Boat Rentals in Atlantic City, NJ

Late June through September is the best overall window for boating from Atlantic City on Absecon Inlet and the nearby Atlantic Ocean. NOAA’s Atlantic City averages show coastal water warming from the mid 60s in June to the upper 60s in July and low 70s in August and September, before cooling to the mid 60s in October.

At Gardner’s Basin, the city’s commercial boat slip lease defines an April 15 through November 30 season for 2024 through 2026. Choose calm weather and time inlet passages carefully: NOAA says thunderstorms are mostly a warm season occurrence and recommends entering New Jersey inlets on a rising tide with a smooth sea.

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (ncei.noaa.gov)

From Atlantic City, you can cruise the sheltered Intracoastal back bays or take Absecon Inlet into the open Atlantic Ocean. Put in at Gardner’s Basin on Clam Creek or at the Atlantic City Municipal Ramp behind Bader Field on Inside Thorofare. Inside Thorofare is the protected city-side route; it rejoins Beach Thorofare, which connects with Absecon Channel and the inlet. A marked side channel reaches Lakes Bay, where the controlling depth is about 3 feet, so careful channel-following matters. Choose the inlet only in suitable conditions; the back-bay route offers a more sheltered day.

Source: NOAA Office of Coast Survey (nauticalcharts.noaa.gov)

Boaters from Atlantic City can make local day trips to Gardner’s Basin, the Somers Point bayfront, and Atlantic City Reef. Gardner’s Basin lies in Clam Creek off Absecon Inlet and has boating facilities and marine supplies, making it a practical harbor stop. Somers Point’s public marina offers transient slips in the Historic Bay District, where crews can tie up and explore the waterfront. Offshore, Atlantic City Reef attracts anglers and divers with state-placed structures that provide fishing grounds and underwater habitat for fish, shellfish, and crustaceans.

Source: NOAA Office of Coast Survey (nauticalcharts.noaa.gov)

Yes. New Jersey requires operators 16 or older of power vessels, including personal watercraft, to hold a boating safety certificate. The requirement goes by age, not by birth year. Ages 13 to 15 may operate only an electric powered vessel, or one at least 12 feet long with under 10 horsepower, and still need a certificate; children under 13 may not operate power vessels at all.

Operating on non-tidal waters also requires a New Jersey boat license, an endorsement the Motor Vehicle Commission adds to a driver's license or ID card. It is an additional required document, not a replacement for the safety certificate. Out of state proof is accepted for visits under 90 days, as are Coast Guard operator licenses. The New Jersey State Police Marine Services Bureau administers certification.

Source: New Jersey State Police Marine Services Bureau (nj.gov)

New Jersey boaters should know five core rules enforced by the New Jersey State Police Marine Services Bureau. Children 12 or younger must wear a properly fitted Coast Guard approved life jacket while underway; from November 1 through May 1, everyone aboard a recreational vessel under 26 feet must wear one while underway, except inside a cabin. Operating with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or more is prohibited. All power vessels and all titled boats must be registered. Personal watercraft operators must be at least 16 and have a boating safety certificate, may not operate between sunset and sunrise, and must obey no wake restrictions.

Source: New Jersey State Police Marine Services Bureau (nj.gov)

New Jersey does not use an adult supervision exception: the minimum age is 13 for limited power vessels and 16 for any power vessel, including personal watercraft. Operators ages 13 through 15 need a boating safety certificate and may operate only an electric powered vessel or a vessel at least 12 feet long with less than 10 horsepower. Anyone under 13 cannot operate a power vessel, and the State Police manual says there are no exemptions to the age requirements.

The rental operator sets its own minimum, so confirm it when booking.

Source: New Jersey State Police Marine Services Bureau (nj.gov)

Alongside the boat rentals on this page, Atlantic City has 4 marinas and 1 boat dealer.