Long Beach is a Southern California hourly market working two quite different bits of water: the sheltered Alamitos Bay and Naples canals, and the open water outside the breakwater towards Catalina. Which one a booking uses decides the boat, the price and the licence the captain needs.
How it is priced
By the hour or the half day, captained on most boats, with a certified guest capacity set by the vessel's licence rather than by its size. A boat certified for six and one certified for twelve are different licences and different prices however similar they look at the dock. Ask for the certified number, the minimum booking and whether fuel and the slip fee are inside the quoted price.
Inside the breakwater or outside
Alamitos Bay and the Naples canals are flat, slow and sheltered, which is the standard family or party booking. Outside the breakwater is open Pacific with swell and wind that build through the afternoon, and Catalina is a crossing rather than an outing. Operators are clear about which their boats and captains are rated for, and it is worth asking rather than assuming.
What it is not
It is not a charter week and nothing about its pricing transfers to one. The published figures on this site are weekly and for whole boats in cruising grounds: The Moorings publishes $1,885 for a 7 day Croatian charter for two and $3,284 for the same in the British Virgin Islands. A Long Beach afternoon can approach those numbers and buys four hours.
Questions people ask about boat rentals long beach
How much is a boat rental in Long Beach?
It is an hourly captained market and no company in this record publishes a Long Beach rate. Capacity is set by the vessel's certification rather than by its size.
Can I go to Catalina?
That is a crossing rather than an outing, and it depends on the boat and the captain's rating. Most hourly bookings stay inside or close to the breakwater.
How many guests can I bring?
Whatever the vessel's certificate allows. Ask for the certified capacity rather than the length, because a boat licensed for six and one licensed for twelve can look identical.