Searching for a boat rental in Tampa and hoping someone else can drive? That is what we do. Every trip is a private charter with a USCG-licensed captain included, for up to 12 guests, departing a few minutes from downtown. You pick the day and the stops. The captain handles everything else.
Have more than 12 guests? Twelve is the Coast Guard limit for one boat, so a popular option is two boats. We run both on the same route, to the same islands and the same waterfront bars, and anchor alongside each other at the stops, so a group of up to 24 stays together all day. It is priced as two charters at the normal rate, with no group surcharge. See large group charters for how it works.
Cancellations: more than 7 days before your charter, you get a full refund or a credit. Inside 7 days it is a 50% refund, and inside 48 hours the booking is non-refundable. If we have to cancel for weather, you always get the full amount back or a credit. Give us a call to cancel or to ask about one. Full details are on our FAQs page.
Paying in instalments: Afterpay is available at checkout if you would rather split the cost.
Not sure which trip fits? Compare all our Tampa party boat charters in one place: 4, 6, and 8-hour trips, the sunset cruise, and the Wave Rave night charter.
Tampa Boat Rentals With a Captain: The Easier Way to Get on the Water
Gone are the days of crusty captains and underwhelming pontoon boats. The rental marketplaces will hand you the keys to a stranger's boat and a long list of things that are now your problem: the license, the channel markers, the sandbar you cannot see at high tide, the docking, the fuel, the damage deposit, and the one person in the group who has to stay sober to drive. A captained charter with us removes every item on that list. You get Adventure I, a deck boat over 26 feet with faux-leather seats, a premium sound system, color-changing lights and a swim platform, USCG licensed for up to 12 passengers, and a professional captain who knows Tampa Bay and comes with the boat.
No license or experience needed
Florida requires a Boating Safety Education ID card for anyone born on or after January 1, 1988 who drives a boat of 10 horsepower or more, and a rental checkout will ask for it. On a charter none of that applies to you, because the captain holds the license and the responsibility. If nobody in your group has ever been on a boat, that is fine. If someone has and would rather be a guest for once, that is the usual reason people book us. Our boat rental vs boat charter guide goes through the rules, the costs and the cases where a bare rental still makes sense.
Pickup downtown, a few minutes from the hotels
We depart from the Davis Island Boat Ramp, just south of downtown Tampa. The usual alternate is the public dock at Armature Works, and most public docks in downtown Tampa can work as a pickup point, so the boat comes to you rather than the other way round. All the options are on our pickup locations page.
Where the captain can take you
This is where a captain earns it. Tampa Bay is shallow, the sandbars move, and the good spots are not on the rental map. Beer Can Island and the sandbars around it for swimming and a floating afternoon. The Riverwalk and the downtown skyline, with a dock-and-dine stop at Sparkman Wharf or Armature Works. Bayshore and Davis Islands for the sunset. Dolphins show up most days; manatees on the lucky ones. Tell the captain what your group wants and the route gets built around it. The full list is on our destinations page.
What it costs, per boat
Every price covers the whole boat for up to 6 guests, and guests 7 to 12 are $35 each. The 3-hour sunset cruise is from $599 for up to 6 guests. $809 for 12. The 4-hour private charter is from $899 for up to 6 guests. $1,109 for 12. Each guest over 6 is $35. The 6 and 8-hour trips are on the charters page. Price is per boat, not per person. Captain, fuel, ice, coolers and water are included. Gratuity is not included. Compare that with a bare rental once you add fuel, the deposit hold and any captain fee a marketplace adds on top, and the gap is smaller than most people expect.
BYOB, with ice and coolers on board
Every charter is BYOB. Bring your drinks and snacks and load them into the cooler space with ice under every seat; water and sunscreen are already on board. Alcohol is for 21 and over. Optional add-ons include a custom-setlist DJ, a photographer and bottle service, all priced separately.
Booking, groups and weather
Book online at least 48 hours ahead. Up to 12 guests ride on one boat; groups of 13 to 24 book a sister charter on two boats that run the same route. If we have to cancel for weather you get a full refund or a credit. Card or Afterpay at checkout; cash, PayPal and Venmo by arrangement.
Captained Boat FAQs
Do I need a boating license to book a boat with a captain in Tampa?
No. Your USCG-licensed captain holds the license and drives the boat, so nobody in your group needs a Florida Boating Safety Education ID card, boating experience or a sober designated driver. You need a photo ID for the booking and that is it.
How much does a captained boat cost in Tampa?
The 3-hour sunset cruise is from $599 for up to 6 guests, $809 for 12. The 4-hour private charter is from $899 for up to 6 guests, $1,109 for 12. Each guest over 6 is $35. Price is per boat, not per person, and the captain, fuel, ice, coolers and water are included. Gratuity is not included; 15 to 20 percent is customary.
Where does the boat pick us up?
The Davis Island Boat Ramp is the standard departure point, a few minutes from downtown Tampa. Armature Works is the usual alternate, and most public docks in downtown Tampa work too, so the boat can meet you near your hotel or rental.
What is included, and what do we bring?
Included: the captain, fuel, a premium sound system, color-changing lights, a swim platform, cooler space with ice under every seat, water and sunscreen. You bring your drinks (every trip is BYOB, 21 and over for alcohol), snacks, towels and a playlist. Dogs under 20 lbs are welcome.
Cancellation terms, the guest limit and the packing list are the same on every charter: the FAQ page and what's included and what to bring.
Skip the Keys. Book the Captain.
Pick a length, pick a date, and the only thing you drive on the day is the playlist. Questions first? Call or text our team.