Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Falconer.
Kimberly, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
With a background as a senior executive in Public Relations for a large publicly held firm, I was looking to break out on my own and for something that would be a true joy to wake up to everyday. Being a South Florida native, I grew up on the water with family fishing, diving and boating trips every weekend and summers spent doing the same in the Florida Keys. It was natural for me to gravitate towards something that leveraged both my marketing and PR background along with my love of the outdoors and the spectacular marine environment we have in Miami.
While visiting a friend in Hawaii who has an adventure tour business there, I came across the unique RIB boats used for whale watching around the Big Island but not as recognized here Florida. The US Coast Guard and DEA use the boats in Miami for their durability, comfort and safe and smooth ride, but other than that you did not really see them recreationally at the time I started the business in 2008. So really, the boat was the start of an idea and then in researching the Miami tourism industry, I found the local boat tour and rental companies were neglecting a large part of the market, the affluent, educated traveler who wanted more than just a tour, they were seeking out an experience. That is what I developed with Ocean Force Adventures, we are not just a tour taking you to see Miami, we have put together an expedition style trip that allows you to experience Miami from the water. We are taking our guests to explore lesser known sites around Miami and our small group aspect allows them to better interact with other travelers who have similar likes and needs, as well as close interaction with the local Miami culture.
Miami is one of the most magical cities in the world and nothing compares to feeling that magic from the waters of Biscayne Bay.
Miami is a tough market to break into, let alone remain successful in. There is a constantly changing audience, tourism ups and downs, and you need to focus on being proactive towards all these different challenges to keep breaking through the noise and staying well ahead of the game as a brand.
We are coming up on our 10-year anniversary in 2018 and we have been the #1 tour experience on TripAdvisor since we started in 2008. We have been able to do that by constantly evolving to meet the changing habits of consumers and the challenges faced in a highly competitive market.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There are always challenges to operating a successful business, let alone one like ours that is dependent on so many variables outside of our control. I think the top contender for that is mother nature, you never know what the weather is going to bring you and you need to have a plan in place to work around it. Our Zodiac RIB is an open adventure style boat that allow passengers to feel and smell the salt spray in the air and take in our generally sunny skies. Fortunately, Miami has stunning weather mostly year-round, however we do have our moments when conditions are challenging for our tour style.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Ocean Force Adventures story. Tell us more about the business.
Ocean Force Adventures specializes in experiential tourism for the traveler wanting to delve into the culture, history and people that make Miami what it is. We offer an authentic Miami experience. We take our guests into areas of Miami that only locals know about.
Yes, we do visit some of the popular areas of Miami to lay the foundation of our excursion, but then we go beyond that into places like the Miami River and the legendary Stiltsville, which most of our guests have never even heard of.
Our boat sets us apart as well. We use a powerful 30′ twin engine Zodiac RIB that allows us to cover as much of the bay as we do on our excursion (over 40 miles in 2 hours). The boat is unique in style, people feel like they are on a National Geographic expedition or launching from the “Calypso” with Jacques Cousteau. It’s fast, safe and a whole lot of fun.
There is nothing like seeing one of our guests go from “not sure what they have signed up for” to exhilaration as soon as the boat leaves the dock.
The thing that makes me most proud of this company is my Ocean Force team, Captain Matt and Captain Shane. They make this work every day because they believe in the company and they love what they do, not just being on the water everyday, but they love the city, its history and its quirky nature and they enjoy sharing their vast knowledge and being challenged with questions from guests who want more of the story. Everyone always told me, do what you love the best and it will be successful, and yes, it’s a ton of work, a lot more than work than my senior executive days, but it’s worth every second of it to be where we are now.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck is always the best friend of a business owner. We get lucky everyday on the water when we happen upon a pod of wild dolphin. You never know when you are going to see them out there and we seem to either be very good at finding them, or we are very, very lucky.
Pricing:
- Cost is $150 per person or $139 per person for groups of 4 people or more.
- Private excursions are $750 for up to 6 people.
- Prices are inclusive of everything except 7% sales tax and captain’s gratuity.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.OceanForceAdventures.com
- Phone: (305) 372-3388
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oceanforceadventuresmiami/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OceanForceAdventures.MiamiBoatTour/?ref=bookmarks
- Twitter: @oceanforceadven
- Other: Trip Advisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g34439-d1224949-Reviews-Ocean_Force_Adventures-Miami_Beach_Florida.html
Image Credit:
Ocean Force Adventures
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