Captain Mike was so great!…read more It rained all day but we still were really excited to do this sailboat tour. Our tour was scheduled from 7-9 and Mike checked in numerous times throughout the day to make sure we were feeling comfortable with the weather - he was more than happy to accommodate if not. He was personable, knowledge and made us feel super safe along the way. And the Chicago skyline was STUNNING! Would def recommend!

Captain Mike is the best. We have sailed with him many times and he does not disappoint. He is…read moreprofessional and friendly and makes the event as pleasant as possible. He is easy to work with and very accommodating. We will sail with him again.

Great service. Brought my equipment in for a tuneup, reasonably priced and timely…read more They have a large selection of products as well as a training pool.

My husband and I first walked in 01/2026 to sign up for the Open Water class. We just finished our…read moreconfined water dives this past weekend with Dale Rush. The attention that he has to safety is absolutely incredible. His focus on our wellbeing while showing us the skills we needed was a wonderful experience. If we did anything wrong he corrected us with an outstanding amount of patience, and told us the reasons why. He stays calm even when you're not, reassuring you that he's got your back. I had plenty of options to select the right size wetsuit, and BCD from the rental gear. Their store also has amazing gear that I can't wait to buy. Dale went over features to look out for in our gear, so I'm looking forward to making my first kit purchase with Underwater Safaris. I purchased some gear prior to completing my class online and I regret that. The mask I bought online from a different store did not fit comfortably so it is absolutely recommended that you go into the shop and let them help you fit gear so you're not wasting money in the long run. Be mindful, if you want to purchase your own gear for classes, plan days ahead. I believe we got a great value in our training so far, most importantly because I felt safe. We also learned skills that we are going to be able to use for the rest of our life. Can't wait for the 4 quarry dives with Dale!

Super easy to make an afternoon on the river happen. I have a boat, but rented one for my 13 year…read moreold daughter. They set her up with a life jacket and a quick run through of the basics. We were off in no time and saw some great wildlife.

Super easy kayak rental from May - September. I rented a kayak on a Monday morning at the Tower Rd…read more / Winnetka location. Parked, and 5 minutes later I was in the water. Rentals are $20 / hour but Mondays you get 20% off. They take cash or credit cards.

A great experience but exhausting…read more We signed up for the fireworks tour on a Saturday night and it was excellent. Essentially, you paddle your way to Navy Pier area, watch the fireworks, and then paddle all the way back. The distance covered is around 6 miles and can be exhausting. Anyone can do this but I would not attempt it if you're not at least a physically active person. Overall, the experience was fantastic and the entire staff was very accommodating. Highly recommend if you're an active person and want an unbelievable experience on the Chicago River.

I've kayaked all over the world, but never through a canyon of steel and glass. With only a couple…read moreof days left of summer, I'm trying to squeeze in every single drop of it before cold weather comes to Chicago. Combining architecture, history, exercise, adventure, and only $69, this was an ideal activity for me. I'm very athletic. I exercise 7 days a week, including power lifting 3 days a week. It didn't feel like a workout at all yesterday, but by 3am, my biceps, triceps, and shoulders were actually sore enough to wake me up. While it is an activity for every skill level, it is a 6.5 mile journey, so how much you enjoy it might depend on what kind of shape you're in. The Chicago River has a lot of traffic during the summer. -A lot of party boats, large architectural boat tours, water taxis, speedboats, and jet skis. Being in a humble kayak while navigating all of that traffic can be a bit stressful, but our tour guides were excellent at instructing us how to stay safe while we share the water. They offer architectural tours, sunset tours, and a city lights tour. I'd love to squeeze in a city lights tour before the season ends. Chicago is the most beautiful city in America and ranked 2nd most beautiful in the world. Get a view of it from the river and you'll easily understand why.

I got to experience a Discovery Dive through LSC last night and it was an absolute blast! I had…read morebeen interested in Scuba but honestly never expected to actually try it, so when I got the chance through a Yelp event, I was SO excited! Before attending, make sure you watch the intro video- it's super informative and saves tons of time when you get there so all your time can be spent in the water vs going over all the information. Bob and his team were so incredibly helpful, welcoming, and were great coaches for those of us who had never Scuba-d before. We got into the UIC pool with wet suits and all our gear, went through a quick orientation with Bob underwater, then spent the rest of the time swimming around the pool. Scuba diving in a pool doesn't seem that exciting at first, but trust me, it is way more fun than you'd expect. Everyone who helped us was so helpful and nice, and they really made the experience amazing. What an incredible organization led by a great person. Will absolutely be back to get certified some day!!

Loved learning scuba chicago. I took this course with my sister and we felt extremely confident…read moreabout taking our dive skills into the wild!! Thank you to Amy for making sure we got our course done in time for our trip. And special thank you's to Alex and Sam for helping me get over my fear of mask skills. And their fearless leader Zach/Bob for coordinating everything. Would definitely recommend this course they make sure that you are prepared and safe every step of the way.

It's a good place to learn how to swim for the little ones .! I seen my kid improve a lot, in a…read morelittle time .! A lot of coaches too in this facility.! Great staff . I give 4 stars just because sometimes they spend time fixing googles , it can take them ( 5 minutes by doing that , looking at the time ( clock wise) too I se them a lot .! In every minute count for me .! Instead of checking the clock they should focus more on starting the class.

Not a great place unless you don't have other options. Both Gold Fish and Big Blue are designed to…read morekeep you in the program and paying money by having your kids make very slow improvements, but not really to teach them how to swim as quickly as possible. They get hung up on micro movements and use it as an excuse to stall progression. It's rediculous. Off the two we did like Gold Fish better. This issues is was particularly pronounced when we brought our daughter to swim lessons in another country. The approach was night and day. She learned more in two lessons there than she did in 20 lessons at Gold Fish. The teacher even pointed out that our daughter hadn't made much progress in one year since he had seen her last. Gold Fish is a racket. They will teach your kids to swim.... eventually. But you are much better off putting your kiddo in a different swim school or in another activity they enjoy. Note: we did share this concern directly with management last year. It resulted in our daughter magically being passed to the next level... which her instructors had stated she was ready for weeks prior, but the "tester" refused to pass her. We again spoke with the "tester" this time and expect to hear back from management, but like last time it won't change their business model or practices of keeping you in the program vs. teaching kids to swim efficiently.

My friends and I went out on the boat on July 15. It was our second time going out with Captain…read moreJeff and his shipmate Jessika. Just like the first time we really enjoyed ourselves. We drank a few brews, listened to music, and caught lots of fish. More than anything, it's nice to experience good times with good people. You almost don't even care if you catch any fish. Jeff and Jessika are great. Beautiful down to earth folks and we really love going out there with them. Heading out, we played music and watched the Chicago skyscrapers sink into the ground. No cellphone service way out there, so we're just out there enjoying uninterrupted time together. We all draw numbers to determine the rotation and for the second time we went through the rotation twice. Everyone got to haul in fish. I almost didn't want us to write this review right now because we want to book another outing in September and I selfishly want to go out with Jeff and Jessika again. By writing this review now, they may get booked by more people. But I decided to write it now anyway, because they deserve it. Thank you, Captain Jeff and Jessika! Hopefully we'll see you in September. Tight lines! Miguel DT Sr

Great time fishing on this boat!!! We went out for the 6 hour afternoon VIP tour and it was…read moreawesome! We caught 5 good size lake trout, would have been 6, but I messed it up. The captain was a great host, and a very knowledgeable fisherman. I would absolutely recommend this trip to anyone looking to get out on the lake and go for some big fish.

Just got back from Chicago stand up paddle boarding and honestly had a really fun time. I went to…read morethe diversity harbor location as most of the beaches continue to be closed due to COVID. The view and paddle boarding towards the city is quite scenic and it is cool to be able to merge the thundering city with being on the water. It is right next to a public park so there are many people walking, biking, and having picnics which is also a nice sight, however, on the other side of the park is a highway so that takes away from some of the scenery. There are not great parking instructions on the website but we managed to find a spot hero nearby which was pretty easy. Booking a same-day reservation was not a hassle and you simply fill out a liability waiver on the phone once you get there. I was not super sure about how clean the rented equipment was which could be a concern for some people right now, otherwise the rental process was easy. Some other concerns I had were that they give you a box to store your belongings in, but the box is just sitting out in the back of a trailer and I am not sure how well guarded they were. There is also a very low bridge that I had to lay down to go under, and while I thought it was a fun little challenge others may think of it as a nuisance. Overall, good way to paddle board near the city.

I took advantage of the awesome weather this past weekend to try paddle boarding out on Lake…read moreMichigan. Gotta love that view of city while you're out on the lake! The Good: We scored a Groupon for two hours for two people for $60 bucks. Plus the 20% off Groupon special and that put us right at $48 for two! Not bad and comparable to rates that I'm use to paying back in California. AND.. spectacular view of the city! The Bad: If it's your first time paddle boarding the conditions will have you loving it or hating it. Lake Michigan is comparable to trying to paddle around in an open ocean. Currents can pull you easily one way or another, and you can get some gnarly wakes coming off passing by boats/jet skis. If it's your first time, I'd recommend staying closer to shore until you feel comfortable maneuvering around before adventuring out. Other than that, aside from the choppy conditions, we had an excellent time. The shop is located on North Ave Beach. Look for the Jet Ski and boat rental signs. 'Til next time, cheers!