Clear kayak rentals · Silver Springs & Rainbow River
Clear kayaks.
A rigid transparent hull, padded seats with backrests, and a paddle and life jacket in every rental. From $67.80. Singles and tandems on two 72-degree spring runs.
5.0 ★★★★★
· 285 Google reviews
From $67.80 · Age 18+ to book
A sit-on-top hull you can read the riverbed through.
There is no trick to it. The hull is clear, the spring is clear, and the two facts multiply. From the seat you can follow eelgrass bending in the current, watch a gar hold still under the bow, and see the sand working where a vent pushes up through the bottom. Book clear kayak rentals at Silver Springs when you want the wilder window, including manatee season. Both rivers sit 90 minutes from Orlando.
01
The hull
One molded transparent shell, dark rail around the rim, no paint and no keel stripe. There is nothing between the seat and the bottom of the river except the hull itself.
02
Singles and tandems
One seat or two. A single turns quickly and goes where you point it. A tandem seats two in line and splits the work, which suits couples, families and anyone who would rather share a boat.
03
What comes with it
A two-piece paddle for each seat, a life jacket fitted before you launch, and a briefing that takes a few minutes. You bring sun protection and water.
Before you book
Specifications
The boat, listed plainly.
Rental gear is easier to choose when somebody tells you what it actually is. This is the clear kayak we put you in, and the parts of it you will have your hands on.
01
Hull
A rigid, single-piece transparent shell with a dark rail around the rim. It is molded polymer rather than glass or stretched film, stiff enough to hold a line and thick enough for a sandy launch.
02
Seating
Padded seats with adjustable backrests, set into molded wells. A tandem carries two seats in line; a single carries one, centered over the keel.
03
Deck rigging
Bungee lacing at the bow and the stern for a dry bag, with grab handles at each end for the walk down to the water.
04
Paddles
A two-piece paddle for every seat, sized for you at launch. Ours have pink blades, which makes a group easy to keep track of on a wide run.
05
Capacity
Limits differ between the single and the tandem. The per-boat and per-paddler weight limits are printed on the booking page beside the rate, so you can check them before you pay. Call (954) 851-4785 if you would rather ask.
06
In the rental
The boat, the paddles, a fitted life jacket and a short launch briefing. Park admission and parking are settled at the park gate.
Through the bow · Silver River
Why a clear kayak
See the river beneath you.
You sit in a kayak with a clear bottom. The water here is so clear that you can watch sand, plants, and fish move under your feet as you paddle. You do not have to lean over the side. You look down through the boat, and you go as slowly as you like.
These are natural springs: fresh water rising from underground, so the rivers stay clear and a comfortable 72°F (22°C) all year. That is what makes a morning on Silver Springs or Rainbow River feel special. You are on the water, and you can see everything beneath it.
If you are visiting Central Florida, this is a beautiful way to spend a morning. From $67.80 · Age 18+ to book. Both rivers, both trip lengths, and every price are on one booking page. Open it and choose a time.
Every rental leaves the racks as a set. The hull comes down to the water with us, one paddle per seat, and a life jacket that gets fitted on the bank rather than after you are afloat. Seats and backrests are adjusted at the same time, which takes a minute and saves a sore back later.
Bring sun protection, drinking water, and a dry bag or waterproof case if you want to come home with photographs. The bungee lacing on the bow will hold it. Everything else is ours to carry.
Single or tandem
Two hulls
One seat, or two in a line.
01
Single
One seat, one paddler, your own line down the run. A single is lighter to turn and easier to hold still over something worth a second look, which makes it the choice for anyone who wants to stop when they feel like stopping.
Two padded seats, front and back, for couples, a parent and a child, or friends who would rather trade off. The back seat does most of the steering. The front seat does most of the looking, and usually takes the photographs.
The floor shows you things you would otherwise paddle over.
Wildlife is the reason most people book, and a clear hull changes what you notice rather than what is there. Gar hanging in the grass. A school of mullet parting around the bow. Bass over white sand. Turtles stacked on a sunken limb. The pale circle of a sand boil. These are things a conventional kayak floats straight past, and they are on the river whether or not a manatee decides to show.
Whatever comes, keep your distance and let it decide. Never feed or follow an animal, give alligators a wide lane, and stay in the boat unless we have told you otherwise. Manatees at Silver Springs in the cooler months are the encounter guests remember longest, and the surest way to get one is to sit quietly and let it come to you.
Ocala · Silver Springs State Park
Silver Springs
A wilder, more enclosed paddle. Cypress and Spanish moss overhead, wild macaques in the canopy, alligators on the banks, and manatees in the warm spring from November through March.
Brighter and more open. Turquoise water over white sand, room for the light to get in, and a family of river otters that guests meet again and again on the same run.
A rigid, transparent polymer shell: one molded piece, not a film stretched over a frame. It behaves like any other sit-on-top hull in the water. The only real difference is that the floor is see-through.
Can two people share a clear kayak?+
Yes. Tandems seat two in line, front and back. Couples, a parent and a child, or two friends who would rather split the paddling all end up in a tandem. If you want your own line down the river, take a single.
Is there a weight limit?+
There is, and it is different for the single and the tandem. Open the booking page and the weight limit, per boat and per paddler, is listed with the rate, so you can check it before you pay rather than after. If you would rather hear it from a person, call (954) 851-4785.
Are clear kayaks stable? Will it tip?+
These are wide, flat-bottomed sit-on-top hulls on calm spring water, which is about as forgiving as paddling gets. People stay dry on the great majority of trips. Wear the life jacket, keep your weight low when you turn to look at something, and you will be fine.
Do I need kayaking experience?+
No. Silver Springs and Rainbow River are gentle, spring-fed water and a comfortable place to learn. Sara covers the basics at launch so you can set off at an easy pace. After that you paddle on your own.
What is included in a clear kayak rental?+
The kayak, a two-piece paddle for each seat, a fitted life jacket and a launch briefing. You bring sun protection, drinking water and a dry bag or waterproof case if you want photographs.
Can you really see wildlife through the hull?+
You can see whatever passes underneath, which on these rivers means eelgrass, sand boils, gar, bass, mullet, turtles and, at Silver Springs in the cooler months, manatees. What shows up is up to the river. We do not promise sightings.
Do the hulls get scratched or cloudy?+
Any hull picks up scuffs from sand and from launches. The wear collects around the edges and the ends, while the middle of the floor, the part you actually look through, stays readable. A scuff or two is a sign the boat has been used, not that the view is gone.
Should I rent a clear kayak or a paddleboard?+
Take the kayak if you want to sit low and keep looking down; the view through the floor is the whole point of the boat. Take a paddleboard if you would rather stand, cover more of the river with your eyes, and treat the day as something more active.
Where can I rent a clear kayak near Orlando?+
Here, on two spring runs about 90 minutes from Orlando: the Silver River at Silver Springs, just east of Ocala, and the Rainbow River near Dunnellon. Both stay near 72 degrees all year. The booking page lists every rental by park and trip length, so you can see which river you are booking, and what it costs, before you pay.
In their words
They keep saying the same thing.
5.0★★★★★from 285 Google reviews
“
We had the greatest Family time kayaking down the Rainbow River with Florida Springs Kayaking. The kids had a blast! Sara was an incredible guide, she even got ahead of us to take pictures. This will be one of our Families most memorable vacations. Highly recommend!
★★★★★Karen Weaver“
BEAUTIFUL!!! We won't rent kayaks from anyone else. We love the springs and the kayaks are crystal clear and Sara is awesome! Saw all the wildlife we wanted to see! Both days and both springs were perfect.
★★★★★Kelly Reark Borza“
We had such a great time! Sara is a first class host and definitely knows what she is doing. She suggested we go a specific route due to the current and the wind and what a difference it made. She was very helpful in launching and recovering the kayaks and everything went very smoothly. We booked last minute and she was very accommodating.
★★★★★Chris Smith“
We had a great time kayaking and enjoyed the personal service from Sara. There were a lot of other companies there that have tons of people and seem to move their people around like cattle. Being in a small group with one person in charge was nice highly recommend.
★★★★★Lani Nishimura“
This was an amazing day out on the water. The owner, Sara, made sure we were familiar with the gear, process, route and park rules. Her kayaks were crystal clear and comfortable. The life vests were clean and secure. She was very personable and a joy to interact with. Looking forward to taking the family back out.
