Renting a jet ski in Panama City Beach or Panama City is a booming business and boy, can you have some fun!

Jet skis are fast and furious, action-packed and adventurous and can get you out on the amazing waters around here, quickly and safely. Whether you want to ride one like crazy or be a little more sensible, a jet ski is suitable for pretty much everyone and is so much fun!

But like all things in life, there are options and making the correct decision about your jet ski rental can mean the difference between having the time of your life or having an expensive, unpleasant experience!

This guide hopes to help you make the right choice about jet ski rentals in Panama City Beach and having done so, enjoying the amazing experience you want.

1. What type of rental do you want?

When it comes to renting a jet ski there are three different types of jet ski rentals in Panama City Beach normally available.

a) Renting a jet ski on on the beach. (Beach Rentals)

b) Renting a jet ski and be 'unguided' - as in do your own thing. (Unguided)

c) Renting a jet ski and take part in a guided tour. (Guided Tours)

Beach Rentals:

Easy and convenient! If you are enjoying the sun on our amazing beach, renting a jet ski and taking it out for a blast on the Gulf of Mexico is awesome! Hugely popular and fun but beach rentals have their drawbacks. Firstly, you can't just go where you want! Beach rentals insist that you only ski within a certain area (2 miles), often denoted by buoys and limit you to easily visible distance from the rental company.

Secondly, you are on the Gulf of Mexico which is a vast area of open water with no shelter. It can get rough and bumpy, on certain days rentals may be cancelled completely because of the sea conditions. At all times you must keep an eye out for the rental company waving a flag that indicates you must return to the shore.

Unguided Rentals:

For those who know the local waters, this is a great option. You have total freedom to take out a jet ski for a predetermined amount of time and do your own thing. However there are drawbacks...for one, you are on your own and may not get to see the amazing sights and places where experienced guides can take you to. Also, they are a lot more expensive.

Guided Rentals: (With Freedom Watersports)

Renting a jet ski and joining in a guided tour with experienced tour guides. The guides know the local waters, the wildlife and have a wealth of knowledge about the coastal area. Guided tours tend to start from launch sites in the lagoons or in St Andrews Bay and this gives them the flexibility to explore local waters as well as heading out into the Gulf of Mexico if the conditions are suitable.

Guided tours can operate in most weather conditions. Guided tours can also take you into shallow areas of the Bays for snorkeling and swimming as well as getting you up close and personal with out local dolphin population.

But don't worry about being herded like a flock of sheep! You will get free time to play on your own and do your own thing.

Guided tours keep you safe and as we are all too aware, being on the water can be dangerous.

Apart from deciding which type of rental you think best fits your needs there are a few other questions you may want to ask yourself before parting with your money!

2. Does the jet ski rental company operate safely?

The safety of customers is of paramount importance to all jet ski and watersport operators. Here at Freedom Watersports every customer receives a comprehensive safely briefing before venturing out on to the water. Jet skis are tremendous fun but much like driving a car, they can be very dangerous.

Our customers are briefed on how to operate the jet skis, on keeping a safe distance from other jet ski riders and other craft of the water and what to do if you are concerned or worried during the tour.

In addition to the experience of our tour guides ALL our staff, tour guides and office-based staff are trained in CPR in the event of an emergency.

3. How modern is their equipment?

Not every jet ski rental company operates new jet skis. Some jet skis are ridden hard for years before finally being retired due to age, unreliability and maintenance costs. Here at Freedom Watersports, we only operate 2021 models and all our jet skis are serviced and maintained to the highest standards.

We pride ourselves on the presentation, appearance and correct working order of all our skis. Should any problems arise with a jet ski it is immediately removed from service until fixed.

4. Do they have experienced guides?

Being a jet ski tour guide is not just a question of jumping on a ski and leading a group of customers out on to the water. The guide(s) must be experienced, knowledgable about the waters and local conditions, aware of all safety considerations and guide customers away from any situations that could be unsafe or dangerous.

More so, they need to be fountains of knowledge about the local wildlife, sea life and where to take tours for the best possible experience. They need knowledge of the 'rules of the road' for water craft and be constantly aware of the weather conditions, sea state and the whereabouts of all the people on the tour. 

Needless to say, at Freedom Watersports we satisfy all these conditions and for tours of 4 or more we provide two guides for each tour to ensure the safety of our customers. We will make sure that renting a jet ski from us will give you the best possible experience.

5. Do they provide extras for your safety and comfort?

Renting a jet ski is possible throughout the year, and here in the Panhandle of Florida we are blessed with Winters that may be cool at times but not necessarily cold. Spring and Autumn are usually simply gorgeous and a couple of months (July and August) when the best place to be is either riding a jet ski or in the water as it can get hot, hot, hot!

As with our brand new jets skis, all our other equipment is also brand new. You won't be fastening on a lifejacket that has several years accumulated sea water and sweat, you won't be wearing lifejackets with frayed or worse, broken fastenings. But you will be offered a complimentary wetsuit if you feel the water or air temperature is too cool.

Here at Freedom Watersports our aim is to give our customers the best, safest, most comfortable experience possible!

Please book on line here or give us a call! We will show you why we are the best at jet ski rentals in Panama City Beach.