FAQs
No...it's a US Coast Guard Law/Regulation that you can not have more than 6 guests on a private boat charter. We recommend anyone with 7 to 12 guests, to charter both of our boats for double the fun! If another private boat charter company says they will allow over 6 guests on one boat, please be aware they are breaking the law and your safety is not their main concern.
When you book our private boat charter, we customize your charter based on the experience we feel you and your party will enjoy. When you book a public tour boat, you are limited to the railroad track they will run day after day. This means you must experience what they want you to see and do, along with all the other people on board the boat.
Any boat charter that you book will be for your group only. Sometimes we will offer public ride shares with people looking to share their boating experience (and cost) with another group, but if you book a private charter, than be assured it will only be your group.
It's the old adage of "you get what you pay for." Our charter boats are equipped with extra amenities that you will not find available on other charter boats. We offer bathrooms, water misters (for those hot summer days), extended bimini tops (to provide lots of shade), high end seating and flooring to provide the utmost comfort and sound systems you can not only hear, but feel your music. The boats over powered for fun, but also for safety to get out of a situation. They're true pleasure vessels that are not pontoon boats or designed for fishing - Sea Ray's provide the ultimate pleasure boating experience, in style and in comfort.
You're also paying for the experience itself. Our staff is dedicated to showing you the best time we possibly can. It's been said that our boats are amazing, but it's the crew that makes the experience. With Kokomo, you're boating with friends...
All ages are welcome aboard our boats, and this does include small children. Of course, you know your children better than us, but we find smaller children (3 and under) do best on a 2 Hour Sightseeing Charter, as we have found that is the extent of their attention span.
During peak months (March, April, June & July) and during the holidays (Christmas, Thanksgiving and all holiday weekends), we advise to book as early as possible. We also recommend that you book your boat charter in the beginning of your vacation so if bad weather is going to be an issue, we have other dates we can work with to reschedule your charter.
If you need to cancel your boat charter due to any reason, we need at least a 48 hour notice in order to receive a full refund. If your notice is less than 48 hours, you will be given one of two options. We can either offer a gift certificate for the full dollar amount spent (gift certificate will never expire and can be used by another party), or we will offer a cash refund for half of the dollar amount spent.
Safety is our primary concern and sometimes we have to cancel boat charters due to rain, high winds or extreme cold. We will try to either reschedule your boat charter to another day or time, or if a rescheduled charter is not possible, we offer a full refund.
Rain can happen during your boat charter, especially in the summer months (our rainy season). Our summer rains tend to build up in the afternoons, are generally small rain cells and do not last too long. There are many places along the intracoastal waterways where we can dock to wait out a storm. If we do have to end the boat charter, due to persistent rain or unsafe conditions, we will pro-rate your charter and offer a partial refund. If we have to end your boat charter during the last hour, the refund will be given in the form of a gift certificate (gift certificate will never expire and can be used by another party).
The summer months, typically June to September, is considered the rainy season in Florida. This means that as the heat builds up during the daytime hours, rain showers can sometimes happen between 4:00pm to 9:00pm, or not at all. If it does decide to rain, the storm cells are generally small and usually do not last very long. Morning and early afternoon hours are generally the best part of the day in the summer that you do not have to worry about this pesky type of rain.
When you book "One Love," it’s like booking a really nice hotel room. When you book "Good Vibes," it’s like upgrading to the suite. Chartering "Good Vibes" is a bigger and more luxurious ride to spread out in. It also comes with extra perks like complimentary photography, drone footage, beach towels for your use and tableware is provided for food and drink brought aboard the boat.
We are considered a pleasure cruise and never offer fishing from our boats, but we are always happy to recommend local fishing charters.
No...each boat comes with a USCG Licensed Captain that provides local knowledge and expertise to make sure that everyone has a safe & fun trip.
Yes...both boats have bathrooms on board available for your use, though, the bathroom on the "Good Vibes" boat is much roomier.
We see the Bottlenose Dolphins 9 out of 10 boat charters. Though we cannot always predict where the dolphins will be (you must remember they are wild mammals), there are over 150 bottlenose dolphins in the Sarasota area.
Manatees, otherwise known as Sea Cows, make the Sarasota waters their home in the summer months. A lot of times we will see manatees on our boat charters from May until November.
There are no reefs located in Sarasota and it is mostly a sandy bottom underneath the water. This does not mean that you cannot snorkel though. We provide snorkel masks on the boats and you can expect to find shells, fish, stingrays, sand dollars and sometimes even starfish.
We offer Watertubing on the "One Love" boat and Paddleboarding on the "Good Vibes" boat. These activities cannot be switched between the two boats, as each boat is customized to only provide that activity. These water sports are available on our Half and Full Day Charters only. If you book both boats, paddleboarding and watertubing will be available.
Life jackets are required to be on the boat, but only our guests under 6 years old are required to wear them – that’s the law. If you are more comfortable with a life jacket, then one will be available for your use.
We do most of our boating in the intracoastal waterways and only go out in the Gulf of Mexico in safe conditions and if the charter guests feel comfortable. The intracoastal is generally calm with minimal choppy waters. If you tend to get a little woozy on a boat, we recommend taking an over the counter medication before your boat charter. We do not provide anything on the boats.
No...we do not allow cigar, pipe or cigarette smoking on the boats.
We offer two different pickup locations at public boat docks. Turtle Beach Boat Ramp is on the south end of Siesta Key and is perfect for our guests staying on the island. Blackburn Point Boat Ramp in the Osprey/Casey Key area and is perfect for our guests staying in Sarasota or Venice. If you would like to be picked up from another location, like a restaurant or private boat dock, please let us know and we can arrange it for an extra fee.
Plan on arriving 10 minutes before departure time to meet your Captain. This will allow enough time to load everyone & everything on the boat to leave the dock on time. During peak times (weekends, holidays, spring and summer time), make sure to allow enough time for possible traffic and to find parking.
Please contact the Captain (you will be given their phone number in a boating confirmation email) to let them know that you will not arrive on time. We will try to make up the time difference on the back end of the charter, but it is not always a guarantee.
We provide complimentary bottle & sparkling water, a selection of regular & diet sodas, and Gatorade. You are welcome to bring other drinks on the boat, and alcohol is OK.
When selecting your drinks, please follow these guidelines:
- No Red Wine or other heavily dyed liquids (like Bloody Mary's or Strawberry Margaritas) – it will stain the seats.
- Liquor is fine if you’re mixing it. Please no shots - it’s just too dangerous.
- No glass beer bottles- beer cans only. Bottles of white wine or champagne are fine.
Yes...but keep in mind this is a boat with occasional wind, wakes and waves. We pride ourselves on a neat and clean boat and ask that you avoid bringing food that will make a mess or stain the interior. For example, Doritos and Cheetos will stain the seats, thin potato chips and popcorn will make a mess when the bag is spilled and fly around. Cookies crumble, chocolate melts and bubble gum is permanent.
Foods that can work on the boats:
- Sandwiches
- Fresh Fruit & Veggies (dips are ok - if the boat is anchored or moving slow).
- Cheese & Crackers, nuts and fruit snacks.
- Pretzles, Pita Chips, Veggie Sticks (Basically a harder type of chip - that is not dyed).
If we see food that does not work on the boat, we will ask you to please refain from eating it - we appreciate it.
No...we have coolers on the boats filled with ice to keep anything cold that you bring. An additional cooler takes up your floor space and will make it harder to move around.
The sun is strong in Florida and we recommend an SPF 15 or higher to protect your skin. When choosing your sunscreen, please do not bring spray sunscreen or sunscreen with tanning or bronzing agents. This will stain our boats and the Captain will ask you not to use it. We will also ask that if anyone is covered in sunscreen, to please sit on towels at all times.
We provide rafts and beach toys on the boats. Remember, the more stuff you bring, the less room there is on the boat to relax and move around. If you’d like to bring something special, please ask us first to make sure there will be room.
Hat, sunglasses, hoodies (it is always a little chiller on the water) and a change of clothes if you will be eating at a waterside restaurant.
Unfortunately we do not offer regular discounts on our boat charters. We do promise to provide the same excellent service “in season” as we do in “off season.” We have two Sea Ray boats available that offer two different price points, but the same quality of service. Occasionally we will put up specials to fill in certain boating time slots, so it always a good idea to check the website for last minute deals.
What is a customary tip?
If you feel your Captain and Crew did an amazing job, a gratuity is a wonderful compliment and much appreciated! Customary tips are usually 10% to 20%.