Hilton Head Water Skiing and Wakeboarding
Captained ski boats with water skis, wakeboards and kneeboards on board, the calm creeks they use, and when the water is warm.
Book Water Skiing and Wakeboarding
Live availability for the private ski boats that book online. Booking opens here on HHI.com, with the operator’s own booking system.
Booked through FareHarbor, the island operators’ own booking system. HHI.com may earn a commission.
Who Takes You Water Skiing
Read the guideFamily Ski Day: a private boat for 3 to 5 hours with water skis, a wakeboard, a kneeboard and a tube on board, and a captain who teaches beginners. Up to six per boat; bigger groups get more boats.
Leaves from Shelter Cove Harbour.
Read the guidePrivate Water Ski Adventure Day on a Parker ski boat with a tube, water skis, a wakeboard and a kneeboard, 2 to 6 hours, from $399 for up to six, or on a larger boat for up to 12. Stop for lunch at the Old Daufuskie Crab Company if you like.
Leaves from Hilton Head Harbor, 43 Jenkins Rd.
Visit Website ↗Water skiing on Broad Creek, right by the marina, so friends can watch from the dock. Up to six plus the captain for one price, and the skis go in as soon as you leave the dock.
Broad Creek Marina, 18 Simmons Rd. (843) 842-2566.
Visit Website ↗Water skiing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding and ZUP boarding in the sheltered creeks of the Pinckney Island refuge, 10 to 15 minutes from the dock. Ski and wakeboard charters start at 2 hours, up to six per boat.
Safe Harbor Skull Creek Marina, 1 Waterway Ln, inside Hilton Head Plantation (gate pass under your booking name). Call or text (843) 384-1414.
Which Trip Is Right for You
First time on skis or a wakeboard: a private trip of at least two hours. First-timers need about half an hour each, and it usually takes several tries to get up.
Just tubing: see our Hilton Head tubing guide for the shorter tube-only and dolphin-and-tube trips.
A mixed group: Outside’s Family Ski Day or Island Head’s Water Ski Adventure Day, with every board on the boat, so everyone tries what they want.
More than six people: Island Head runs a larger boat for up to 12, and Outside sends more than one boat.
Where the Water Is Calm Enough to Ski
Water skiing on Hilton Head Island happens in the creeks behind the island, not off the beach. The ocean side has surf and swell, and Calibogue Sound, the wide water between Hilton Head and Daufuskie, gets choppy once the wind picks up and the boat traffic builds. Boats from Shelter Cove cross it to reach the flatter back creeks on the far side.
The two calm spots the operators use are Broad Creek, which runs deep into the middle of the island, and the tree-lined creeks around the Pinckney Island refuge on the north end, where the trees block the wind. Mornings are usually the smoothest, before the afternoon breeze. The tide rises and falls several feet twice a day here, which changes where there is enough water to ski, so the captain picks the creek on the day. You can check the day’s tides on our Hilton Head tide chart.
When to Go Water Skiing on Hilton Head
The water is warm enough to fall into without a wetsuit from May through September, averaging 76°F in May, 81°F in June and September, and 85°F in July and August. April (69°F) and October (72°F) are cooler, and a wetsuit or spring suit helps anyone who will spend time in the water between runs. November drops to 66°F. The month-by-month figures are on our Hilton Head weather guide.
Summer afternoons often bring thunderstorms, which is one more reason to book a morning. The captain decides on the day whether wind or lightning makes it unsafe to go out.
Bringing Your Own Boat
You can launch your own ski boat at Beaufort County’s public landings. The two that suit a ski boat are below: Cross Island puts you straight onto Broad Creek, and C.C. Haigh Jr. onto the creeks by the Pinckney Island refuge. Skip the Marshland Road landing for a ski boat: it is a gravel ramp for small boats, kayaks and canoes only, in shallow, no-wake water. For marinas, rentals and boating rules, see our guide to boating on Hilton Head.
Under the Cross Island Parkway bridge at 68 Helmsman Way, launching straight into Broad Creek with Calibogue Sound beyond. About 45 parking spaces and a courtesy dock.
Read the guideOff US 278 on Pinckney Island, just before the bridge onto Hilton Head, into Mackay and Skull Creeks. About 90 parking spaces, a new ramp and a courtesy dock.
Rules for Towing a Skier in South Carolina
Someone 16 or older must ride along as an observer, watching the skier, unless the boat has a wide-angle rear-view mirror for the driver.
Anyone being towed, on skis, a board or a tube, wears a Coast Guard-approved life jacket.
No skiing or tubing between sunset and sunrise.
Keep to no-wake speed where it is posted, around marinas and landings and in the Broad Creek headwaters by Marshland Road.
Other Rides Behind a Boat
For a short towed ride without a private boat, H2O Sports in Harbour Town runs 20-minute banana boat rides on Calibogue Sound for ages 6 and up, pulled by a WaveRunner. Tube-only and dolphin-and-tube trips are on our Hilton Head tubing guide. Parasailing, jet skis, kayaks and paddleboards are all on our Hilton Head water sports guide, and private boats for a whole day on the water are on our boat charters page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you go water skiing on Hilton Head?
Yes. Outside Hilton Head, Island Head, Sky Pirate Parasail and Live Oac all run captained boats that tow water skiers, and all but Sky Pirate bring wakeboards and kneeboards too. They ski in the calm creeks, Broad Creek and those around Pinckney Island, not on the ocean.
How much does water skiing cost on Hilton Head?
On Hilton Head, Island Head’s private Water Ski Adventure Day starts at $399 for two hours for up to six people. The other operators quote by trip, so check their booking pages.
Do I need experience to water ski or wakeboard?
No. The captains teach beginners. Allow about half an hour per first-timer, since getting up usually takes several tries, so book at least two hours if several people want to learn.
Can children water ski or wakeboard?
Yes. The ski days are for all ages and the captains teach beginners. Anyone in the water wears a life jacket, and Live Oac asks that riders be able to swim and that anyone under 18 comes with a parent or guardian.
Where can I launch my own boat to go water skiing?
At Beaufort County’s public landings: Cross Island, under the Cross Island Parkway bridge on Broad Creek, and C.C. Haigh Jr., on Pinckney Island just before the bridge onto Hilton Head. Both have courtesy docks and parking.
When is the water warm enough to water ski on Hilton Head?
From May through September the water averages 76°F to 85°F. April and October are cooler, around 69°F to 72°F, so bring a wetsuit if you plan to spend time in the water.
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