Orange Beach Boating Magazine

Rentals from Orange Beach Boating Magazine include life jackets, safety equipment, fuel, cooler storage, fishing gear, a bimini top, a sunshade, a Bluetooth stereo and dock access. 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 Gulf Shores, you can boat Little Lagoon, the Intracoastal Waterway, Oyster Bay, Bon Secour Bay and Gulf waters through Perdido Pass. Little Lagoon is shallow, with sheltered stretches along its north shore; launch at Mo’s Landing. Canal Park puts you on the marked Intracoastal route, which passes through shallow Oyster Bay before entering Bon Secour Bay. The Pines ramp provides another Bon Secour Bay put-in. For a more exposed outing, continue along the waterway toward Perdido Bay and take the marked, jettied Perdido Pass into the Gulf.

Source: City of Gulf Shores (gulfshoresal.gov)

Boaters from Gulf Shores commonly make day trips to Robinson Island, Bird Island, the Old River loop around Ono Island, and Sand Island Lighthouse. Near Perdido Pass, Robinson Island draws boats to its shallow sandbar, while Bird Island offers wading and coastal birdwatching.

A sightseeing cruise through Bayou St. John and Old River passes the homes and yachts along private Ono Island. For boaters launching at Fort Morgan, Sand Island Lighthouse near Dauphin Island provides another sightseeing destination, with dolphins sometimes seen around the decommissioned lighthouse.

Source: Alabama's Beaches (gulfshores.com)