Really fantastic experience renting a boat this Labor Day Weekend from Emerald Isle Adventures…read more Communication was super smooth and we had great instruction on driving the pontoon boat. We will definitely be renting again in the future when we visit Emerald Isle for our next family vacation!

We had a great morning charter with Captain Roy. Our family group of 6 were lucky enough (with…read moreRoy's expertise) to get 21 bonitos. His driving, baiting, and all-around hustle and good attitude were fantastic and assured a fun and successful trip. We visited from out of town, and would definitely go out with Roy again if we are back.

Randal and Crysta were amazing! So nice and helpful. I would recommend this outfit anytime!! In…read morefact, I want to work with them!! Lol Doreen B.

Short Version: There's a strong trend in the reviews for this vendor. Many people get their boats…read moreand have a good time. But Crystal coast Boat Charters has a problem with communication, and if anything at all goes wrong, you'll find yourself wondering what just happened and be left without a boat. We booked a boat for rental on Friday, May 28, for our family coming in to town for Memorial Day weekend. We had a couple calls with Krista over the next couple weeks, up until two days before the rental. During that call she told me the person who was bringing the boat (I think she said her husband, but not sure if I remember that right) had a broken phone, but that she promised to get me "some phone number so you could reach him." Not exactly confidence inspiring, but stuff happens, so I rolled with it. I went back to other reviews after the crash and burn and found this broken phone thing was a common issue that they still haven't fixed. The day of the rental came and I finally received a phone call about an hour before our rental time. The gentleman who called me was bewildering at best. Instead of clearly telling me what was broken and whether it could be fixed soon, I got a bizarre set of contradictions ranging from, "I have a guy in Swansboro hooking me up" (With what? A new boat? A part?), to "I'm trying to just delay an hour" and then ending with, "I'm shootin for the stars, man, I just dunno. I'm a nice guy, though, I'm an owner operator." It was difficult to get further details out of him. As we got closer to delivery time, I texted. No response. Then I called at the time he was supposed to deliver the boat. "Sorry man, I'm not 1000% sure it's going to happen today." I said "ok, if it isn't, then do you know anyone else that rents boats?" Instead of responding to the question, he said "Gimme a few minutes man, I'll call you back." When he called me back, he said, "We got it and we'll be at X launch point in 30 minutes." When I told him, "We ordered it for Y launch point," he replied, "Well that's news to me!" But we expected to meet him there in 30 minutes. 30 minutes later, I received a vague text message, "The hub is done sorry I will call you." I tried calling him and he stopped picking up the phone. Not knowing exactly what that text message meant, I texted Krista indicating what a stunning failure this had been and received a text full of excuses. Mechanical issues are out of people's hands. I get that. But communication is fully in the business's hands. Bottom line: this company is a slap dash operation who won't take responsibility for their failures, and will just stop talking to you when everything founders.

Excellent boat trip. Very relaxed trip with insightful information about multiple towns in the…read morearea. Saw dolphins and a wild horse.

A Sunset Adventure to Remember with Captain Trent & Chillin' Charters NC!…read more When my friend and I stumbled across the option to book a sunset cruise on a random Tuesday evening with Chillin' Charters NC, we thought--there's no way this is real. But guess what? It was 100% real and 110% AMAZING! From the moment we arrived at the dock in beautiful Beaufort, Captain Trent greeted us with the warmest welcome and the chillest vibes. Even though it was just the two of us, he treated us like absolute queens! We stepped onto the tiki-themed pontoon party boat, ready for an unforgettable evening--and that's exactly what we got. As we cruised along the serene waters of the Intracoastal Waterway, the sky lit up in a masterpiece of sunset hues, painting the perfect backdrop for our personal dance party. With our favorite playlist flowing through the boat's sound system and nothing but open water and good vibes around us, we danced like no one was watching--and it felt like pure magic. But it didn't stop there! We spotted multiple dolphin pods playfully frolicking in the waves and even caught breathtaking views of the wild Colonial Spanish Mustangs roaming free on the barrier island dunes. It was the kind of natural beauty that makes you pause, breathe deep, and feel completely alive. And just when we thought the night couldn't get any better, Captain Trent--with his signature easygoing, no-rush attitude--offered to dock in Morehead City so we could grab a bite to eat. YES, PLEASE! We landed at Southern Salt Seafood Co. and Waterfront Restaurant, where we devoured some of the freshest, most delicious local seafood we've ever tasted. From bow to stern, this was hands-down one of the best boating experiences I've ever had. Captain Trent, you are the real MVP of the water! If you ever need a crew, sign us up! Highly, highly recommend Chillin' Charters NC for the most relaxed, scenic, and unforgettable coastal cruise. Thank you, Captain Trent, for being truly AWESOME!

Awesome fishing trip with Captain Rob. Caught several red and black drum. He knows fish and he…read moreknows the area. Laid back, fun and extremely knowledgeable! You can't go wrong by booking this charter. The best around so look no further!!!

Captain Rob took my family of 5 with three boys, 8,6,and 3 out for what turned into the best half…read moreday of our Emerald Isle vacation. He catered to the needs and dreams of young boys at ever turn, and it was evident he knows the water and channels of the area like the back of his hand. We saw dolphin, hunted shark teeth on a sandbar island, did a little fishing, dropped crb traps, and he taught he kids about all the animal life we encountered including a massive manta ray, and hundreds of fiddler crabs we scooped up for bait. Thanks for filling our day with adventure and delight!!

Our family enjoyed a wonderful sunset cruise with Captain Mike and Admiral Shannon. Mike and…read moreShannon are extremely friendly and knowledgeable. We learned a lot about the sailboat, ICW, and area itself. 10 out of 10 would recommend this adventure. We'll be back next year!

From the owner: Swansboro By Sail is a sailing experience located in downtown Swansboro. We offer a verity of…read moredifferent charters to fit your needs and budget.

Exceptional Service with a Captain that is flexible with your recreational needs. He was able to…read morebring us fishing and to a sandbar to relax with our family. Definitely worth it!

From the owner: Provides charter fishing opportunities both inshore and offshore. Scenic tours and sandbar services…read morecan also be provided by a Coastguard Certified Captain. Service for Swansboro, Emerald Isle and Jacksonville area.

Staff was the best. The captain had to keep coming back to…read moremanually start the starboard engine but other than that it was very good.

Captain Mike was great! Super friendly and informative. He gave us some safety information first,…read moregave life vests to the kids, and was careful when maneuvering through the sound. We were able to get out and explore or swim without feeling rushed. When we went out there were storms nearby, but he kept tabs on them for safety and managed to steer us clear of both of them. So happy we went on the tour!

I cannot recommend Captain Oliver enough! We had the most fun, joyful experience with him. He…read moreunderstood our needs (I.e. that I do poorly with ocean motion) and adapted without complaint. My ten year old said our day with him was the best day of her life. Please, if you're considering chattering a boat to visit a few islands and skip the rigid cookie-cutter experience offered by others - CALL CAPTAIN OLIVER!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND CAPT. OLIVER!! Went on a 2 hour dolphin charter with captain Oliver and It was…read moreAMAZING!! He is the nicest guy and knew everything about the area and animals. Him being so knowledgeable of the area was huge since we did this to see more of the east coast (we are from the west coast). We saw wild horses, beautiful houses and SO many dolphins. My daughters favorite part was when she got to "drive" the boat. He was the best captain we could have asked for. This tour exceeded our expectations!!

I grew up fishing here and the local area (25 years) I have really really tried to give this pier a…read morechance with the constantly changing rules and management (four times I gave them) and this last one did it for me. I had two eyes break off an old rod, I kept it there with my stuff because I wanted to see what happened (pressure, wear, epoxy failure) and swapped reel to another one from my car. When I was leaving after watching the hoveround gang come and flex their AARP affiliation, I had SIX people come out (they have walkie talkies) and tell me I had too many rods and that though the one was beaten like a dead mule and visibly not usable (missing the top of the darn rod tbh) that I shouldn't do it there again... because I was idk huckleberry finning for crawdads or something... one or two saying it okay; but six. Jesus, I know this is the first time y'all have had power over other people and such but damn... I might be a bit forgetful at my age now but not that quick. If I go back ya'll can hold my rods and bait em for me to make sure I don't upset any rules (as kids are smoking dope and drunk as hell on the pier)....

I love this pier. It is so long and has a 2 floor deck at the end of it to see way out. It's a…read morenice walk and you get to see a lot of winging things on the pier (like super cool fish). There is a lot of seating and best of all...it is free!!