I booked a Retro Boat ATX for my milestone birthday after riding one during a community event and…read moreknowing I wanted to share the experience with my family. It turned out to be one of the highlights of the celebration. Booking online was easy, the cancellation policy was clear, and the communication leading up to our reservation was excellent. We received reminders, waivers, and safety information ahead of time, so there were no surprises. The forecast called for a high chance of rain, but we decided to take the chance and hoped the weather would cooperate. It did! We arrived around 10:45 a.m., and our boat was ready to go after a quick orientation and safety briefing. We immediately connected our phone to the Bluetooth speaker, picked the perfect playlist, and spent the next 90 minutes cruising Town Lake. We made it all the way east to the dam and west to First Street, with plenty of stops for sightseeing, people watching, snacks, and soaking in the views. I even packed Bomb Pops in a Yeti, which were the perfect way to cool off on a hot July morning. The wildlife was incredible. We saw turtles, great blue herons, egrets, hawks, bats, and fish jumping all around us. As we headed back west, the skies grew dark and the clouds rolled in. We made it back to the dock and reached our car just as a torrential downpour started around 1:00 p.m. on July 11. Talk about perfect timing! The staff was friendly, welcoming, and patient from start to finish. They made the entire experience feel effortless and stress-free. Insider tip: Park at the Mexican American Cultural Center (600 River St.) for the closest access to the trailhead. Pay for parking using the ParkATX app. Whether you're visiting Austin or you're a local looking for something different, Retro Boat ATX is a fantastic experience. It's perfect for visitors, date nights, birthdays, proposals, anniversaries, family outings, or simply spending a relaxing day on the water. Core memories were definitely made, and this was one birthday celebration we'll never forget. I wouldn't hesitate to book again.

What a very unique, relaxing experience cruising around Lady Bird Lake in an electric retro boat…read more Our grandson loved seeing the Austin skyline from a different perspective, fish jumping, and a few snakes swimming by. We had a blast, and during our 90-minute cruise, we were able to travel to both the Longhorn dam and the 1st street bridge. The electric boats are quiet and very easy to drive. Each boat also has Bluetooth connectivity and speakers if you want to play the theme from Gilligan's Island. Google it. The staff is great! We had a self-inflicted scheduling snafu, and they were able to, thankfully, accommodate us. Before we shoved off, we were provided with a safety and operating briefing. Needs to know: Parking is limited. There is a covered garage by the entrance on Trinity St, and it's $25 for two hours. Only bathrooms are located by the side of the Austin Rowing Club; you can go inside to get the access code. The retro speed boats have no shade, but they will provide umbrellas. Bring beverages and snacks.

Great tour and Ethan was fantastic and had a lot of stories. The bats were a bit anticlimactic in…read moreJuly-according to Ethan they are all pregnant and playing it safe and come August the population doubles. The kayaking was fun and relaxing Bring sunglasses-they give you water Your but will be wet when you leave! Prepare for that!

Buyer beware. Booked this because it said "good weather…read morerequired." It was raining steadily and they still ran the tour. When I asked about it, they said they only cancel for lightning... which is not what the listing says. That's misleading, plain and simple. Even worse, they wouldn't work with us at all after the fact. No flexibility, no effort to make it right. Plenty of other kayak options in Austin... I'd go with one that's actually upfront about their policies.

Chris from Westside Wake was amazing!…read more Great communication, was flexible when we requested an early pick up, and was a genuinely kind human. He provided the essentials (cooler, ice, lily pad floating pad), making our outing stress-free. Our group of 9 had a fantastic time! Definitely book with Chris.

I recently rented from Chris. The pontoon boat was great and we had a fun time on Lake Austin…read more However, they were an hour late in picking us up, and still charged us for 4 hours, even thought the trip was reduced to 3 hours.

I came here on a Saturday at 10 am and received service quickly. There is no place to leave your…read moreitems other than their "collateral" box which fits a phone and keys. Best rowing spot in Austin.

Our experience here in Friday 7/10/26 was nice at first. The workers who helped us in the beginning…read morewere very helpful and friendly and it was easy to check in and rent paddle boards for the day. We enjoyed our time on the lake. However, upon coming back there were different workers who were there and one particular girl was extremely rude. She was literally ignoring us purposely as we were right in front of her. She gave directives to just put the paddle and vest away and locked up the boards and left to close for the day. If I knew we were going to be treated this way at the end of our day, then I would've resorted to going to any of the many other options in the area with cheaper prices as well. We will definitely be back on the lake but won't be renting from here again.

This is my favorite boat rental for canoe/kayak in Zilker Park. I have been here throughout the…read moreyears and service is always quick and great. *** You need your ID! & a card on file & need a waiver signed *** I always keep this in mind when going & it saves me time The rental prices is $21 per hour Usually 1 hour is enough and it is a great time

This is the most LIVELY, FUN filled happy people who come just to enjoy kayaking!!! This is my…read moreabsolute FAVORITE place in Austin! It's HUGE! You can bike, walk, and run along the path! There are people everywhere around the holidays! You can find parking under the bridge.and walk around nearby. Make sure you bring water shoes. Definitely, a stop to enjoy the outdoor life!

Second time using Christian, and couldn't be more pleased. The day/activities are completely up to…read morethe passengers, and we even added an extra hour since we were having so much fun. We will definitely be using him again in the future. Would highly recommend to anyone in need of a party boat.

Lake Austin Party Boat Rentals are THE BEST! Our party of 26 people contracted 2 boats with 2…read morechartered captains, Christian & Dixon. We also contracted for 3 jet skis & 3 huge floating rafts from them. Boat Captains Christian & Dixon were OUTSTANDING! I'd recommend hiring captains so you can all truly relax and enjoy yourselves! Best part of our trip to Austin!

Color me ashamed but I've never really been out on Lake Austin. My bro used to drive boats on Lake…read moreTravis so that's kind of been my on-the-water haunt. So I was all wag the tail excited to get on this boat with 30 of our closest and see what all the LaAus fuss was about. We arrived on this glorious day with nary a cloud and a cooler the size of two human bodies full of delicious beer. I hadn't actually seen a boat like this before -- it's kind of like a floating tiki bar with a spot in the middle for food, a good amount of walking around room, trash cans, a wrap around bench and some totally appropriate palm fronds hanging off the roof. Pre-boat, we busted out air pumps and blew up this huge "Caribbean Island' deal that our friend bought specifically for the occasion. It's pricey ($150) but it seats 6 and an ice chest comfortably and is basically the coolest blow up thing evar. After conferring with our really nice boat driver, and being assured that it would be safe to pull behind us, we grabbed a beer and settled back for a day of fun. But as we pulled away, a boat cleat punctured the island. We didn't actually know that had happened until we'd gotten away from the dock. With assurances of recompense and that it would be taken care of, we proceeded to spend the next 2.5 hours having a really great time -- of course with booze and buddies, that's to be expected. So why the three stars? The manager refused to assume any responsibility for the island... which was stolen after being left on the dock. The puncture was upsetting -- but fixable. Stolen isn't a fixable state. So I agonized over this review all day whilst nursing my sun hangover but the price of the boat (500 for 2.5 hours) and the way they handled the situation (badly), leaves me in a three star state of mind. We all signed a waiver and I totally get that they can't be responsible for what drunken idiots do on a boat. But this seemed like a case where the dude could have made nice, taken ownership of the situation and turned around the customer experience with a modicum of effort. However, if you're sans island, it's really a cool boat and a nice option if you're looking for more than 15 but less than 150 people. RIP Caribbean Island 2011 - 2011: https://skitch.com/kellystocker/fdga1/caribbean-island-personal-floating-oasis-sams-club

Awesome boat awesome group. Highly recommended. Book it early it fills fast. No frills, but great…read morestorage and reliable ride to the party cove!

I would say overall we all had a lovely time for our friends bday but our boats speaker seemed a…read morelittle busted( we could barely hear it especially near all the other boats) but our boat driver wasn't the nicest... I 100% would go back but maybe a different boat/driver

Good price and we had a good experience! Our boat driver was low energy which was kinda…read moredisappointing considering it's called "party boats" but there were no major issues.