Southern Boat Rentals Lake Martin

Rentals from Southern Boat Rentals Lake Martin include life jackets, safety equipment, fuel, cooler storage, fishing gear, onboard storage, a bimini top and a Bluetooth stereo. Amenities vary by boat and by season, so confirm what comes with the boat you book.

Alabama’s minimum age for unsupervised operation is 14 for a motorized vessel, including a personal watercraft, but rental eligibility is set separately by the rental operator. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency says no one under 12 may operate a motorized vessel. An operator age 12 or 13 must first obtain a vessel operator’s license and may operate only with someone 21 or older onboard who also has a vessel operator’s license in possession and is seated in a position to take immediate control if necessary. Operators 14 or older must have their certification or license in possession. Confirm the rental operator’s minimum age when booking.

Source: Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (alea.gov)

Yes. Alabama generally requires motorized vessel operators, including personal watercraft operators, to carry a vessel operator certification or license. No one under 12 may operate. Licensed 12 and 13 year olds need a licensed operator age 21 or older aboard and positioned to take control; licensed operators 14 or older may operate alone. Nonresidents need valid home state or country certification, or Alabama nonresident certification.

Renters may operate without certification after safe operation instruction from the rental business if their operating privilege is not suspended or revoked. Thirty day exemptions cover qualifying new boat owners and new Alabama residents. Those born before April 28, 1954 are exempt from the exam, not certification. ALEA Marine Patrol administers the program.

Source: Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Marine Patrol (alea.gov)

From Dadeville, you can spend the day boating Lake Martin, the Tallapoosa River reservoir formed by Martin Dam. Smith Landing is a convenient put-in for open water, while Union Boat Ramp offers a quieter, scenic start. Centennial Park sits in a sandy cove with a boat launch, docks and a beach, making it a relaxed shoreline stop. For a livelier cruise, head to Chimney Rock, where boats commonly gather below the cliffs. All four places are on Lake Martin, letting renters combine open-water cruising, a cove break and a well-known landmark in one outing.

Source: Alabama Power Shorelines (apcshorelines.com)

From Dadeville, boaters head onto Lake Martin for Acapulco Rock, Pirate Island and Peanut Point. Acapulco Rock, often called Chimney Rock, is a gathering place beside its graffiti-covered cliffs; Pirate Island at the mouth of Madwind Creek is a playful photo stop with pirate flags, skeletons and a treasure chest; and Peanut Point draws summer boaters to the shoreline for boiled peanuts.

Source: Lake Martin Tallapoosa County Tourism (explorelakemartin.com)