| Island Adventure Watersports
Heading into summer 2026, gas prices are climbing again. You’ll feel it at the pump on the drive into Myrtle Beach, and you’ll feel it everywhere fuel is a hidden line item, including at most boat rental docks along the coast.
Here’s the part most visitors don’t realize until the boat is back on the trailer: at a lot of rental operations, fuel isn’t included. You pay the rental rate up front, take the boat out for the day, and then settle a separate fuel bill when you return. That number swings with whatever the pump charges that week, and on a long summer cruise it can add up fast.
We’ve never operated that way. Every pontoon and tritoon rental at Island Adventure Watersports includes all fuel in the rate you book. The price you see online is the price you pay. No fuel surcharge at the end of the day, no anxious eye on the gauge while you’re trying to enjoy your trip, no surprise at the dock.
With pump prices on the rise this summer, that’s worth understanding.
What “Fuel Included” Actually Means for Your Day
Most rental docks split the cost two ways. You pay the listed rate to rent the boat, and you pay separately for whatever fuel the boat burns while you have it. That second number is impossible to predict before you go out. It depends on how many hours you ran, how heavy the boat was loaded, how much time you spent at cruise speed versus idling, and what the pump price happens to be when you get back.
Some operators top off the tank for you and charge you the difference. Others hand you the keys with a half tank and expect you to refill before returning. Either way, you don’t know what your day actually cost until it’s over.
Our pontoons and tritoons go out with the tank full, and they come back without a fuel bill. The orientation, the safety briefing, the route map, the Bimini shade top, the Bluetooth stereo, and every gallon of fuel are already in the price. You walk in knowing exactly what the day will cost.
That predictability matters more in a summer when fuel prices are moving the wrong direction.
Half-Day Pontoon Rental
Best for: A relaxed half-day on the Intracoastal Waterway with the family, a smaller group, or anyone who wants to see Sandy Island without committing to a full day on the water.
Our half-day pontoon rentals are the most popular booking on a hot afternoon. You’ll have plenty of time to cruise south to Sandy Island, beach the boat right on the sand, swim, eat lunch out of the cooler, and head back without rushing. The route is calm freshwater, the water warms up nicely by late spring, and the Bimini top keeps the whole boat shaded.
You get the same boat, the same orientation, the same fuel-included pricing as the full-day option. Just a shorter window on the water at a lower rate, which is the right call for groups with younger kids or anyone who’d rather not spend the whole day in the sun.
Book a Half-Day Pontoon Rental
Full-Day Pontoon Rental
Best for: A full day of exploring the waterway, longer cruises north to Barefoot Landing, multiple stops, or groups who want to make a real day of it.
A full-day rental opens up the whole waterway. You’ve got time to head south to Sandy Island and the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge for swimming and exploring in the morning, then cruise north toward Barefoot Landing and dock at a waterfront restaurant for lunch. With fuel already covered, you can run the whole route at cruise speed without keeping a mental tally of what each mile is costing you.
Full-day rentals are the right pick for multi-family trips, longer celebrations, or anyone who wants to combine a swim stop, a meal at the water, and a long scenic cruise into a single day on the Intracoastal Waterway.
Book a Full-Day Pontoon Rental
Why Pontoons Are the Right Boat for This Water
The Intracoastal Waterway is freshwater, flat, and slow. It’s not the kind of water that demands a powerful boat or a heavy fuel burn. A well-loaded pontoon at a cruise pace covers the distance you’ll want to go on a day trip without burning through a tank, which is part of why all-in pricing works out so well on our route.
Every boat in our fleet is set up for the way people actually use the waterway. Bimini shade top so the whole crew stays out of the sun, a Bluetooth stereo so you bring your own soundtrack, room for coolers and floats and towels, and seating for up to 9 passengers on a pontoon or 12 on a tritoon. The orientation covers everything you need to know to drive the boat confidently, even if it’s your first time. South Carolina does not require a boating license.
Where You Can Go
Sandy Island. The largest undeveloped freshwater island on the East Coast, just a short cruise south from our dock. Beach the boat right on the sandy shore, swim, walk the beach, and have lunch in the shade. Reachable easily on a half-day rental.
Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge. 55,000 acres of protected freshwater habitat. Cypress trees draped in Spanish moss, alligators on the banks, osprey and bald eagles overhead. Best explored at a slow cruise, which is exactly what a pontoon does well.
Barefoot Landing. Cruise north along the waterway, dock at a waterfront restaurant for lunch, then head back at your own pace. The full-day rental gives you time to combine a southern stop at Sandy Island with a northern stop at Barefoot Landing in the same trip.
Quiet creeks and side channels. The waterway is full of small offshoots and quiet stretches where you might not see another boat for half an hour. Pack a fishing rod, drop anchor, and have the place to yourselves.
The Bottom Line on Value
A pontoon rental should not come with a surprise at the end of the day. Whether you’re booking a half-day with the family or a full-day for a larger group, the price you see when you book is the price you pay. Fuel is in. Equipment is in. Orientation is in. The only thing left up to you is what to put in the cooler.
We’ve been operating from our dock on Dick Pond Road for over 12 years, with more than 1,000 five-star reviews from families and groups who’ve spent a day on the waterway with us. As fuel prices climb this summer, all-in pricing is one less thing to worry about when you’re trying to enjoy your trip.
Book a Pontoon Boat Rental or call us at (843) 650-7003. We’re happy to help you pick the right boat and the right rental length for your group.
