WELCOME TO AIRLIE BOAT HIRE
Welcome to the Whitsundays, Airlie Beach the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. If you are looking to explore the beautiful Whitsunday Islands, on your own time, we can provide a number of different options for you. Snorkelling, swimming, diving or just relaxing in the beautiful azure waters.
All our boats are located at our floating office at Coral Sea Marina – Resort, South Village – Berth N00.
OUR LICENSED BOATS
Our self-hire and drive Centre Cab, Sportrider and Yellowfin can get you out to all the islands and Whitehaven Beach. All you need is a valid Boat Licence – National or International. Our Kakadu Tinny and Smartwave Xtra, on a low wind day can take you to the South and North Molle Islands, around Daydream and to Long Island. The Tinny and Smartwave Xtra cannot get to the big islands of Whitehaven Beach.
OUR UNLICENSED BOATS
Our Poly Boats are for our customers that don’t have a boat license and want to get out on the water to fish and sightsee with turtles and dugongs ever present in the Bay off Airlie Beach. These boats do have a restricted area and can not get to the islands.
GBRMPA Changes
As of 1st July 2023, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) is reinstating their Environmental Management Charge (EMC). All bookings on the Yellowfin 6.5m and 7m Southerner as well as the McLay 651 CrossXover will incur a fee of $8 per person (people aged 4 and over) per day, for the first three (3) days of the booking. This fee will manually be added onto your booking, and final numbers will be confirmed the day before your booking.
All fees for this are passed directly onto the GBRMPA for management of the reef.
For more information on what the EMC is used for, check out the GBRMPA website.
Our Fleet
Sportsrider
Centre Cabin
Yellowfin 6.5m Hardtop
McLay 651 CrossXover
Yellowfin 7m Southerner
Smartwave Xtra
Kakadu Tinny
4.2m “Smartwave” Boat
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Happy Customers
“Our journey across to Hayman island and the wind protected northern anchorages of Hook island started at 730am and took 45mins @ 15-20 knots in the 5.7M Sportsrider. Within the main passage we had minor to moderate spray/bumps etc for 25 mins in a 15-20 km/h south easterly and outgoing tide.
Coming back mid-afternoon with the wind SE and stronger at 25-35 km/hr and tide incoming, we trimmed the nose up higher to minimise the spray and made way @ 8-10 knots….it was rough and wet for 35 mins across the main passage but worth every minute of that after the 6 lovely hours of scenery, fishing and relaxation we’d just spent enjoying over there out of the wind and waves!
We came prepared to get a bit damp and uncomfortable on our journey to see and experience something we knew was going to be really quite special.
We then went home super happy we’d made that effort.
We highly recommend you just do it!”
– A&J Noosa
“Boat Hire was seamless, and the boat we hired was perfect for what we wanted, which was sightseeing the Whitsundays at our own pace. We followed the attendants instructions and suggestions, and had a fantastic day.
Thanks guys”
– Steven Dennis
“G’Day Guys
Just wanted to say thank you for a great experience. You made our booking so simple and the service from Deb to Bob at the dock was exceptional. We have rented boats with you in the past and will continue to do so with our future visits in the winter months my little boys loved being out on the water with their dad and poppy, we even caught a few fish.
Thanks again Bob and Deb”
– Adam Bannister
“Deb is so lovely, friendly and helpful. We intended to hire the licence-free boat for one day, we are going back today for another half day because it was just so much fun. An absolute must for anyone.”
– Natasha
“Boat was great, fishing rods, bait, tackle box, esky with ice all can be hired at a reasonable rate. Was a great morning out (definitely the best to do morning) didn’t catch anything but plenty of bites and an impatient 8yr old but had fun seen a sea turtle. Cheapest water activity for 4 hrs in Airlie.”
– Naomi