Verified
#1 Florida Experience - Do Not Miss!
KIMBROUGH gave us an AMAZING private tour - we couldn't have asked for better! He was very informative - just the right mix of history, ecology, and descriptions of wildlife and habitats. I had zero kayak experience, but got the hang of it pretty quickly with his encouragement. My daughter was a novice paddleboarder, but handled conditions with ease. We saw so many birds, fishes, and crabs, but the highlights were the sea turtle and dolphins! We had a marvelous time, highly recommend Surfit and Kimbrough, and would absolutely do it again -thank you!
KIMBROUGH gave us an AMAZING private tour - we couldn't have asked for better! He was very informative - just the right mix of history, ecology, and descriptions of wildlife and habitats. I had zero kayak experience, but got the hang of it pretty quickly with his encouragement. My daughter was a novice paddleboarder, but handled conditions with ease. We saw so many birds, fishes, and crabs, but the highlights were the sea turtle and dolphins! We had a marvelous time, highly recommend Surfit and Kimbrough, and would absolutely do it again -thank you!
Verified
Trip not what was expected
We booked the Mangrove Tunnel & Manatee Kayaking Experience knowing that seeing manatees is never guaranteed, and we completely understand that wildlife is unpredictable. Unfortunately, we didn't see any during our tour. What was more disappointing was how the tour ended. With about 30 minutes remaining, the group was asked whether they wanted to continue looking for manatees or head to the beach. We were outvoted, so the tour ended with everyone sitting on the beach instead of spending the remaining time kayaking and making one last effort to find manatees. We came for the kayaking and wildlife experience, not to relax on a beach, especially since we were already spending the rest of our vacation at the beach. It felt like the experience we paid for was cut short. The guides were friendly and the mangrove tunnels were beautiful, but I think a better approach would be to keep the focus on the advertised tour for the full duration rather than letting a group vote change the experience. Overall, it was a disappointing end to what could have been a much better excursion.
Verified
Not much of a tour
We did the kayaking tour on a windy Wednesday afternoon. Our guide was quite friendly. At the beginning of the tour, he stated, "It is not only my job to provide education, but also to ensure your comfort (ie assist if too difficult given the wind)." Unfortunately, he did neither. There were long stretches of time where he was at least a football field in front of us, on his phone, or otherwise not providing the intended service: a tour. While we observed other tour guides providing assistance and tugging along a family of 4 to help with the current, our tour guide denied. My sister struggled with steering, often getting stuck in a mangrove. When she asked to be tugged along, our guide said: "Nah, we'll just be zigzagging all the way." I have done many tours and without question this was the least supported and guided. I will say we did appreciate our guides overall pleasant demeanor and flexibility. We also enjoyed having extra time and seeing manatees. But if you are expecting an actual kayaking tour, you'd be wise to look elsewhere.
Reply from SURFIT USA | Kayaks, Paddleboards & Surf
2026.06.18
I am so happy that our tour guide was personable and friendly and that you found manatees! However, I do want to acknowledge the tour guide assistance. Our tour guides are not able to tow people unless it is in extreme cases. Things can change a bit on a windy day and our tour guides are there to make sure everyone is enjoying themselves. If they are towing one guest, they can't easily help others if needed. Our tours move slowly and tour guides try their best to make sure everyone gets the basics down and can confidently paddle. We do offer private tours in which your group alone would be with the tour guide. This is a great option when some of the paddlers might need extra assistance. We hope you give us another try! We have over 3,000 Five Star reviews on Google and don't get reviews like this very often. We would love to make it up to you. Give the office.a call!
Verified
Beautiful!
We had a wonderful time! Our tour guide was sweet, funny, and did a great job prioritizing both fun and safety. The scenery was absolutely beautiful, and we were lucky enough to see dolphins, fish, and birds along the way. Kayaking through the mangrove tunnels was such a unique and memorable experience. Highly recommend! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
