucket list of things to do and I totally am amazed by the experience. It wouldn't have been the same without the captain in the photographer. It was just the perfect day.

Awesome adventure they took our time with us and the tour guides really take such special care of…read morethese precious manatees. We loved it!!

All of it. We had Nat and Emerson lead the way. She answered questions to a young boy and everyone…read more She was fun and informative. Emerson too!!

I don't know where to start…read more This was the absolute best day. We started at the River Ventures Dive Center at 6:30AM, where we were offered coffee, tea, hot cocoa and snacks, and spent the next bit with an educational video and a wetsuit fitting. From there, we took a bus to the dock, in the most gorgeous sunrise light. let by our Guide Nat. Captain Emerson met us at the covered, heated pontoon, and our group set off through the water, for the protected manatee zone. The water was FULL of our sweet sea potatoes... in fact, it was difficult to even get off the boat because our new friends swam right up to the ladder. Nat had given excellent instructions. We immediately leaned into our pool noodles and gently followed her lead through the water. It took just moments before manatees were all around us. We stayed calm and quiet, and they either continued snoozing, or swam up to investigate us. Nat was on point with the camera, and with showing us things like the tarpon and sheepshead fish, and she was also shared little details about the manatees as we floated. Of course, with nature, there are no guarantees, and I really had no idea what to expect, but I was absolutely delighted by the interactions we had. The cold snap absolutely played into our favor, and I am so glad we showed up with our adventurous spirit. When we returned to the boat, there were more snacks, as well as hot cocoa, coffee, tea, and a variety of drinks in the cooler (water, beer, wine, soda, and white claws). We were so grateful for the boat covering and heater as we made our way back to the dock, and we had great chats with Nat, Emerson, and the other group on our tour. Was it cold? Sure. But the water felt great at 72ºF, and our wetsuits did a wonderful job of protecting us and keeping us buoyant. Our experience was incredible, from booking, to engaging with the staff with any questions we had, to the actual tour itself. The photos and videos were absolutely phenomenal, as well, and we were happy to purchase the package, as well as some gifts from the souvenir shop. We will be back for more manatee viewing, or to try one of their other tours. Thank you so much for the best day!

What an AWESOME day! Crystal River Kayak Company & Dive Center made for such a great experience!…read moreThe staff were friendly and informative, equipment was clean & well maintained, and check-in/out was simple and quick! We rented paddle-boards for 3 hours to go visit Three Sister Springs at the Crystal River Wildlife Refuge, and it did NOT disappoint! You cannot swim at Three Sister Springs unless you arrive by watercraft as the refuge is protected, so going on an adventure via paddle-board was a nice relaxing way to explore the area. We saw multiple manatees and even got to swim with them when they came in the refuge (SUCH A COOL EXPERIENCE)! The coolest thing about the manatees was how much trust they put in the people visiting their home. There was a mom and calf swimming right up to people, and I thought how cool it was that she put that much trust into her surroundings as to show off her baby. I highly recommend checking out this company next time you're visiting the area!

MANATEES ARE MAGICAL! We saw well over 30+ manatees on our late January kayaking outing. We rented…read morea 2-seater top kayak (comes w paddles and life vests). And from the staff to the dock hands, to the quality of the vessel and cleanliness of the shop: 10/10. A guide handed us a laminated map (nice touch) and told us where to head for manatee sightings. And even pointed us to a cove that homes a lot of turtles and alligators. We saw it all! They have volunteers overseeing the 3 sisters springs, to help monitor the safety of the manatees (and scold ignorant people lol). Great time! If you're unsure, let me assure you.. just book.