Boat Rental vs. Boat Ownership

Do you love being out on the water? If you do, at some point you have probably thought about renting a boat or even owning one. But, how do you know which one is right for you?

Here are some things to consider:

Expense.

Renting: Renting is quite affordable if you do it once. But if your renting regularly, it can add up to a monthly or even yearly payment as if you were owning the boat.

Owning: If you want to boat every nice weekend, it makes more economic sense to buy.

New to boating? 

Renting: This is a great way to find out if the boating lifestyle is really for you and to decide which boat would best fit your needs .

Owning: You really get the feel for what its like to own a boat. You will care more for your boat and take pride in the lifestyle because you have the money invested into it.

Maintenance.

Renting: You don’t have to worry about any regular maintenance chores.

Owning: It is up to you to bring your boat in for required annual maintenance. You also will have peace of mind knowing when the last time your boat was serviced and whom it was done by.

Storage.

Renting: You never have to worry about storing your boat in the off season. Off season storage can be expensive and hard to find trusting locations.

Owning: Although renting may be expensive, you have the peace of mind your boat is in a safe environment and you know you have a boat to use during the boating season. Whereas if you rent you have to plan ahead of time to ensure the fleet isn’t already reserved.

Scheduling.

Renting: Make sure to plan ahead as weekends and holidays fill up very fast. Time slots can also be limited, at River Valley you can reserve a full day (9am-7pm) or half day (9am-2pm or 2pm-7pm).

Owning: If you own a boat, it is available to you any time of the day and whatever day you want.

If you are wanting to ease your way into boating and the lifestyle than renting a boat may be the smartest move for you. The overall cost can be significantly less than purchasing a boat initially but its important to remember that the cost of renting can add up.