Extra toys on boat?

We’re lake people with all the lake toys like paddle board, kayak, lily pad, floats. This is our first time sailing and I’m wondering about water toy rental. We’ll have an 11YO and college kids on board. I’m leaning towards lily pad because we really do use ours all the time. Anyone have advice?

Check out the TTOL sponsors link in the header at the top of this page. They'll have all the toys you could want. We've done paddleboards, but found they are limited to more protected areas if the wind is up as it usually is in the islands. Floating mats are useful when you have a crowd on board.

Morning! Island Surf and Sail is the industry leader for watersport rentals in the BVI. We can help with all of your watersport/watertoy/scuba rental needs! We offer free delivery and pickup to all charter companies and villas on Tortola. We also have underwater scooters that are new to our website!
Check us out at www.bviwatertoys.com for all the details.

I can attest to Island Surf and Sail. We have used them in the past and their service was excellent..articles on the vessel on arrival ..picked up after we departed ...no mess no fuss. That said, xrayman67 does bring up a good point of protected areas being the best for kayaks and paddle boards .

We have used BVI Sup Co. for years and they are great - call the number and talk to Fiona - she’s a cool lady with great service. Get a ski rope from them and pull the kids on the paddle board behind the dinghy. The sun pads are great, but obviously they can be a pain to deal with and store on the boat.

We had a kayak and a SUP on our last charter. Used each of them only once. Had 11yo, 8yo and a 6yo. We really found them to be a bit of a PITA. Heavy and awkward. Not easy to maneuver on or off the boat. The kids really jumped off the boat, played with the dingy and went snorkeling. They diddnt really need much else. The 11yo became our dingy captain and by the end of the trip he was zipping around by himself.

On our last trip we ordered all the toys, floaties, etc... And never used any of them. Highly recommend a nice set of snorkel gear for all...

Cant agree more to this. Properly fit snorkel equipment is the difference between a magical experience and choking to death on salt water.

We purchased masks and snorkel at home and tested them numerous times before our trip with all the kids. I have been bringing my own gear for over 10 years. Its like 50% of the vacation for me so very important. Rental equipment is gross and never fits.

Ahoy Captains,

I would strongly recommend Island Surf & Sail at bviwatertoys.com
And I agree that taking a little time to buy a quality dive mask - with a purge - at your local dive shop is a very good use of your time and resources, not to mention a potential safety factor, to enjoy snorkeling around the BVI.
https://www.amazon.com/diving-mask-purge-valve/s?k=diving+mask+with+purge+valve

I Need More Quality Cats for Chartering !
Fair Winds, Brent
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