Boat rentals in Ohio

Renting a boat or personal watercraft or PWC is the easy and reasonable answer for people who do not own a boat, but still want to enjoy boating.  Sport boat, fishing boat, cabin cruiser, pontoon boat, canoe, kayak, or even a high-powered personal watercraft, Ohio offers plenty of opportunities to rent watercraft.

There are boat rental facilities situated across Ohio, including facilities at 28 of Ohio’s state parks. These state park boat rental facilities are located at A.W. Marion, Alum Creek, Burr Oak, Cowan Lake, Deer Creek, Delaware, Dillon, Findley, Forked Run, Grand Lake St. Marys, Hueston Woods, Kiser Lake, Lake Alma, Lake Logan, Lake Hope, Mosquito Lake, Lake Milton, Maumee Bay, Paint Creek, Pike Lake, Punderson, Pymatuning, Rocky Fork, Salt Fork, Shawnee, South Bass Island, West Branch and Strouds Run state parks.

Waterways consist of the Little Miami, Great Miami and Mad rivers in southwest Ohio, the Mohican, Walhonding and Kokosing rivers in north-central Ohio, the Hocking and Muskingum rivers in southeast Ohio, and the Grand and Cuyahoga rivers in northeast Ohio.  These and other areas of the state offer canoe and kayak rental liveries that are easy to access, provide for a fun and affordable day on the water, and may last from one hour to a multi-day overnight trip.

Ohio also has a limited number of businesses that rent boats and host waterway tours for company outings, special occasions and romantic getaways

Before renting any watercraft in Ohio, there are a few regulations and recommendations that should first be considered.

Ohio law requires mandatory boater education for anyone born on or after January 1, 1982 who operates a watercraft powered by more than ten horsepower.  This includes rental watercraft.  Rental businesses in Ohio are prohibited from leasing, hiring, or rentals a vessel powered by more than 10 horsepower to a person born on or after January 1, 1982 unless that person:

• Signs a statement they have successfully completed an approved boater education course or proficiency exam; and
• Receives educational materials from the rental business and passed the test examination with a score of 90 percent or more.