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Specialty Boat Rentals

5.0 (114 reviews)
Closed 7:00 am - 7:00 pm

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We brought our own rope and inflatable.
Kiki K.

A must do! We had a blast renting the pontoon boat from Shan. We loved it so much that we booked a second reservation during our same vacation! Some people from my group were running late and he adjusted our start time so we still got the full four hours on the water, no questions asked. For an extra $100 we could add another hour, which we did. It was great working with Shan, everything was handled over text and Venmo, which was super easy. He even helped carry our cooler and all our random stuff on the boat. Once we settled in, he gave a quick demo of how to drive the boat, which ended up being really easy/straightforward. We were able to navigate it on our own just fine. We took his suggestions on where to go and we were off! You have a ton of freedom and can basically go anywhere you want. We opted for Emerald Bay and on our second trip we went to D. L. Bliss. Both places were stunning! We had so much fun that we accidentally left our GoPro onboard and Shan was so awesome that he met us the next day to bring it to us. I doubt you'll find better customer service or prices from other companies in Tahoe! Tip: definitely bring a cooler full of bevies, trash bag, towels, and a hoodie (if you'll be out past 5pm) Thanks Shan, we can't wait to come back and rent from you again!!

Everyone was comfortable, and the built-in stereo added some great music.
Aaron S.

Where to begin... how about our first phone call to Shan? So professional, reassuring, knowledgeable, and I stopped looking for a rental after talking to him. This was Cassandra's 21st birthday, and she planned the whole thing herself! We met the crew at the launch location and when they saw that we had a family member who used a walker, they jumped right in and helped us get her and our things on to the boat. Friendly, funny, professional... great crew. The pontoon boat we were on looked almost new and was impeccably maintained. The boat performed so well that Kaylie (12) could drive it with no worries (she loved it, too). If you have ever thought of doing this... then do it, because you will not regret it. We'll probably be out again in a couple of months. Thanks Shan, and the rest of the crew - all awesome!

Alyssa P.

We had a great time on our pontoon! Shan was great in helping us book & schedule the boat. He was very flexible and great. Day of, Pete helped us find a great spot to dock the pontoon and go swimming. He gave us awesome instructions and pinned dots on our phone map to navigate to our area. We had a blast!!

Pontoon Boat
Mark P.

Stan and his crew were great. They deliver the boat to Elv Dorado Beach in South Lake gassed up and ready to go. If you're new to boats they are perfect for you. One of their team will bring it into the beach, then take it out to deep water. Same on the return - they meet you off the beach, and bring the boat in. Aside from that go explore the lake!

Happy girl on her way back from a great boating day!
Liz A.

Exceptional service you can only get from a local small business who truly care and know their stuff. First of all, I like to support locals doing their thing anyway, trying to be a niche in the community and these guys got it down. I read past reviews and didn't hesitate to call them right away. They did not disappoint. I've been to Tahoe for many years and usually roll into the big biz guys to rent a boat, but have had an eye opening lately of the importance in supporting your local small businesses, especially, after the tough last year. The boat was roomy and clean, the instructions were clear and informative, price was fair, and the pick up and drop off were pretty rad. Overall excellent experience. Highly recommend. Shan answered my calls and texts and was just wonderful, nice, and professional. My go to boat rental forever! Thank you!

Ramil R.

We had the best time renting a pontoon from Shane! He offered the best deal for 4 hours out on the water. The boat was perfect for our family of 8 to cruise around, check out Emerald Bay, and do some fishing. Fishing poles were provided and he gave us some tips on where to cruise around. We couldn't be happier with the service, friendliness, and overall boating experience. We will definitely hit up Shane next time we are back in Tahoe!

Jay T.

Shan IS really the man. It's not just a clever slogan. Can't wait for Shan to take us out again.

Jocelyn S.

Shan was awesome to work with! We had an amazing time on the water. Boat was clean and easy to drive. Already planning our next outing! Rent from Shan.

Minerva C.

This is our second year booking with Shan and he has been amazing and very accommodating. We always have a lot of fun on his boats. The transactions are always smooth and easy. He's very knowledgeable of the lake and always points us in the right direction of what we're trying to do that day. We recommend Specialty Boat rentals 100%. Thankz you Shan!!

Reina C.

Shan was amazing to work with!! He was extremely flexible and responsive to all my concerns. The day before our scheduled trip, it was showing it might rain, and he was flexible to schedule us earlier to avoid the rain. I really appreciative of that. If I ever visit Tahoe again, I will no doubt rent from Shan again :)

Jay S.

Outstanding! The owner was very helpful, very friendly and easy to work with! He made us feel like we were his best customers and gave us the red carpet treatment! We HIGHLY RECOMMEND this boat rental!

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6 years ago

Great experience! Easiest process of securing a boat in the Tahoe area. Can recommend enough! 5 stars!

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Shan was extremely helpful and accommodating during our trip to Tahoe! Thank you for an exceptional experience!

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Review Highlights - Specialty Boat Rentals

Shan (owner) was able to get us a boat rental the same day we requested and was always available for inquiries.

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Tahoe Wakebusters - Tahoe Wakebusters

Tahoe Wakebusters

4.9(101 reviews)
4.3 mi
13 years in business
Locally owned & operated

Had the most amazing time as 2 young families with kids. If you can swing it, the double decker…read morewith the slides is worth the splurge. The top is awesome for sunbathing on and heating up before sliding (literally) into the crisp and crystal clear Tahoe waters. Then, when you need some reprieve from the sun, the shade underneath is perfect. Joey was our captain. He was the ideal captain. Efficient, helpful, and would engage in conversation if you included him but not the type that turns into a "Chatty Kathy". Joey also navigated the boat like a pro-- I'm still impressed by how smooth he was able to keep the ride when going fairly fast even when we went through other boats' wakes. None of us got nauseous / "sea sick" (especially impressive because I was about 8 weeks pregnant). The included BBQ and cooler were nice to have, and the lily pad was a blast for our toddlers (though any age would enjoy it-- the adults in our group certainly did in between our shifts of child monitoring). We went to Emerald Bay on Joey's recommendation. There was a dock there that we pulled up to at the end for a quick bathroom break (at our kids' request) before motoring back across the lake to return to where we started. We met the guy who owns the company (Russel?) at a whiskey tasting event in Reno. Through the booking and confirmation experience we were really impressed by his professionalism and ability to remember his customers. What an all around great guy-- definitely someone you'd feel good about supporting as a business owner. Pro tip: get wet before using the slide and/or lube up with some tanning oil first! Also, if you're on the half day tour, fire up the bbq as soon as you anchor if you're cooking anything more substantial than hot dogs (we did country style ribs) that way you'll give the meat plenty of time to cook. Also, Wakebusters has life vests but if your kid has one they are already used to that's probably the way to go (our kids tried both and preferred theirs from home). Finally, wet suits are not needed, but they certainly make it a lot more comfortable for the kids (and require less sunscreen to be applied).

My family wanted to do something fun on our vacation. So we hired a boat ride with an experienced…read morecaptain. And what a thrilling experience. It even had a bbq aboard,so we had a great meal out on the water, fun slides on the boat, and a great time just soaking up the sun out on the water. Such friendly people run this place, They are very knowledgeable about the lake and about the history of the area. We.will.definitely do this again on our next visit.

Photos
Tahoe Wakebusters - Mixed batchlor and batchlorette party

Mixed batchlor and batchlorette party

Tahoe Wakebusters
Tahoe Wakebusters

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Action Watersports At Lakeside Marina

Action Watersports At Lakeside Marina

3.5(84 reviews)
1.1 mi

Overall, it was fun but for the price, disappointing. If I say it was a short trip, I would be…read moreunderstating it! Wow! It was a Short trip. Approx 7-8 mins in air total. Was supposed to go to 1000' but overheard Captain state that everybody went to 800'. So the extra $20 we paid per person for the 1000' was for nothing. We even had 1000' written on our wrist tags. They state on the website that the reservation was from 1-2pm. However, it does not state flying time. We flew for about 7-8 mins from start to finish. Frankly it was a bit disappointing. I would have been ok with it if the flying time was disclosed. Probably won't return.

I was really hoping to have an amazing experience that would net a great review, but unfortunately…read morethat didn't happen. For start, I booked a 1000' parasailing for 2, scheduled time was 1-2pm. We got to head out to the boat around 1:08 and immediately set out on the water. We were the first of three groups on board parasailing. We were harnessed in and things were going great, and then we took off. The ride literally lasted 8 minutes. That's it, 8 minutes for $115 each, before taxes. It was a beautiful view and great ride, though it was way too short. (The website did not state it would be a very short ride) What happened next made it even worse: after the 3rd group was up, a worker gal on board said to the boat captain, yep all three groups are the same, 800'. I asked her if we were taken up 1000' because it looked as if we went the same height up, and she said "oh yes, you got your 1000'. She was a professional photographer and was really hounding us to purchase a photo package, asking multiple times. We docked the boat at 1:55pm, after a slow stroll in... All in all, I had a good time with my love but it was WAY too short for what the website represented and the cost. I won't be back to Action Watersports any time soon...

Photos
Action Watersports At Lakeside Marina - Yup, that's me at 54 years old at 1000 feet up.

Yup, that's me at 54 years old at 1000 feet up.

Action Watersports At Lakeside Marina - Brandon did everything but drive the boat. Here he's photographing my family. They make the SD card/photos available for purchase.

Brandon did everything but drive the boat. Here he's photographing my family. They make the SD card/photos available for purchase.

Action Watersports At Lakeside Marina

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MS Dixie II - Paddle boat.

MS Dixie II

3.3(479 reviews)
2.5 mi

We had a wonderful time on the scenic day tour. During the boat ride there are moments of learning…read moreabout the lake and its history, which was very interesting. The food was also very good, with a lot of options, even for vegetarians. There aren't enough seats inside the boat for everyone, so arrive early (our tour was at noon and we started lining up at around 1115 am) in order to secure a seat. Otherwise, you're stuck at the top deck, exposed to the elements. It was very smooth sailing and super relaxing. Would highly recommend it!

An amazing cruise. I took the daytime cruise, which was 2 1/2 hours long, and goes from Zephyr Cove…read morejust a couple of miles from the state line, to Emerald Bay and back. They offer day daytime cruises, dinner, cruises, and charters. The boat is a paddle-wheeler, which is fun. The daytime Cruise is narrated, with stories about Lake Tahoe, as well as about its history. The boat is big, with plenty of places inside and outside to sit. The views are stunning! I would say that the best time to tour would be either winter or spring, because the snow on the mountains is so beautiful. The highlight of the trip is a view of Vikingsholm, a 38 room mansion in Emerald Bay State Park at Lake Tahoe, renowned as a prime example of Scandinavian architecture in North America, built in 1929 as a summer home for Lora Josephine Knight. Inspired by Nordic castles, it features intricate woodwork, stone, and sod roofs, they offer seasonal tours, but to get to the castle is a steep 1 mile hike. Seeing it from the lake is the next best thing. The boat has several bars, that offer alcoholic and nonalcoholic, drinks, some food, and dessert items. The rock slide fudge brownie sounded interesting. OMG, it was warm, ooey and gooey. The price for that and a soda were very reasonable. Besides the bars, of course there's a gift shop. It's not cheap. The cost of the daytime cruise was $99. I don't know what the cost would be for children. It is steep, but it was worth every penny to enjoy a beautiful day out on the lake. Thank you!

Photos
MS Dixie II - Main eating area

Main eating area

MS Dixie II - Live music on the sunset dining Cruise

Live music on the sunset dining Cruise

MS Dixie II - Sunset on Lake Tahoe

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Sunset on Lake Tahoe

Cruise Tahoe - Nothing but smiles on the Tahoe!

Cruise Tahoe

4.8(20 reviews)
2.4 mi

This was a very special tour for my very special mom's 80th birthday. She hasn't been to Lake Tahoe…read morein 60 years, and I knew she would love being on the lake *and* a tour of Vikingsholm - she couldn't hike to/from the castle, so this cruise was the perfect tourist combination for us. Captain Stacy and Mate Katerina were gracious hosts and provided us with lots of cool Tahoe history, in-between serving us cocktails and pointing out mutliple "must-see" points of interest in Emerald Bay. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour Vikingsholm (our docent was wonderful as well), with an added bonus of seeing Eagle Falls because we had a little extra time. When we returned to the boat, Captain Stacy provided us with delicious snacks and made sure we were "fed and watered" before returning to the marina. We had considered a few other boat tours of Lake Tahoe, and I'm SO happy we chose Cruise Tahoe. It was intimate but we weren't crammed in like sardines, very professional yet laid back, and the perfect amount of time on the lake for us. Highly recommend! Side note - directions to the Tahoe Keys Marina were excellent and appreciated for us 3 directionally-challenged girls.

We had a fantastic tour of Vikingsholm Castle with Cruise Tahoe!…read more Parking was difficult to find, so they wisely recommended that we arrive early. It was a 1-hour ride out to Emerald Bay in our gorgeous, stylish boat. We were welcomed by our 2 friendly crew members & served 2 drinks as part of the tour (wine, champagne, mimosas or beer, or one cocktail). Other cocktails were available for $9 with high-quality liquor, and non-alcoholic drinks were all free. It was so fun to visit the beautiful, luxurious castle, fully furnished and exquisitely decorated. We got to see tons of rooms, including an impressive kitchen, lovely servant's quarters, dining room, guest rooms and more. Our guide was engaging and really made us fall in love with the property and the wonderful woman that had it built. On the ride back, we were served very tasty appetizer plates and enjoyed fabulous scenery. Everyone was in high spirits because this was an amazing tour with an excellent company!

Photos
Cruise Tahoe - Ride back with drinks & snacks

Ride back with drinks & snacks

Cruise Tahoe - One of our appetizer platters... We had 2 for the boat to share, with 2 baskets of crackers

One of our appetizer platters... We had 2 for the boat to share, with 2 baskets of crackers

Cruise Tahoe - Dining room

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Dining room

Specialty Boat Rentals - boating - Updated May 2026

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