Outside Hilton Head at Shelter Cove Harbour
Kayak and paddleboard rentals, guided paddles, dolphin tours, fishing trips and pontoon rentals from the docks at Shelter Cove Harbour.
Book Outside Hilton Head
Trips from the Shelter Cove docks, with live availability.
Booked through FareHarbor, the island operators’ own booking system. HHI.com may earn a commission.
- Where: the docks at Shelter Cove Harbour
- On the water: kayaks, paddleboards, pontoons, tours and fishing
- Book: online or by phone
- Parking: free at the harbour
Outside Hilton Head is one of the island’s longest-running outfitters, and its Shelter Cove base is the kayak and paddleboard rack on the harbour docks at 1 Shelter Cove Lane. From here it runs most of what a family on holiday wants to do on Broad Creek: rent a boat or a board and go on your own, or go out with a guide. Its Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina neighbours are listed on the harbour guide, and the island-wide options are in our Hilton Head water sports guide.
Outside Hilton Head Kayak and Paddleboard Trips
The Outside Hilton Head kayak and paddleboard rentals launch straight from the dock into Broad Creek, a sheltered tidal creek rather than open ocean, which makes it a gentler first paddle than the beach. If you would rather not navigate the marsh yourself, the guided kayak nature tour takes a group out with a naturalist, and dolphins are regular visitors to this stretch of the creek. The dock also rents boats for water skiing, tubing, wakeboarding and kneeboarding.
Outside Hilton Head Tours and Boat Rentals
The Outside Hilton Head tours from Shelter Cove run from a dolphin eco tour and nature cruises to dinner cruises and, in summer, fireworks cruises out to watch the Tuesday HarbourFest shows from the water. Family fishing trips and fishing charters leave from the same docks. For a day on your own schedule, the luxury pontoon rentals are the usual pick for a group, and a custom charter can mix several of these into one trip.
Book online or call the reservations line. Parking at the harbour is free. Our Hilton Head boating guide covers the creek and the sound if you are taking a pontoon out yourself.
More at Shelter Cove Harbour
Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina: HarbourFest, Tuesday fireworks over the water, free family shows, dolphin tours, fishing charters, kayaks and boat rentals.
Dolphin Seafari at Shelter Cove Harbour: a family-run 90-minute dolphin cruise on Broad Creek from $40, plus donut mornings, sunset and fireworks trips.
Native Son Adventures at Shelter Cove Marina: private tiki-boat dolphin tours, fishing charters and custom days on the water for up to six people.
Captain Mark's Dolphin Cruise: narrated dolphin, sunset and Tuesday fireworks cruises on the Holiday from Shelter Cove Harbour, Monday to Saturday.
The Shelter Cove Harbour shops & restaurants directory: every restaurant, shop and service around the marina basin, with parking and satnav tips.
Water sports on Hilton Head Island — jet skiing, parasailing, and wakeboarding outfitters, with phone numbers and marina locations for each.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Outside Hilton Head leave from at Shelter Cove?
From its dock at Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina, 1 Shelter Cove Lane, where the kayaks and paddleboards are racked by the water. Parking at the harbour is free, and for satnav the harbour is easiest to find as 13 Harbourside Lane.
Do you need experience to kayak with Outside Hilton Head?
No. Broad Creek is a sheltered tidal creek, calmer than the ocean, and first-timers can join the guided kayak nature tour rather than going out alone.
Can you see dolphins with Outside Hilton Head?
Dolphins feed in Broad Creek, and Outside Hilton Head runs a dolphin eco tour from Shelter Cove as well as the guided kayak tours on which paddlers often see them. Sightings are wildlife, not a guarantee.
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