Rent or Charter a Boat in the USVI?

When staying in the US Virgin Islands, whether you’re on St. Thomas or St. John, you’re surrounded by other islands you’re going to want to explore. Between the USVI and BVI, there are countless snorkel spots, beach bars, and other iconic locales. This is why the region is known as a boater’s paradise. You can hop on a boat for the day and island hop, easily seeing several different stops within the daylight hours.

If you’d like to go boating, the first question to determine is whether you’d like to rent a boat or charter a boat. In general, our recommendation is always to charter a boat whenever you can. In fact, all of the boat trips on our website are charters. Here’s why:

When you charter a boat, it comes with a Captain (and sometimes crew) who knows the boat. They will be familiar with how to operate it, how it has been maintained, and where all of the necessary equipment is located.
When you charter a boat, your Captain is also knowledgeable about the region. This means that they will not only know where to avoid hazardous conditions (you won’t get stuck on a reef!), but they also know fun stops and cool secret spots to explore.
When you charter a boat, no one in your group needs to worry about being the designated driver. Everyone can imbibe all the Painkillers and Bushwackers they desire without jeopardizing the safety of the passengers or the boat.

When you charter a boat, there is always someone to stay with the boat, if need be. Whether there’s limited space at a dock, not enough mooring balls, or everyone wants to snorkel to shore, your Captain can stay with the boat while you all continue the fun.
When you charter a boat, there are typically more amenities that come with it than a bareboat rental. That means you may have access to snorkel gear, floats, coolers, and more. Check out the charter boat options to see which boats offer which amenities.

Renting a boat is definitely an option if you’re familiar with the area and have boating experience. However, even with that in mind, chartering a boat with a captain allows everyone onboard to have a safe, positive, stress-free experience for the day.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

USVI Stand Up Paddle Boarding FAQs

By Chrissann Nickel • August 27, 2026

For many people, their vacation in the US Virgin Islands is the first time they’ve gotten the opportunity to try stand up paddle boarding (also known as “SUP”). And while many of them arrive just a little intimidated at first, it ends up being one of the most fun experiences of their trip. If you, too, aren’t sure if paddle boarding in the USVI is for you, we’d like to encourage you to give it a shot. You’ve got this! We have stand up paddle boards available for rent on all three islands: St. Thomas , St. John , and St. Croix . With a SUP rental in the VI, you have endless opportunities to explore and to spend quality time in our gorgeous Caribbean waters. Your SUP rental opens up a world of adventure for you. Here are some answers to the frequently asked questions we get regarding stand up paddle boarding in the Virgin Islands to set your mind at ease: