Hilton Head Boat Rentals and Boat Clubs

How Boat Rentals Work on Hilton Head

A boat rental here means you drive. Pontoons and bow riders are the usual choices, and the operators hand you a short safety briefing at the dock and send you out on Broad Creek, Calibogue Sound or Skull Creek. Sky Pirate at Broad Creek Marina is one example: a 20-foot bow rider for up to 8 starts at $425 for four hours, fuel is extra, and the driver must be 18 or older. Prices and age rules differ by operator, so check the one you book with.

Rentals fill on summer weekends and around the Tuesday fireworks nights, so book ahead. If you would rather have someone else drive, use a charter with a captain. For a guided trip to look for dolphins, see the boat tours.

Boat Clubs on Hilton Head

A boat club is the middle road between renting and owning: you pay a membership and reserve boats from the club’s fleet, with no slip, storage or maintenance to look after. Three clubs have bases on the island. Freedom Boat Club keeps its boats at Skull Creek Marina, Carefree Boat Club at Palmetto Bay Marina, and Destination Boat Clubs on Jenkins Island Road. Memberships suit people who spend a season or more here; for a week, rent by the day.

Boating Rules in South Carolina

Anyone born after July 1, 2007 must pass an approved boater education course to operate a boat, jet ski or similar craft with a motor of 10 horsepower or more. Renters in that age group can rent with a rental safety certificate issued in their name instead, which the rental company can explain. The rules come from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), which also runs the boater education program.

After an accident, call 911, or the Coast Guard on VHF channel 16, first. If someone is killed or hurt badly enough to need medical treatment, or the damage passes the Coast Guard’s reporting threshold, the operator or owner must file a report with SCDNR within 48 hours.

Sandbars and Low-Tide Trips

Some of the island’s best boat trips only work at low tide. Guided sandbar trips, including the one billed as Vanishing Island, run out from the Broad Creek marshes across Calibogue Sound to a sandbar that is uncovered for only a short time each day, so you can walk it and look for shells and sand dollars. Check the tide chart if you plan your own trip.

Buying a Boat or Keeping One Here

If you own a boat, you need a slip, dry storage or a ramp. The marinas directory covers slips, dry storage and fuel, Broad Creek Marina has both wet slips and dry storage, and the boat landings page lists the public ramps. Try a membership at a boat club or a rental before you commit to buying.