Almost Heaven Kayak Adventures

My mother and I had a great time on an almost heaven tour where we went through mangrove trees and saw 3 manatees. Our guide tour, Will, was very helpful and was a great guide. He was full of facts about the mangroves and he showed us an upside down jelly fish. It gave us a great workout.

Such a great tour. Beautiful, informative and the tour guide was wonderful. We all had fun and were surprised even though my mother and I aren’t in the best physical shape we did just fine. I would do it again. Next time I’m bringing a waterproof camera because it was really tough trying to take pictures with my professional camera.

Absolutely the worst tour; first we did not see any real wild life; second they took us through the mangroves stuffing 10 kayaks through a space there was no openings for causing it hard to get through; also we only had one guide where two seemed obviously necessary; on top of all that my kayak had leak in it causing me to sink and turn over several times; one time I waited for the guide for 20 minutes to come back and help me in the mangroves; the proper thing was to print us back to start and get me a new kayak; awful experience would not recommend.

What a great trip! We arrived a little bit early for our family group of 11 including four kids with the youngest being 5. Derrick had us already to go. We got out quickly which was great because there were at least four other companies waiting to put in. There are no promises sat what you will see but we saw it all. Manatees went under our boats within just a few feet. We saw a number of dolphins and any birds. Derrick provided very informative commentary and was very funny as well. We loved the mangrove tour and when we came back, Derrick was very helpful getting everyone out. We had a perfect mid-​June day. Sunny and bright with almost no wind. All this said I think most of these companies are quite good. Which forces the bad ones out and makes them all better. Competition works.

Great tour and enjoyed kayaking with our guide Will. Saw dolphin, manatee and tons of birds and sea life. He shared lots of interesting fact with us regarding the environment, area and the sea life. Good time had by all.

My family showed up at the launch point on Lido Key today with our confirmed reservation in hand. No sign of Almost Heaven, though several other companies’ trucks were there. A park ranger on duty spoke to them by phone, and then told us they weren’t going to show up. It was a long pointless drive out to Lido, and a great disappointment to us.
I don’t know that I’ve ever been treated with such an uncaring and unprofessional attitude by any tour company. We never even got a call from these people, before or after the no-​show. This evening they sent an email apologizing for the «mixup» with no explanation of why they didn’t keep their commitment. We don’t know if they just forgot, or if they felt it wasn’t worth their while without a larger group, or something else. In their email they offered us a free tour tomorrow, but that doesn’t work for us. And frankly we’re not all that comfortable trusting them again.

Went on the Lido mangrove tour with them today. We called and made reservations a couple days before and set everything up. The day was a little cool and windy, but our guide Deric was waiting for us when we got there. It turned out we were the only ones that signed up that day but the tour still went on.
We went through the mangrove tunnels the first hour and a half and Deric shared a lot of information on the area and wildlife. Even though it was cool and this was not the season for them, we spent the last hour going to an area where manatees had been seen. Even though we did not see any, it was still worth it to go through the area .
Overall my wife and I had a wonderful time. The sights were amazing, the tour was a beautiful way to spend an afternoon and Deric was very accomodating and a joy to talk to throughout.

A large group of our extended family, ranging in age from 13 to 81, rented tandem kayaks this past January Monday for a trip around Lido Key and through the mangrove tunnels. Our fabulous and friendly guide, Derrick, was very informative and very helpful. We were concerned about my 81 year old dad getting in the kayak and rowing. He guided him to the wider of the kayaks, got him in and comfortable on dry land, and helped us select the best passenger (rower) for his kayak. We were almost all rookie kayakers so he gave us great instruction and got us in the water. As we paddled, we stopped frequently so he could share information about where we were and what we were seeing. We all had a wonderful time and would highly recommend the experience! Thanks Derrick!

We were absolutely thrilled with this outing. Just two of us showed up in rather sketchy weather conditions and we appreciated the personal attention and freindliness of our guide. It was everything we hoped it would be and more! I will certainly return with more friends to share this experience of a side to Sarasota l had never seen. Thanks!

This was my first time kayaking, it was a great introduction and we had a fantastic guide. If you go, ask for Derek, he is knowledgable about the area, kayaking and very nice. We did the Mangrove tour and it was beautiful. If we come back to visit I will go on another kayak tour with them.

This was my favorite part of our vacation in Sarasota. I’d never been in a kayak before but they gave great instructions. I felt like a pro by the end :)
Our tour guide, Alan, was very informative, funny and nice… an all-​around great, patient, helpful guy.
The water was beautiful and it could not have been a prettier day. We saw some manatees, different kinds of birds and even a see urchin. The mangrove tunnels were really cool looking.
The tour was well worth the money. We were out on the water for almost three hours. It was a great experience. I’d do it again and would highly recommend it.
One slight caution is that, even though they recommend it for all ages and body types, if you have any physical ailments or health concerns, it might be difficult. It’s a long tour. I’m not exactly an athlete, so you don’t have to be in superb physical condition or anything, but my husband and I were talking about whether any of our parents, who are in their late 60s, would have been able to kayak that long and we weren’t sure. You don’t have to paddle fast and there is time to rest while you are looking at marine life, but it was still close to three hours in a kayak. We thought it was awesome, but just be careful if you have any physical ailments (or get a tandem kayak and have a friend or relative do the hard work ;)!!!)

We had a wonderful tour, including an up-​close encounter with several dolphins. When the weather turned bad, the guides did a great job getting everyone back safety.

Tom did a wonderful job as our guide this morning. The mangrove tunnel tour was great in that it had a nice balance of seeing the open bay and working through the mangrove tunnels. We saw lots of birds, sea life and even a dolphin. The entire staff was wonderful and flexible with us moving our reservation to the morning session.

Shane was an awesome tour guide! His enthusiasm and experience was the best part of the kayak trip. We all agreed we had the best guide (compared to others we saw — maybe we were just biased.) A manatee swam between our boats and we thought we heard a dolphin splash — but none of us saw any. Kayaking through the mangroves was a highlight. Shawn kept us informed along the way of all the sea critters he saw — he has incredible eyesight b/​c he could hop out of his boat and hold things up in the blink of an eye.
I recommend Almost Heaven with 5 stars and would add more if I could!

We had a work trip out to Sarasota, Florida and 8 of us went on a kayak trip with some free time off.
Shane was our guide and he took us out and had lots of fun facts about the area and was a real cool guy. Dealt with the two horribly behaved kids that were with us okay (Their parents were there and really needed to kick their ass and tell them to behave. Kids today, if you have kids, don’t let them be jerks around people paying good money to enjoy themselves. I am talking 10 – 12 year olds. Dear Lord, shut the hell up, the kids were banging their kayaks into people, asking people if they wanted to hold on to the crab they just caught. Uggh. Shane tried to make the best of horrible parents, they were from Oklahoma, just saying.)
Anyway, he brought us to the spots that dolphins and manatees should be and they weren’t there, but we saw an upside jellyfish (Shane said he hadn’t seen them for many years, some cool birds, a sea cucumber and these cool birds that would follow us around picking up fish that were moved from our paddles.
After looking for wildlife, Shane took us through the mangrove trails, these were super awesome. It was like being on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride with all the noises you hear on the ride.
They have these cool, creepy crabs everywhere that are fun to look at, and we saw a bird I have never sen before just looking at us as we drifted by. It was like a crane with two cool strips of hair hanging down its back.
We had an awesome 3 hour tour, I thought the heat would kill me, but it was tolerable even though it was like 90 degrees out.
My wife didn’t come on this trip and I know I will take her on this tour next time we are down there. Very cool!

SHANE WAS FANTASTIC!
Almost Heaven Kayak Adventures gave me great customer service as soon as I e-​mailed them. I had questions, and they responded promptly with lots of details about their tours and how to attend. I then called to make reservations for the south lido tour, and it was super easy. I called the day of our tour, as weather was poor, to ask them if it was safe. They told me that our safety was what was most important to them, and that if there was any sign of lightening or heavy storms that they would either not launch or would end early. To our luck, we made it through the day with very little rain. Although it was mostly cloudy, it made the weather much more bearable and we didn’t get hot! It felt like 75 out, and there were a few bursts of sun. The weather was surprisingly ideal.
When we showed up Shane greeted us promptly. We were the only ones there. Wow, this company really is great. Even though there was only two of us, the tour still went on. A lot of companies need to have a certain amount of people to attend in order for it to launch. This impressed me right off of the bat. Plus, we basically had a private tour.
Shane catered to our needs and asked us if there was anything in particular we wanted to see, where we wanted to go, etc. He gave us some instructions and tips, and was super friendly. We engaged in fantastic conversations the whole time. We saw sting rays, sea stars, tulip snails, mullet fish, LOTS of birds. The cormorants have learned that the Kayaks scare off the fish, so they trail closely behind you to grab some lunch. We had a group of 4 following us the whole time, and they we so cute and go within arms distance. Dolphins and manatees are common.
When we went into the mangroves it was the most peaceful environment I have ever been in. Just being in there was meditative. It is so calm. It was a little rainy outside and the mangroves were like a little calm shelter, still with lots of life. Birds hide in there, and there are many fish and crabs. I took lots of pictures.
Shane was so knowledgeable not only about the wildlife in Sarasota but also about the history of the area. We were so impressed. He almost seemed over qualified, because he knew so much! You could also tell that he really enjoyed his job, it reflected in his smile and positive attitude, and his interest in sharing information about this beautiful place that he can call home.
Our tour ran over the time we thought it would, which was a good thing. If we had to end on time, we would have, but since it was just us and we were having so much fun we were able to explore a little longer. We were not sore after the trip as you pretty much take your time and cruise through the bay, stopping to look at/​for wildlife. In the mangroves were cruised slowly to be able to take in the whole relaxing experience. It was perfect. Also, the price was very reasonable for an amazing guided tour, all equipment included, and a long trip out on the water.
I could not have ever imagined a better tour guide and a better kayaking trip, and don’t think I will have a kayaking experience as good as this. He set the bar way high and so did all of the folks at Almost Heaven. Lido key and the mangroves are also a great location for such a tour, as the water was smooth as butter and the wildlife is plenty.
If you get Shane as your tour guide you will be very lucky! I wish we had swapped numbers after because I would definitely love to befriend this guy! Keep up the good work, Almost Heaven! We will have to return for one of your other trips, and will be requesting Shane as our tour guide!

Our tour guide (Shane, I think?) was adorable and extremely educated about the area and local wildlife. He was lots of fun. The kayaks were in great shape. I’d say the actual tour (did the mangrove forest one) was even a little too long for my taste (just over 2 hours), but I think they really try to give you your money’s worth. It was wonderful overall!

First time in a kayak and I had a blast! Saw a few dolphins and varies creepy sea life which I prefer to admire from a distance … Wanna hold a sea cucumber… uh…I don’t think so… It was nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of life and just enjoy the quiet of the water… Thanks much for a great afternoon!

They may not be the cheapest kayak rental but they are definitely the best. David Wells is determined to make sure you have a great time while paddling through the mangroves of South Lido Park. He gives you a full introduction on how to properly use a kayak and then sends you on your way with detailed information about the park and the habitat. The man can answer any question — from the weather to best location to find the manatee. Give him a try and you won’t be disappointed. We visit regularly from Georgia and have use a couple of the kayak rental services. His is by far the best!