If you've searched for stand up paddle boarding or kayaking in Key West, you probably noticed that there are, like, a billion companies offering this service. How does one decide? I had narrowed down my search to a few places on Yelp but I was overwhelmed. I went to another app (Sorry Yelp) to see what it had to say about the matter, and I came across a company with good (and recent) reviews. Then I realized that it was one of the places already on my short list from Yelp! So I considered that to be a sign and I went ahead and booked. Booking was straightforward in terms of date selection and payment, but the next steps were unclear. I had read that they will pick you up (bonus!) but I wasn't sure how to initiate that. I noted it in my registration on the web site and also messaged the business via Yelp AND texted them. (I'm annoying like that.) But these guys must be as anal as me because they texted back soon after and we coordinated a pick-up time & location for the next morning. The rep was on-time picking me up and we had an informative and interesting tour through the mangroves (my first by paddle board!). Definitely worth the money and time. Oh and they gave me a ride back (which would have been, like, $17 to get home via Lyft) AND a brief driving tour of a few of the main attractions near Mallory Square. What! Not in the job description, but appreciated! In sum, responsive (albeit initially mysterious), on-time, knowledgeable and fun. Boom! #winningvacation read more

Why 5 stars? Because a private paddleboarding adventure is pretty awesome, it turns out. --- --- --- This was such a cool experience! My wife and I have been on group paddleboard tours and we've been paddleboarding where you're just sent out on your own for a certain amount of time, but we've never had a guided tour like this. It was cool because we'd never been to Key West, while our guide knew the lay of the land like it was her own backyard. She gave us a path and a purpose, which I really liked. When we go out on our own, we tend to just aimlessly wander, but that definitely did not happen here! Not only did we have a path, but we were educated about different things along the way, and just about life in Key West, in general. Because I'm a terrible person, I don't remember our guide's name, but she was awesome! The only issue I had was getting our trip booked. I actually purchased the Yelp deal, which saved us some money, but I didn't want to end up booking online because I'd already paid for the Yelp deal. I kept calling them over and over again, but never heard back from anyone after leaving messages. Finally, the morning we planned on arriving, we called and someone actually answered the phone. He was woken up by the call being forwarded to his phone and sounded frazzled. He said he'd been working at a bar until the early hours of the morning and that his partner was supposed to have answered the phone. Regardless of that weirrdness, he quickly called around and got us a guide before calling me back to let me know when to show up - which was ASAP. It definitely wasn't the most conventional way to book an appointment, but we made it and really enjoyed it! read more

Such a unique Key West experience that I won't soon forget! I've been paddle boarding numerous times but never on an organized tour. After reading a bit more info on this biz's site, we decided to take an afternoon tour which started at 1:30. SUP Key West also offers morning and sunset tours, but this ended up being perfect timing for us - we could sleep in and let brunch digest before hitting the water. Now, for the tour. Our guides name was Brian, the owner of SUP Key West. Booking online was a breeze and $45 per person. Once we arrived, we met the other two in our group, grabbed some life jackets (optional to wear but must be on the board) and took to the water. I love being active but wouldn't consider myself "outdoorsy." That being said, I don't know too much about the mangroves or the ecosystem surrounding the Keys so this whole experience was really eyeopening. While we drifted through the mangroves, Brian talked about how they were formed, gave more info on the birds we spotted and pointed out the sea life, even picking up and passing around sea cucumbers, jellyfish, sea stars and algae. To top it all off? We saw a nurse shark! His enthusiasm for the environment was contagious and had me eager to learn more. About halfway through, he asked if we had immediate plans and since we didn't, we took the long way home so the tour actually lasted a little over two hours. It wasn't a huge workout until the very end when we were battling some winter wind. By the end of it, I was exhausted. Brian brought along a cooler of water which was nice in case you need some hydration along the way. All in all, a different activity to do while in Key West. This was my boyfriend's first time paddle boarding and left a great impression so hopefully I can get him on the water a little bit closer to home next time. Whether a local or a tourist, I'd say it's definitely worth taking part in. read more

Stand up paddleboarding thru the mangroves is one of the top 3 most fun things you can possibly do - with your clothes on.... by clothes i mean swimwear... I'd call the mangrove tour magical - if it didnt sound so cliche - but it really was amazing. Megan is an awesome guide, super knowledgeable about the locale as well as very educated, and a great story teller - so you'll most likely learn something and have some of the best time ever doing it. If you're "considering" or "weighing your options" just stop... you wont get a better value, or a better experience in the keyes (or arguably anywhere). read more

One of my favorite activities while in Key West (technically I think it was outside Key West), for sure. We did the sunset stand up paddle tour. Although we didn't catch the sunset, per se, the two plus hours were very pleasant and flew by. I was excited to try paddleboarding, but the process of standing up on the board was intimidating. It did get easier though, so if you don't get up the first time, don't despair. Our guide, Rachel, was very helpful and encouraging. And knowledgeable about the environment to boot. I thought the mangroves were beautiful to see, as well as the cauliflower-looking jellyfish, a horseshoe crab, conch, sea anemones you can lightly poke and the little fish that nibble your toes when you stick them near the mangrove roots. Weird, but cool. The guides bring a cooler that has water, so no need to worry about getting drinks unless you want to bring beer. I found this to be even more enjoyable than kayaking since your visibility is better standing up. However, if your feet hurt after a while, you can sit down or kneel. Overall, I would highly recommend this for a unique way to see the mangroves. read more

Our guide Cassie was awesome. Half of our group had paddle board experience and half hadn't. Cassie gave us a great tour, no pressure at all to the newbies, and it didn't seem like anyone was waiting around. We held starfish and baby (non stinging) jelly fish, saw aneomone, bait fish, a few barracuda, and mangrove crabs. And the crab in the picture. Would definitely recommend. read more

Stand Up Paddleboard Key West - Paddleboarding Near Me

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Amazing paddle boarding trip. Sam was an amazing guide that made it super relaxing while educating us on the importance of the mangrove ecosystem. Sam was the perfect guide as he led the tour at our speed. read more

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My husband and I have toured with SUP Key West for three years straight. It's educational. It's active. It's fun. It's memorable. We have had three different guides in our three visits over three years and we learned something new every time. They have great staff, I'm beginning to believe the just have great hires who are passionate. We recommend this business to any friends visiting the area. They made us huge fans of paddleboarding and the mangrove forests. It is our must-do activity every time we visit the area. read more

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This was incredible. I did the beginners tour leaving from cow marina. Megan met us there and gave us all sup waterbottles to keep. She told us to try it out and if we liked it we could continue the tour. It was easy to get the hang of and we ended up doing the 'two' hour tour which went through great mangroves through peaceful clear waters. We saw crabs fish starfish anemones jellyfish and so forth. Our guide leonora was fantastic,eager to teach, knowledgeable and clearly loves nature. We ended updoing almost 3 1/2 hours for only 45 dollars each. It was well worth it. This was probably the best and most bang for your buck activity I have ever done in over 25 years of going to key west. Can't wait to go back! read more

I normally don't write reviews but have to after my experience with Megan at SUP Key West. My wife and I had a fantastic time learning to Stand Up Paddle, we also got in a good workout, and had an opportunity to get up-close to some wildlife in the mangroves. I highly recommend SUP as a great way to spend a couple of hours while visiting Key West read more

I went on the sunset tour for two hours. I just needed something to do, feeling restless sitting about. The people that work here are great. They will pick you up and drop you off if you like. Totally relaxed about everything. Three others on my tour. One gent brought a 12 pack. We paddled and drank. Wound our way through the mangroves. Received a nice bit of info on the flora and fauna from our guide. Easy peasy and counts as my daily workout, I think, at least on vacation. Highly recommended. read more

My wife and I had a great time at SUP exploring the mangroves. The paddle boarding starts with a lesson teaching you how to stand on the board and paddle properly. Good lesson because I was nervous but never fell in! Our guide- Kate- was very friendly and knowledgeable about the mangroves. The mangroves were a mini adventure and we learned a lot from Kate. This is a unique and interesting experience that I recommend to anyone. read more

This place has 244 reviews on Tripadvisor so I was so surprised it wasn't on Yelp! Happy to add it as my 100th review! =) We went on a stand up paddleboarding tour last week and had a great time. The guide (Lina!) was friendly, knowledgeable and patient with us. We got about 10 minutes of practice before heading out and that was plenty. It was so much easier than I was expecting, but I can see how it would be a good workout if you're going a little faster. Our group of three did pretty well, and none of us fell off the boards. Lina brought bottled waters for us in a cooler, which tasted so great in the shade of the mangrove trees. We did a leisurely tour around, about 2 hours worth, sometimes standing sometimes sitting, some open water, some through the mangroves. It was great! We really enjoyed it and would highly recommend this company. Tip: They offer hotel pickup and drop off if needed! read more

We went paddleboarding with these guys. Cool folks, nice tour, education, fun, not expensive, must do at least once kinda thing. We will go again. our vid is here of a little bit http://youtu.be/WC6rL5yoeEI read more

Did paddleboarding and this was excellent! Think the tour guides name was Dave who was excellent! Pretty much a personal tour s just the 2 of us with the guide. Took us all through the mangroves etc....VERY WORTH IT! This was one of the highlights of our trip actually! You spend about 70% of the time layout or sitting on the board once you get over to the mangroves. Would recommend this! Very knowledgable and Matt (i think) very nice to talk too and not pushy at all. read more

Loved it! Megan handled our reservation and paperwork and was down to Earth and fun (and professional). Elizabeth, our guide, was fantastic - very nice, great fun, and gave us lots of information about the area and marine life and nature. She was really patient and attentive as all 3 of us in our group (and in the tour) were first-timers. We took the sunset tour which was a great time of day to be on the water. (Thanks Megan and Elizabeth!!!) If you have somewhat decent balance, SUP isn't too tricky and you are able to relax and really enjoy yourself and the surroundings. We can't wait to do it again. read more

Decided on SUP for a paddleboarding tour with two of my friends. Great decision! They went above and beyond! They picked us up for free from our hotel and brought us to the launch site. Brook was our guide and she rocked! Cold water, informative tour through mangroves and channels, and lots of fun and wild life. I highly recommend the sunset tour from 6-8pm. read more

Stand Up Paddleboard Key West - Mangrove photo opp - Paddleboarding Near Me

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I'm with the other reviewer; I can't believe there aren't reviews here. I found SUP on TripAdvisor where it has like a zillion 5 stars. This was one of my favorite things I did in the keys - definitely the thing I told everyone about! We went on the sunset tour - it was cool, just my two friends, me, and the guide. His nickname was Diamond; I don't remember his real name haha. SUP is pretty easy in itself, but it takes a lot of balance if you're not confident. I wasn't very good at it, so he slowed down to make sure I could keep up, and then I asked if I could just sit and paddle like a canoe, and he said that was fine haha. Anyway, the tour itself was really cool! We went through a bunch of mangroves, and stopped a few places to get off the boards and swim. The boards are really wide, so it's pretty easy to get back on in the water. Our guide was really cool. I had this idea that you'd watch the sunset from open water, but it turns out that they don't want the paddleboards out after dark so you don't get hit by a boat (I'm okay with that!), so the tour starts 2 hours before sunset, and the sun starts setting right as you're returning to the dock - maybe the last 15 minutes, so you can see it from the water but still have time to drive to key west and see it disappear from the pier. It's really beautiful. You should definitely go on a tour with them! Also, they bring water for you, which is great. read more

What a great time!!!! Excellent tour guide, she gave perfect lessons for my group of beginners. The boards were so much fun to use and the 2 hour tour was very scenic! Some challenging bits through tunnels of Mangrove!! Worth every penny!! read more

Stand Up Paddleboard Key West - Beginner SUP-ers!!! - Paddleboarding Near Me

Staying in Key Largo for spring break and had to travel down to Key West for the day. Decided to book a mangrove tour on SUP boards, called that same morning for a 1:30 start. We received a great tour of the mangroves from Brian. Brian was very welcoming and exceptionally knowledgable of the wildlife in the mangroves, going into canals and hurricane holes where you wouldn't go on your own. Highly recommend, we had two adults and two teens. Perfect. Tip o the hat- to the eco friendly vibe of the tour - thanks Brian! Wage o the finger- lost my favorite sunglasses when I fell in. (My bad). read more

Our first time trying Stand Up Paddleboarding and we're hooked. We can't wait to try it again and we will definitely book with Megan next time we go to Key West. Megan was great and lead us on wonderful tour of the mangroves, and we learned a few things too. We did the afternoon tour and the weather was marginal with the possibility of thunderstorms in the area. Megan left it up to us and made sure we were comfortable going. She even offered to refund our money if we were cut short because of the weather. As far as the paddleboarding...not too hard but I was a little shaky in the beginning (I didn't fall though!) but my wife popped right up. It wasn't long before I was pretty comfortable paddling and really enjoyed it. We booked in advance on the website and the communication was very good. They will even pick you up if you need a ride there, so book a tour and have a great time. It should be on everyone's to-do list during your Key West visit. read more

Really wanted to do this tour, talked to them Saturday morning and found out the details, they said they had all times open Sunday. Said I'd check with my friend and call them back to book, they said great. I called back 10 min later, they didn't answer and I left a message - I want to book for 2 people 10am Sunday. THey didn't call back so I called again late in the day, left another message asking again for a call back so I could book, no response. Sunday came and they wouldn't answer the phone. So, needless to say, I didn't get to do the tour with them. Answering the phone and returning messages sounds like basics of doing business.... read more

My husband and I were first time paddleboarders. We researched SUP Key West and scheduled a tour. Ease of reservation: booked online; very easy; great reminders Location: signage is HORRIBLE, but once you find them, they take you to spots providing a good mix of easy to moderate challenge level. Instructor: Kristen was AWESOME. She was very thorough in her instruction and tips she gave us were extremely helpful. She tailored the tour for us knowing we were Floridians. Great experience! read more

Awesome!!!! Our tour guide was so knowledgeable and genuinely wanted everyone to have fun but learn also! Brodie the dog was a great added bonus!!!! read more

This was the complete highlight of our visit. We went over a month ago and it's still stuck in my head! We utilized the complimentary shuttle and they picked us up from our hotel- amazing. The staff is just fantastic. My friend and I were lucky to get a sunset tour all to ourselves (I recommend sunset tour- it was perfect temperature out). We went through the mangroves with Hannah who was delightful and full of knowledge. She made such a lasting impression. I'm so thankful to her. We held sea cucumbers and small jellyfish, we saw crabs and other sea life, and we learned about mangroves and plant life. It was so enlightening and very relaxing. To those who are nervous about never having tried paddleboarding before, don't worry. It was our first time on paddleboards and we were both moving through the water with ease. Plus, if you aren't as comfortable standing, you could always kneel to feel more stable. Once you paddle out to the mangroves, you will be sitting and relaxing on your board. I highly highly recommend SUP! read more

Jesse was an awesome guide and was very knowledgeable about the area. Relaxing morning boarding! read more

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So, not sure how you pay, get a confirmation email, show up after I nice bike ride, wait 30 minutes, with phone calls to the company looking for the guide.....and no one shows up at the place. Only activity my wife really wanted to do while on vacation in KW. Apparently this happens at this place. The kayak and jetski places nearby are happy to have you business. I highly recommend going elsewhere, just because you won't know if they'll be open. I understand island time but not when it's something like this. read more

Best time I could have possibly had. Meegan was full of knmowledge, and great at teaching beginners (like me) the ins and outs of stand up paddle boarding. by the end of our half day tour I felt like a pro. So I didn't see a manatee, whatever, I held a jelly fish in my hand, saw a sea star, mangrove crabs, horseshoe crabs, and more fish than I can comprehend. Everybody needs to try this (just beware of boat wake if your balance is, lets call it questionable). Probabaly the most fun of anything I have done here, and so worth the money. read more

The eco tour in the mangroves was the best SUP experience one can have, our guide was amazing. We even had the chance to see manatees. Absolutely must do in Key West. read more

Hands-down my favorite thing we did while in Key West. Megan is a wealth of knowledge, holding a PhD in Marine Ecology, and is laid-back and friendly as all get out. We were originally heading out with another couple with Elizabeth, but when she realized the other couple wasn't getting the hang of it as quickly (I guess we were pros from the get-go), Megan hopped on a board and took my husband and I out for a private paddle. The mangroves were, as another reviewer put it, "magical," and we had a perfect day for our first time out on the water. I'd contacted Megan before we arrived and asked about the full vs. half day for beginners, and rather than try to upsell us to what could have been a less-than-stellar experience, she recommended we stick with the half-day to start. Long story short, I've found my newest addiction. Highly recommended!! read more

Worth every penny, this experience truly made our trip. I didn't feel like I had been dragged into a tourist trap like other places. They took their time teaching us and we couldn't have been happier. read more

This was my first SUP experience. I've been wanting to try it for a long time, and it is as great as I thought it would be. It's an active yet relaxing way to explore the crystal clear waters around Key West. We did the 2-hour sunset paddle. Saw a few conch, sea cucumbers, and starfish, and a couple small rays and fish. Mostly I just loved the serenity of paddling, especially through the mangroves on the way back. If you're nervous about trying SUP, don't worry. Unless you have serious coordination or balance issues, you'll get the hang of it quickly. Megan is wonderfully passionate about what she does and the things she explains. Also loved that there were only 5 of us in the group. I can't compare this company to any others, but it was a good value and an enjoyable experience. As a side note, don't expect a luxurious marina! read more

Kassy was awesome! Funny and very knowledgeable about the marine life and Key West area. Her dog Sunny was a joy to watch.

Had a very fun SUP tour with Caitlin through the mangroves. Some instruction, some standing up and paddling, some sitting on the boards in the mangrove tunnels. Perfect for our sophisticated, athletic, and attractive group of people - just like your group. And, "Oh my God!" we spotted a new species of starfish! Not to mention the grouper! Highly recommended. read more

We went paddleboarding for the first time on a sunset tour. Had Shannon as our guide. She was knowledgeable and fun! It was great fun going into the mangroves and being able to hold some of the sea creatures. Will definitely go again. read more

From the moment we parked we were created with high fives, Kassie was our motivational and knowledgable Eco guide. The mangroves were a sight anyone will remember. The overall nature knowledge, view, and exercise makes this an amazing outing. We were so lucky to have Kassie to ourselves, she provided us with water and let us have our time to enjoy the scenery so it wasn't at all intrusive. To be honest we can't wait to go back! Ask for Kassie read more

Kassie was great. We had a wonderful time and a relaxing afternoon with the family doing something truly special. The trip through the mangroves was super cool. It was something we will all remember. My teenagers even loved it! We all learned a lot, saw this magical world of salt water species that we knew nothing about, all while learning a new skill of paddle boarding. read more

My husband, mom, and I went on a SUP morning tour with tour guide Kristin. We own paddle boards and are avid SUP-ers, but have never gone on a guided tour and were interested in the ecosystem component of the SUP Key West experience. Kristin pointed out loads of marine life that I would have otherwise overlooked. She also was very knowledgeable about the mangroves and I learned alot about them and how they contribute to the Keys' ecosystem. If you are in town for a few days, or even if you are a local, I recommend heading out on a guided tour to expand your knowledge of the marine life that is in your backyard. read more

Guide never showed for our trip. Didn't even get a phone call to let us know no one was coming. Trekked all the way out to the place and waited. And waited. Finally a guide from the adjacent kayaking tour showed up and reached out to someone from SUPKW and was able to get us an answer that the guide wasn't coming. read more

My friends and I had an excellent time during our sunset tour. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable! The tour through the red mangroves was beautiful. Most of us were first time stand-up paddle boarders, and our guide made us feel very comfortable. Great value for a private tour! read more