Crystal River Kayak & Dive Center

Crystal River Kayak and Dive Center

Crystal River

Kayak and Dive Center

40 BETTER OFF WET | AUGUST 2022

Crystal River Kayak and Dive Center

Better Off Wet Crew gets a kayak tour of Crystal River’s springs with Gangster Gary

For us, waking up to a gorgeous sunrise, with no clouds in the sky, and getting ready to head out on a kayak trip…well, that sounds like an amazing start to a day on the water. And today, we are in beautiful Crystal River, Florida with the longest running kayak tour guide at Crystal River Kayak and Dive Center, Gangster Gary. We will get to the nickname in a bit. But, just after meeting Gangster Gary and launching our kayaks, we knew we were in for a treat and a good time spending the morning with him. The water was as clear as water can be, plenty of Eel Grass under our kayaks, and low and behold a marvelous Manatee right under us before we could barely get away from the dock. We are off to a great start on the King’s Bay Tour and thanks to the Lord a blessed start to our day.

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Crystal River Kayak and Dive Center

Gary gave a nice quick kayak tutorial and safety rundown, as any good tour guide would. We feel pretty good on a kayak, but of course not all customers are the same and I imagine some days may be more like cat herding than human guiding for Gary. Gary has a great demeanor and we think he is a great teacher out in his watery classroom. Gary is extremely informative about Crystal River’s springs and Manatees and we get the impression he will welcome all your questions about either subject. Crystal River maintains a constant 72 degree temperature and has a lot of Eel Grass (the ideal Manatee table fare), which makes it a great destination for Manatees. We were informed that there

are 3 types of Eel Grass, one of which gets the nickname “Manatee Crack” by most folks, but Gary prefers “Manatee Catnip”. Either nickname you decide to go with; be on the lookout for the Grass that has what looks like to us to be a budding flower on top of it, because that’s apparently the “good stuff”. Manatees are incredible creatures and only after a short time paddling with Gary, we’d already seen quite a few. Along with the Manatees, expect to see other wildlife such as Ospreys, Bald Eagles, Alligators, wild hogs, Otters, and many fish species. Crystal River is not only attractive to Manatees because of its unique characteristics but too us humans, as well. As Gangster Gary continued showing us around the springs and filling our brains

42 BETTER OFF WET | AUGUST 2022

Crystal River Kayak and Dive Center

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Crystal River Kayak and Dive Center

with tons of good information about the area and Manatees, he also had us laughing with his surplus of Manatee jokes. He says there are 3 common thoughts on his nickname, Gangster Gary. We like the first one the most. You’ll have to take a tour with him to find out all 3 but, we will let you in on the secret of how he got the nickname. Gary was in a Bible study with a young guy who gave him the nickname because it was so far from being his personality. We would agree with that statement. Gangster Gary is a cool nickname for a cool guy, who will definitely show you a good time on the water. Thanks to Gary and all the great folks at Crystal River Kayak and Dive Center.

44 BETTER OFF WET | AUGUST 2022

Crystal River Kayak and Dive Center

To book tours please contact Crystal River Kayak Company and Dive Center at 1422 SE US Hwy 19, Crystal River, Florida 34429. (352) 795-2255. They are open seven days a week from 08:00 am – 04:00 pm. Please, be advised that they close early on days of heavy rains and thunder storms. Please, call ahead if you are in doubt. We are open year round with the exception of two days: Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

The Premiere Place in Crystal River For your Kayak and Dive Excursions

Launch from and return to our private launch dock

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www.CrystalRiverKayakCompany.com

352-795-2255

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An easy 10 minute paddle to the beautiful Three Sisters Springs

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