I've paddled the Emerald Cut a few times now. Initially I didn't like the idea of paying to launch…read moremy own paddleboard. However, it's only $10 now that I have my own life jacket (saving me additional cost of $5 to use one of theirs, as required). Well worth the low cost for some soul-enriching, communing with nature. I have never made a reservation. I normally arrive around 10:30, most recently on a Friday. Parked for free on Baptist Camp Rd. Just a bit of a walk from there with my inflated paddleboard, but I don't mind the extra exercise. You can unload your stuff closer, if preferable. There are port-a-potties available. You can count on there being a line in the check-in office. Various recreation supplies are available there for purchase. The process moves reasonably enough. A reservation will guarantee your entrance, however, and possibly aide quicker personal info collection. I always plan to do the Emerald Cut in roughly 3 hours round-trip, allowing myself several stops to enjoy the surroundings. You do run into (quite literally at times) novice paddlers along the way, which can be a bit tricky, yet not a real nuisance for me. In general, there's friendliness along the waterway. Slighty rowdy, party vibes in some spots, but also opportunities for solace and zen in various nooks. Encountering wildlife, fragrant elderberry, and other captivating flora along this stretch is always gratifying. It's a popular recreation destination for good reason.

Many tourists don't realize Florida is home to stunning crystal-clear spring rivers--perfect for…read moreswimming, kayaking, and tubing aka "hidden gems". My Hubby and I love kayaking, so we booked an excursion months in advance for Rock Springs through TripAdvisor. Our Tour Operator was Get Up And Go Kayaking located at Kings Landing in Apopka, FL. I LOVE saying Apopka ;) The good news: Apopka is a quick 1 hour drive from Orlando. Make sure you don't miss the turn to King's Landing, because the entrance is located on a narrow dirt road. You must drive past Kelly Park (which fills up fast). There is a Park Ranger located here who will guide you to King's Landing. As you get closer and if you see a parking spot, grab it! Check in is located in the Cabin like office where you will have to sign a waiver. If you do not want to take a clear bottom, guided Kayak tour, you can either rent or BYO Kayak versus taking a semi private, clear, guided kayak tour. NOTE: ONLY use their Sunscreen/lotion which is provided at no cost. It protects the wildlife and the Springs. We wanted the full experience as we have previously enjoyed renting clear Kayaks. Our guide for the morning was: Megan, who was fantastic! Full of energy, information and helpful tidbits about the Springs and its human and wildlife inhabitants. Our group was small and capped at 10. We paddled through both narrow and open stretches, and stopped to swim in the warm, crystal-clear water. One highlight was a banyan tree with an 8-foot natural "jump hole"--such a cool experience! It was a serene, memorable day, and fun fact: this is the very spring featured in the Visit Orlando commercials! Yeah, definitely take a day away from crowded Orlando to relax and enjoy Mother Nature! You will Thank Me ;)

Uncle Ned and Tom are the greatest! They love what they do and it shows. We are avid paddleboarders…read moreand go on adventures of our own, but my kids love tour groups and the one they ask about most is Paddleboard Orlando. They offer a variety of experiences in central Florida to cater to every level. If you want to gain more experience and learn, they offer lessons. And they have a beginner friendly tour, too. Maybe you want to plan a custom paddle adventure, well -- they do that also! Already have a SUP? They have a BYOB option for their tours. On top of providing all these amazing chances to be on the water, Ned and Tom also provide the greatest care to everyone. They're both so genuine and kind, as well as in tune with the needs of each group member. Love the vibe they have and the easy going, welcoming environment they create. Can't wait for our next adventure together!

Ned is the absolute best!! Really treats you like family and makes your paddle so special. Loved…read moreours so much we booked another and had the best time :) very knowledgeable of the area and flora fauna. Knows a lot of locals as well so a great resource so things to do and see! Ned is now in my contacts so I can ask him all of my Florida sight seeing questions. Really looking forward to my next trip and next Ned paddleboard Orlando adventure!

I recently moved to Florida and of course I wanted to explore everything this state has to offer…read more Somehow I found Otterpaddle on Instagram and knew it was a tour I had to try at King's Landing. My teenage son and I had such a great first time paddle boarding! Trust me he doesn't find many things enjoyable anymore so I highly recommend if you are looking for something to do with your teens or with the whole family. We have to give a huge thank you to our wonderful tour guide Sabrina. She went above & beyond our expectations! (Took some great pictures as well!) She was very helpful, made our experience easy, smooth and most importantly enjoyable. We only wished we would've done a longer tour to get to head out even further in the water, but we will definitely be doing that next time when we come back since we don't own any paddle boards this tour is definitely something worth doing, especially if it's your first time like it was for us. The area has portable pottys as well as two regular restrooms to change before and after your tour. They also have a shop where they sell souvenirs and a few other items. Ps. You don't have to rent a locker, you will get a chance to put all your stuff away before your tour starts. If you are visiting they have camp sites that are ideal if you're looking to make a whole weekend out of it. I highly recommend it, I definitely can't wait to come back even though I'm two hours away it was definitely worth it!

Is it possible to give more than 5 stars!?!? Otter is great…read more I've done two of their stand up paddle board yoga. The locations are perfect. I love that we explore the area a little before yoga. Guides are amazing. And the photos come out amazing. Seriously 10 stars just on the photos hahah

Had a really great family adventure with an amazing guide, Stevie! He was so knowledgeable and…read morehelpful. The tour was so relaxing and we saw so many animals. Highly recommend!!

My friends and I visited on Feb 22nd and Ben was our amazing guide. He had a lot of interesting…read morefacts and information about the springs and all the animals we came across -- he also had great sense of humor! It was so cool gliding ontop of the crystal clear waters and watching the fishes and HUGE turtles swim beneath us. We were lucky enough to see a manatee and a bunch of Macaques (babies and adults!) that day too. So happy we all agreed on the 1:45 hr trip out to Silver Springs from Orlando, definitely worth the hype!

Amazing! These guys are the best! They are all super informative, down to earth, and helpful! My…read morehusband and I had a great time on day on the river via a kayak that we rented. They took us and dropped us off in a private launch area and handled the kayak for us once we got back to the Wilson Park (where they are located). It took us about 4 peaceful hours to make the trip down the river. We saw all kinds of wildlife and it was a relaxing day. I can't wait to do the bioluminescence tour that they do and have more experiences there! Thanks guys for providing us an awesome day! - The Fisk's

One word: Gina! Okay, I have a few more words! We rented four kayaks on Mother's Day weekend…read more Gina was amazing. She helped us get them in the water, gave us all a beginners lesson, told us the highlights and sent us on our way. We had an awesome paddle and an amazing day in the river. Gina is so nice and knowledgeable. I'd highly recommend renting from Wekiva Outfitters.

My experience with Otter Paddle Winter Park was incredible!! My 12yr old daughter and I paddled…read morethrough Lake Osceola and Maitland Lake. Mandy was such a beautiful soul. She was so calm, encouraging, and knowledgeable of the wildlife & nature. If you enjoy the outdoors and it's natural beauty I highly recommend this this tour. It was my 1st time on a paddle board, but Mandy's calming energy put me at complete ease. If time permits I would love to see some of the other tours offered by Otter Paddle.

This tour was so much fun! It was our first time paddle boarding. Mandy gave great instruction and…read moremade us feel super comfortable from start to finish.

My wife, Emily and I are local and wanted to try kayaking at our local park at Shingle Creek. Emily…read morehasn't ever kayaked on her own before in a single person kayak. Josh showed her how to do it, quickly and efficiently. Josh and Tia's knowledge of the creek, the wildlife, the vegetation, kayaking, etc. was truly awesome. They made our Labor Day special. We won't seen forget the experience and we'll certainly be back. Check out the Paddling Center at Shingle Creek!

We had a great time with the Paddling Center. Staff was helpful and courteous. We were especially…read morehappy with our tour guide who was very knowledgeable. He pointed out many items of interest. The experience could be done by beginners and experienced paddlers alike.

Amazing place. Fairly easy to get to and lot of wildlife. Few trails for hiking, no horseback…read moreriding. Beautiful lake. Picnic area and I think that's about it. Oh you can camp there and they do have Occasional hunting

This has to be one of the MOST beautiful state parks in Florida! Its 18 thousand acres occupy Lake…read more& Seminole counties. The park is managed by the Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection. Opened 8:00 - 8:00 seven days a week, this is where you come for excellent hiking & wildlife observation. You'll also see lots of fishing & boating. There is; however, no water access from the North end, which is where you'll find the equestrian campsites. Afraid to lose my phone on the trails or in the water, the pictures are from the web; I did not take them, but wish I had. You've got to visit this gorgeous park. It's a very special state park. I cannot wait to return!

Very friendly and knowledgeable staff, easy entry point for a day on the river. Great time…read morekayaking with the manatees!

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.

Dino and Fernando, the husband/wife owners of SUP Eco Adventures, offer stand-up paddleboarding…read morewith fantastic instruction and group as well was private tours. My daughter, who was 10 at the time of this trip, opted for a private tour because she had never done paddle boarding previously. Both Dina and Fernando came along with us and gave us so much individual attention and instruction that there was no way we would be anything but successful. They customized our time together to suit my daughter's needs and comfort level and she left feeling like a pro with the confidence to come back. They also took some great photos for us. It was a fantastic experience and I was grateful for their careful attention. I cannot wait to go back.

My girlfriend was eager for us try paddleboarding together, so I decided to surprise her with a…read morepaddleboarding outing for her birthday. Looking online for options in the Melbourne, FL area, I found SUP Eco Adventures. It was highly rated on TripAdvisor, so I thought I would give it shot: I was not disappointed. We booked a morning tour, and possibly because it was close to the holidays, we ended up getting a private session with the amazing Dina! She was extremely friendly and made sure that we had a great time. Her instructions and tips for using the paddleboard were clear and concise, and she had us out enjoying ourselves on the water in no time. Our tour launched from Honest John's Fish Camp and took us through different channels on the Indian River. Dina was quite knowledgeable and provided us with plenty of background on the local vegetation and animal wildlife. The weather that day was amazing and the water was very calm. This made for an excellent experience for a couple of SUP newbies. Plus, we managed to spot some dolphins and a manatee on our tour! If you're in the area and looking for something to do, I highly recommend giving this place a try!