Island Time Kayaking

Mellow exercise excursion. We saw no dolphin or manatee. Use the groupon to get about half off, not worth it otherwise. Extra fees and taxes on top of groupon charge totaled $ 8+. You will get wet in the cheap plastic kayaks. Bring water. Maybe find a different place to do the same thing.

Guide was good and we saw a dolphin! They need to provide instructions to first time kayakers.

Beware of the numerous «additional» charges on top of whatever voucher you purchase.
~~Surcharge (taxes, fuel, etc.) (8%) — ambiguous to say the least
~~Parking charge — you are parking in public places that require NO parking fee but this company charges you $ 3 to park.
~~Change fee — I understand if someone makes a change and they need to charge but it is $ 10 and it doesn’t matter — ANY change to the reservation for ANY reason and it is $ 10
~~Communication skills — lacking significantly. Reaching someone by phone was not something I accomplished. Emails seemed curt and unprofessional.
~~Manatee/​Dolphin sightings — this may be possible during some times of year but we saw one jellyfish and a bird the entire time we were out. They cannot control wildlife, but be aware that at least during winter the guide told us there is little chance of seeing anything.
~~Fighting wind and waves — the return to the boat launch was grueling. You fight the wind and waves. It is a tremendous core workout. When I stopped to get a sip from my water bottle the force of the wind and waves turned me completely around in seconds. The guide said they have had people so frustrated they have climbed out of the kayak and walked/​swam back to shore abandoning their kayak.
~~Wet seats — the kayaks are «self-​draining» which means there is a constant puddle in your seat and there is nothing you can do about it. By the time I returned to shore I was soaked from my waist nearly to my knees. If I had been prepared I would have brought a change of clothes or board shorts.

I completely agree with the previous comments regarding customer service. I called the number on my groupon and the guy who answered mumbled that I had to go to the website to make a reservation. After asking him to repeat himself 3 times, I finally understood him. I asked for the web address and he mumbled something. I was not asking 3 more times so I ended the call. I figured I can google it and find it. FYI Island Time Kayaking is apparently a common name. After clicking a few wrong sites I came across their excuse for a website. It looks like an 8 year old designed it. Booking process is weird to say the least.
* Just received the confirmation and this is officially a «Rip Off». They added taxes on top of my Groupon! That never happens with Groupon. Plus their system screwed up and scheduled me for the wrong day. So when I called to get it changed they said I would have to pay a $ 10 change fee. THIS PLACE IS A FUCKING JOKE!

I’m not sure why there are so many bad reviews! I had no issues at all. Booking online was very easy and I had no issues with the customer service. I even called with a question and I got an answer right away. The kayaking itself was awesome! You seriously get up close and personal with some friendly manatees (don’t touch them!) and dolphins get pretty close as well. The tour guide is great! Very friendly and knowledgeable, you can just tell he loves kayaking. Overall, a great time and if you get the groupon it is a great deal as well. Can’t wait to go again!

Their reservation system is the absolute worst ever! You can only book online, so don’t bother calling. I don’t even know why they list a phone because they are so unhelpful and tell you to use the website.
I did go on the trip and saw manatees and dolphins, so that was fine. But I urge people to find a company that values customer service, makes it easy to reserve a spot, and confirms your reservation for you. I had to call several times to make sure I had a spot and then the person on the end of the phone could remember what my name was even though I repeated it three times! Ugh, they have a lot to learn about running a business. My advice, find another tour operator.