The Best Time of Day to Rent a Pontoon Boat in Ocean City, MD
When is the BEST time of day to rent a pontoon boat in Ocean City, MD? Our opinion is anytime but there are advantages of renting during the morning, afternoon or evening hours. It depends on what you and your family/friends are looking to get out of the rental. If you are looking to go fishing or crabbing then we recommend keeping an eye on the tides, maybe you are looking for a sunset ride or to grab lunch by boat by stopping at a local restaurant. There are many options and many advantages for different parts of the day. Below we go over those advantages and more.
Odyssea family enjoying an early morning boat ride.
Early Morning Advantages:
Less Boat Traffic and Calmer water:
Boating in the morning comes with a special sense of quiet and calm that you won’t find anywhere but on the water. There is usually less boat traffic in the morning unless it’s a holiday weekend, which makes it nice. The water can be calmer in the morning as well due to less traffic. Again, this can all vary depending on the weather.
Dolphins, possibly!
Now it’s not a guarantee but early morning rentals have a better chance of seeing dolphins in the bay. We typically see them in late June through August but it depends on the temperature and weather as well. We have seen pods of 20-30 before but most of the time there are at least 5-10 when they are in the area. It never gets old and it’s always exciting to see them no matter how many times you’ve seen them in the past.
Morning Discount on Boat Rentals
Odyssea Watersports does offer an early morning discount for pontoon boat rentals which is $20 off any length rental before 10 am. To get this offer you can use the code boat20 when checking out online. Our boats to book up fairly quickly and we have already seen an influx of online reservations from years past so booking your boat early is highly recommended in order for you to choose the best day and time for your party.
More time for boating or other activities
Renting a boat in the morning can give you more time for activities. You could spend more time on the water boating by choosing a 6 or 8-hour rental. Or you could choose a 2 or 4-hour boat rental and have time to go to the beach, boardwalk, pool, go-karts, or other fun activities in Ocean City, MD.
Afternoon Advantages:
More time to prepare:
Afternoon rentals can be nice if you have a large group that may take a little while to get ready. This will allow you to take your time and not rush plus, everyone can sleep a little longer too.
Early beach day
Maybe you want to hit the beach in the morning right when the lifeguards get on duty for a few hours and then rent a boat for an afternoon of fun on the water. Getting on the beach early has its own advantages as it will be less crowded and not so hot!
Lunch on the Water or Bayside Restaurant
Renting in the afternoon gives you the ability to plan a lunch at one of the local restaurants or bringing lunch on board the boat to enjoy on the water.
Warmer temperatures
Waiting until the afternoon usually means the temperatures have warmed up compared to the morning or evening rentals.
Evening Advantages:
Sunset!
The biggest advantage in our opinion of an evening boat rental is the chance of catching a beautiful sunset while on the water.
Dinner on the water
Stop by one of the 6 waterfront restaurants for a nice dinner or bring dinner with you on the boat and enjoy some delicious food while floating on a boat watching the sunset!
Still time for the boardwalk
Even if you choose an evening boat rental, you would still have time to visit the boardwalk, stop by your favorite ice cream shop and check out the Ocean City nightlife. Our boats have to be off the water by sunset which means you still have time at night to have more fun.
Any time of day is a perfect time of day when you have your family and friends!
No matter what time of day you choose, remember it’s the special family/friend time that will make it so special. Spending time on a pontoon boat is the perfect way to capture that highly sought-after, uninterrupted family time. And it’s even better if you enact a “no phones on the boat” rule, we are kidding, if you do this then how will you pay your favorite playlist on the Bluetooth speakers!?!
Which time of day works best for you? Honestly, anytime you can gather your friends and or family together and enjoy a few hours on the water, is always a win and a nice way to create vacation memories. Whatever time works BEST for YOU is going to be the best time to go.
Online reservations are being booked on a daily basis and more than we have seen over the last few years. This tells us that this season for boating is going to be even MORE popular than before. In order to choose the best day and time, we recommend reserving weeks if not months ahead of time.
For Reservations or More Information:
🌐 odysseawatersports.com
📲 Call 410-723-4227
💬 Text: 410-755-7944
Helpful Boating Information:
⛽ No Charge
🐟🦀 Fishing/Crabbing license included. Bait and Tackle available upon arrival
🆔 Boating License NOT required, the driver just needs to be at least 21 with a photo ID
🍾🍻🥛Boats are BYOB, must have a designated driver
🌭🍓🍕 Food is allowed on board and you can stop by waterfront restaurants too
What are you waiting for? With only so many hours in every vacation, you want to make sure that each one counts! We look forward to seeing you and are here to help answer any questions or to help with reservations.
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