We had a really pleasant experience with North Lake Tahoe Boat Rental with our guide Lidia, who…read morehelped us with the checkin, orientation, and safety training.
The way it played out was that I reached out to several boat rental companies in the North Lake Tahoe area based on their Yelp profiles, and the friendliest response I got was from this team. Based purely on that, I picked up the phone and called them, and the person who spoke with me helped answer several questions in an extremely pleasant way. She also advised me that the weather was going to get better in a few days, which is why we chose not to go boating on Sunday, which was our preferred day, but instead picked Wednesday, which turned out to be exceptionally pleasant.
She asked me to research the boats and pick our best option from the website. I shared a picture from the Yelp page with her through text, based on which she guided me toward their premium boat, which had the bimini top that we needed.
The check-in process was extremely welcoming. It was all done over my mobile phone. The insurance packages were also surprisingly affordable. We picked the intermediate option, which was, I believe, about $50.
I could not stop staring at the water while we were checking in. It felt like we were in Miami. The water was turquoise-colored, and it was a perfect day in the low 70s.
Our guide was Lidia. She and her entire team were exceptionally friendly. They did not rush us at all, even though I had my 79-year-old father with me. She, along with another staff member and me, helped my elderly parents onto the boat. I really wanted them to enjoy the ride instead of waiting outside for three and a half hours.
I loved how Lidia helped me get comfortable with the boat while she was on board with us. She had me go full throttle and make an aggressive turn to show me just how safe and stable the boat was. I didn't go nearly that fast or make nearly as sharp a turn later, but it was good to know just how capable the boat was.
I also loved how they take you out of the crowded marina area. Once you are in open water, they use their own rubber dinghy to get back to their office while we can enjoy the lake without having to worry about maneuvering around other boats near the docks.
At one point, we accidentally got close to shore because we had not seen some large boulders on the way out. We were actually a bit lost and had gotten too close to shore in the wrong area. I was pleasantly surprised to receive a text from Lidia reminding us to be careful and stay away from shore, which was great to see. This meant that they keep an eye on the boat from their office.
Cellular coverage was fantastic, and we were able to use Google Maps and stream music from every part of the lake, which felt great because, if we had any questions, we could just call Lidia.
When we came back, Lidia found a spot that was even more accessible for my father, which helped him get off the boat much more easily.
Overall, I could not have asked for anything better, and the entire experience was just perfect. We will 100% be returning to North Lake Tahoe and renting from NLTBR again as repeat customers.
