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    Sleeping Bear Surf

    4.2 (10 reviews)
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    6 years ago

    Awesome customer service, beautiful shop and lovely humans working it. Highly recommend.

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    10 years ago

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    Review Highlights - Sleeping Bear Surf

    Great instructor (Ella), nice shop, good service, easy to book, fair prices and good for different ages.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Crystal River Outfitters Recreational District - Shop inside at Crystal River Outfitters for great merchandise!

    Crystal River Outfitters Recreational District

    4.2(72 reviews)
    7.1 mi
    $$

    Came to kayak the Crystal River…read more We rented a tandem kayak and a single sit on top kayak. It was roughly 109. They do military discount so it was cheaper to come in store than book online. It was very easy coming in and renting. Minimal paperwork and then you go wait for the van to take you to the start. The van was a 5-8 min ride to the start of the river. You go in the van with the other groups who are going. Heads up there is poison ivy where they park the van. But they tell you where and to avoid it. All the staff were very good at telling us things we needed to do and look for on our trip. But incase you got curious little ones, maybe keep them close til they get on the kayak to avoid any poison ivy. We started at 1040 and ended at 1310. So roughly 2.5 hours it took us. They do let 12 and up rent their own kayak I believe or it's 13 and up. I'm glad we did a tandem kayak for my 12 year old daughter. She would have got her self stuck alot with the trees in the river haha. If your child isn't experienced in kayaking I'd do a tandem so you can help them navigate around the trees. There's a lot of fallen trees in the river. But nothing you can't navigate around. I won't lie I did get stuck twice haha. We brought a cooler and a dry bag and they fit on my kayak. It was very fun. We had great weather it was a little cloudy but we preferred that then get beat down with the sun for 2.5 hours. We would definitely come back again!

    Sooo..where to begin. I'm really disappointed that this adventure didn't work out. Off the bat, we…read morewere late getting started and checked in. There were several things that caused this (a huge group in front of us, our kayaks being taken by someone else, more kayaks being shuttled over), but that wasn't the issue. I've kayaked before and have some experience here. The river is not for beginners. I was looking forward to something relaxing, not too technical, but that's not what I got. I had to paddle and maneuver constantly. About 1/2-3/4 of the river is covered in downed trees and logs. The staff say that this makes the river "interactive" and that this is out of their hands. At some points, it felt ridiculous. It got extremely narrow, and when we'd try and navigate around obstacles, the water was so low we'd get stuck on the sandy bottom. A sign at the beginning referenced that the water was at the "middle" level. I can't imagine how it'd be if the water were any lower. We're taking less than a foot in some places. The other person I went with flipped her kayak twice due to debris. Additionally, we saw several people flip and get stranded, especially when using the tandem kayaks. The water is just too low in A LOT of the river. Four people we just happened to bump into just stood up and dragged their kayak since it was easier at certain points. There should also be information about the kayaks utilized. Specs would be helpful. I think beginners wouldn't know what some of the specs mean in some cases, but at least include a weight limit, type, how heavy it is, etc. If you have kids, in my opinion, it's unlikely that they'd be able to move their kayak alone. We also came across locals (at least it seemed like it) who were kayaking and floating the opposite way. This led to more challenges with navigating and more flipping. The portages are also hard to navigate. There are three, which require people to exit, drag their kayak across a path or road, and then reenter. These portages were hard to use, especially while carrying gear and kayaks. One in particular was across a road, which seemed unsafe. There are no staff posted at these sites to assist if needed. The river was gorgeous. The trees, wildlife, views...I loved that part. I wish more information were provided WITH an accurate description given so I could make a proper informed decision about what I was paying for.

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    Crystal River Outfitters Recreational District
    Crystal River Outfitters Recreational District - My son relaxing on the double

    My son relaxing on the double

    Crystal River Outfitters Recreational District - Our way-finding signs throughout The District will point you in the right direction!

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    Our way-finding signs throughout The District will point you in the right direction!

    Sleeping Bear Surf - paddleboarding - Updated May 2026

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