Pam gave me a good introduction to paddle boarding and helpful tips along the way. From basics on land, then onto the water in a calm canal, then a nice little challenge to paddle up-river, and then a good suggestion to sit and float down river and enjoy the scenery – tropical woods, homes and gardens, and best of all - manatees who were also enjoying the river.
We took a lesson and tour with Pam on a Saturday last September (2014). I have never posted a review of anything online before but had such a great time I wanted to write about it. (Ok, so I'm a procrastinator too!) Went with my husband and 10 year old son.Pam was great. She gave a short on shore lesson and then a quick lesson in the canal off her dock, then we were off. We were all up and paddling in the first 5 minutes. Even though the tour was only supposed to be 3 hours we paddled 3 to 4 miles upstream, hung out on sandbars, watched people diving from tree platforms and generally just hung out. Pam was like a very knowledgeable friend hanging out with us, and spent way longer with us than we had paid for just paddling and enjoying the river. She gives great tips on technique that even experienced paddle boarders could benefit from. The river is ideal even for those not naturally at home on the water as it is crystal clear, a constant 72 degrees year round and shallow enough to stand up in parts. Manatees can be seen and the vantage point of looking down onto the water affords you a much better view than sitting in a kayak ever could. With Pam's expertise we felt like veteran paddle boarders in no time. I can't wait to get together with a group of girlfriends for a great girls weekend. Thanks Pam and Jerry.
What an amazing experience. Pam is the best! She's patient, informative and encouraging.We enjoyed the river on Friday morning and the Gulf on Saturday afternoon. Both were unforgettable. We will be back.
My husband and I took a SUP tour with Pam and loved it. We are surfers, but were new to paddle-boarding, and Pam was an excellent teacher. I'm very glad we did the lesson, because although we could stand up easily, the paddling technique is very different than surfing, and we benefited from the lesson. Also, having her as a guide was very helpful, as she knew her way around the river, and helped us find manatees! We had a delightful afternoon, in a beautiful environment, and I would absolutely recommend this activity for anyone who's wanted to try SUP.
A lesson is only as good as the person who is giving it, and Pam is a very talented and professional instructor. I have used both a kayak and a canoe in the past, but it wasn't until I took a lesson from Pam with a SUP that I learned the proper technique of using my paddle. I am now able to get a lot more power from each stroke of my paddle with much less effort. This experience was not anything like riding my Harley at over one hundred miles an hour, but it was much more relaxing. My description of the view that you will have while paddling up and down the Weeki Wachee river on a SUP can not adequately express the beauty, the absolute peace, and the oneness with nature that you will experience during Pam's tour. Although I cannot recommend that you to ride a Harley Davidson motorcycle at over one hundred miles an hour, as I do way too often, I can recommend that you take a lesson from Pam [an absolute professional] who will teach you the correct techniques necessary to get the most out of you investment in SUP. This far exceeds any water sport that I have participated in to this day, but once again I credit it to the quality of the instructions that I received. You would be hard pressed to find a better instructor than Pam. Now if I could only get my Harley on a SUP, it would be perfect, or maybe not.
Pristine wilderness, crystal clear river-an unforgettable experience. Pam is knowledgable, encouraging and does everything possible to make it a positive experience.
Our visit with out of town guests was well organized and allowed for the different abilities our group had. Pam was an excellent teacher & guide. Jerry knows a lot of the history of the local springs which was very interesting. This will be one of my go to activities for visitors from out of town.
SUP Weeki was a great place to learn to paddleboard while also having a great morning on the river. Pam was a wonderful instructor and the fact the day was adjusted to the comfort level of the paddlers was great. I would recommend this to anyone who might want to paddle board. It was also nice to have the shower available for after the excursion.
Me, my mom, husband, and two girls ages 4 & 6 took the tour with Pam for our first paddleboarding experience and we all agreed that SUP was one of the coolest experiences we've had! It was so beautiful and peaceful, plus Pam is a great teacher and guide, giving proper technique instructions and pointing out manatees that we otherwise would have missed. The girls really loved the experience too! They enjoyed sitting on the board, dragging their feet in the water and even giving SUP a try. It was an incredible experience, you won't regret it! Looking forward to doing it again!
The trip out on the river was wonderful! It started with a great lesson from Pam and then she took us down the river. I had never been paddleboarding before and I found it easy with her instruction. I would definitely do it again!