Many Fort Worthians survive August by staying in the air conditioning until, say, the third week of September. Others book vacations to cooler climes. For others, it means a boat ride on one of the area’s rivers or lakes, where they can pass a blissful afternoon skimming over the waves, enjoying the water-cooled breeze, and occasionally leaping in for a swim.
Unless you already own one of the 567,740 boats that the National Marine Manufacturers Association says are registered in Texas, buying may not be an option. The average watercraft of 26 feet or shorter in length sold for $91,000 in 2024, according to online boat marketplace Boats Group. Include outlays for insurance, storage, maintenance, equipment, accessories, taxes, and licenses, and it becomes apparent why watercraft owners often quip that “a boat is a hole in the water you throw money into.”
One solution: boat rental. Tarrant County lakes and waterways teem with opportunities to rent watercraft large and small for hourly rates that in some cases do not cost much more than tickets and concessions for a first-run movie. Here’s a how-to on boat rental.
Renting a kayak, canoe, stand-up paddle board, or other human-powered craft will get you on the water with the least expense and hassle. Rentals are available at many locations, including city-owned facilities like the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, where the West Fork of the Trinity River joins Lake Worth, and Loyd Park on Joe Pool Lake in Grand Prairie.
In the heart of downtown, TC Paddlesports (480 N Taylor St, Fort Worth, 682-682-1313, 214-478-7856) rents paddle craft from a Panther Island location. Manager Teresa Patterson has around 50 single and double kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards (SUPs) of varying lengths and styles available for rates starting at $20 an hour. That covers boat, life jacket, and basic instruction, including a warning not to get too close to the dam just downstream from the North Main Street bridge.
Patterson and her staff also guide organized outings like a sunrise float that backlights the skyline dramatically.
“On full-moon nights,” she said, “we have a full-moon paddle that’s our most popular.”
If you want more thrill and less exercise, consider a gasoline-powered craft. At Sam’s Dock Boat Rental (2500 Fairway Dr, Grapevine, 817-251-2628) inside Silver Lake Marina on Lake Grapevine, you can commandeer an 11-foot Sea Doo personal watercraft capable of carrying two passengers at up to 50 mph. Sea Doos there cost $179 for two hours. A 20-foot ski boat suitable for six passengers runs at 45 mph and costs $319 for two hours.
Pontoon boats are the most popular powerboat rentals, according to Ben Yeager, manager of Sam’s Dock at Grapevine. These stable and comfortable craft ranging from 23 feet to 25 feet rent for $299 for two hours. They can carry up to 12 people for fishing and sightseeing and tow riders on tubes at speeds up to 25 mph.
If you want more — a lot more — a full-blown party boat may be what you need. These behemoths, approaching 100 feet in length, include multiple decks sporting indoor air-conditioned dining rooms, dance floors, and other amenities. At Lynn Creek Marina (5700 Lake Ridge Pkwy, Grand Prairie, 817-640-4200) on Joe Pool Lake, The Wave Party Barge offered by Suntex Rentals — claimed to be the state’s biggest party boat — has twin water slides spectacularly snaking down from the upper deck into the lake.
Mark Henricks
Party boats can host up to 100 people for gatherings of all kinds, ranging from corporate team-building events to birthdays, anniversaries, and more.
“We had a wedding on here two weeks ago,” Yeager said of the Tejas, the largest of the party boats offered at Sam’s Dock. “They did the full ceremony and everything.”
That level of floating opulence will cost you, naturally. Any boat over the standard pontoon size typically comes with a captain to handle navigation and steering and often one or more crewmembers to operate the craft and serve passengers. For The Wave, to give one example, a three-hour weekend cruise will run you $1,875 before assorted extra fees.
Even if you can pay the freight, lake life on a rental boat isn’t all free and easy. Lifejackets are typically required, for instance. Renters will generally have to leave a credit card as a deposit. On busy hot weekends, it’s wise to call ahead and reserve to make sure your desired craft is available.
Also, younger renters must take a state-mandated boating safety course before piloting any powered watercraft.
“If you were born after September 21, 1993, you have to have the boater safety course,” Yeager said. “That’s the biggest challenge we’ve run into lately with new boaters.”
While you can take the course online for $10, it may take a couple of hours to fulfill the requirements.
Finally, keep in mind that, in addition to your terrestrial worries, you may want to leave your phones and key fobs behind. Dropping something on a boat often means hearing a splash instead of a thud. Patterson said so many of her clients have lost electronics to the Trinity that she provides free lockers.
“Anything you do not want to get wet, put in the locker,” she said.
