Boat rentals

Pontoons for the family day on the bay, deck boats for the bigger group, center consoles for the people who say "we'll just take it offshore for a bit" and lie to themselves.

What to rent and why

• Pontoon (10-12 person): the obvious move for a family or group day on Old River, the bay, or the Sandbar. Slow, stable, you can grill. Not for offshore. Not for chop over two feet.
• Tritoon: three pontoons instead of two. Same use case, faster, can take a real wave if it has to.
• Deck boat (8-10 person): faster than a pontoon, less stable. Better for a sportier group, water skiing, getting between bay and pass quickly.
• Center console (4-6 person): for people who want to go look at the Gulf side. Don't rent one of these unless you've run a boat before — the Pass is not the place to learn.

What you need

• Boater safety card. Alabama and Florida both require one for anyone born after a certain year. Easy online course; do it before you arrive.
• Driver's license + credit card. Big damage deposit on most rentals.
• Cash for fuel. Most rentals are "return it with the same fuel level you took it." Marinas are not cheap and you will burn more than you expect.
• Coast Guard requirements: life jackets for every soul, the right horn / signaling devices, throwable PFD on bigger boats. The rental should provide all of this; verify.

Pricing, roughly

• Pontoon day rate: $400-$700 plus fuel, plus damage deposit, plus tip
• Half-day: typically 4 hours, two-thirds of full-day price
• Captain-included: add roughly $300-$500 to the day rate. Worth every dollar if you've never run a boat or if you want to drink on board.

Where the rentals are

Most boat rental operators run out of the AL-side marinas or out of dedicated bay-side ramps. Listings to come — for now, your move is to browse the GS|OB Tourism boat rental list, or stop at any of the marinas (Zeke's, Safe Harbor Sportsman, Orange Beach Marina) and ask at the office.

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