A private boat club open to all who pay a one time initiation fee and monthly dues. Perfect for…read morethose wanting access to boating without the hassle of owning a boat. My husband and I joined over a year ago and have never looked back. We were orientated on each type of boat and general boating rules. We also studied for our boating licenses online. We now boat on a weekly basis, choosing from numerous types of boats, pontoons, sailboats, fishing boats etc at five different locations from Cortez in the north to Stump Pass in the Englewood area. We tend to favor Siesta Key, Venice and Phillipi Creek locations as they are closer to home. Your boat is ready when you arrive. After a quick walk through, you are on the water either the Intercoastal or the Gulf. You return the boat after filling up with gas. Hand the keys to the dock master and you are done! No cleaning, no maintenance. The joys of boat ownership without actually owning a boat. Waves also offers a social club where you can get together with other members on organized sunset cruises, fishing clinics and offshore/onshore fishing charters. Highly highly recommend to full time residents of Sarasota/Manatee but also to snow birds who can join at a cheaper rate and just use when they are in Florida. They say the best two days of boat ownership is the day you buy your boat and then the day you sell it. Avoid this....join Waves!

My husband and I have been members for a year now and we love Waves Boat club. The staff are always…read morevery nice, laid back, and helpful. We can usually always get the boat we want on the date we need. We highly recommend Waves if you are not yet ready for boat ownership.

Had a great charter trip with Captain Scott and his first mate Caleb. The boat is the perfect size…read morefor a party of 6, and the price was right too! The boat is clean and roomy, and I never had to bait a hook or take a fish off the hook. They work hard to keep you fishing and have a quick efficient way of keeping your line in the water. We caught a ton of fish, all of which were quickly cleaned and bagged for us at the end of the charter. A great find on this beautiful island!

Just had a great morning with the professionals at Stray Dog. They know where the fish are and were…read morevery helpful. The boat is big with plenty of room for everyone to fish and bring in the catch. The captain has been running his boats out of this location since 1979 and his current boat was custom made for him to charter.

Great service. Easy. Boats worked perfectly. The ownership…read moreand employees couldn't have been more nice, helpful,and professional. Helped with points of interest.

Super easy to rent , new and clean boat to operator. Tons of space and love the canopy when you…read moreneed a break from the sun

On vacation, my parents and I were able to rent kayaks here from Mike. Kind guy, helpful and took…read moreour last minute no appointment s to rent for half of the day. Great waterproof bags. We saw along the way cute white egrets, ospreys, and those snake birds. A guy told us he saw an alligator, but we didn't see it and he was drinking beer what did he know. Check around for manatees and dolphins no luck. A lot of cute trailer homes, tropical plants and mangroves to admire. An awesome day!

The only reason I am ranking them so low is because of the "hold harmless" agreement you'll have to…read moresign in order to rent one of their boats. I'm not an attorney, but read it carefully/understand what you are signing. I was not comfortable with the crazy terms and chose not rent. Note, you can hire a captain but for significantly more money.

We rented a pontoon boat today from Twisted Anchor Boat Rentals, and once again, it was a fantastic…read moreexperience! Ann and Patrick are wonderful to work with--communication is always excellent, the booking process is simple and stress-free, and they make all the logistics easy from start to finish. When you arrive, they meet you at the dock with everything ready to go, so you can get out on the water and start enjoying your day right away. One thing we especially appreciate is that you never have to wonder where to go or what to see. Ann and Patrick provide great local recommendations, a detailed boating map, and a Garmin GPS, making it easy to explore with confidence. We've been renting from Ann and Patrick every time we visit Anna Maria Island--about every 2-3 years--for at least the past 10 years. At this point, we wouldn't even consider renting from anyone else. Their customer service, professionalism, and attention to detail are second to none. 10/10 experience every single time. Highly recommend!

I am writing this because I feel a moral obligation to warn any families--especially those with…read moreyoung children--to stay far away from this company. What began as a peaceful vacation ended in a traumatic, profanity-laced tirade from one of the owners, Patrick, that left my entire family shaking and my 6-year-old son in tears for days. We rented a pontoon boat for a family outing. Our group included my 70-year-old mother, my sister (who is 6.5 months pregnant), my husband, my brother-in-law, and three small children (ages 2, 3, and 6). Things started off fine with Ann and Patrick, but the moment there was a minor navigational hiccup, Patrick's mask slipped, and he revealed himself to be completely unhinged. The Incident While heading back to the dock with 20 minutes left on our rental, we unfortunately hit a sandbar. We did the responsible thing and called for guidance. Rather than professional assistance, we were met with a phone call from Patrick that I can only describe as a verbal assault. He began screaming at the top of his lungs, using every profanity in the book, asking us "what the f* we were doing"** and calling us the "most disrespectful renters" he'd ever met. My husband remained incredibly calm, apologized, and asked if we could just get back to the dock to settle things like adults. Patrick's response? "What, you gonna buy me a new boat?!" He then made disparaging, xenophobic comments about us being from New Jersey and told us he should "let us f-ing sit out there and be stuck all night."* When we got to the dock (which took 30 seconds once we were off the sandbar), we didn't say a single word. We were terrified. Patrick continued his tirade, screaming at us to "get the f* out of my boat"** and that he needed to leave "before this turns ugly." This man threatened a group that included a pregnant woman, an elderly grandmother, and three toddlers who had done absolutely nothing to provoke him. To the Owners: Save your breath with the defensive reply. I know you will try to pivot to "rental rules" or "channels." Let me be clear: No amount of "improper navigation" or a 30-second sandbar stall justifies screaming F-bombs at children and threatening a family. You are in the hospitality business, yet you acted like a dangerous maniac. To Families: There are plenty of other rental companies in the area. Do not give your money to someone who thinks it is acceptable to traumatize a 6-year-old child. My son spent the rest of our vacation asking if "the scary man" was going to come find us and hurt his dad. This person is not fit to be around people, let alone young children. STAY AWAY.

While the news has been grim for restaurants, hairdressers and yoga studios, a bright spot during…read morethis time of crisis is our waterway access. Marina Park is a public boat launch facility in a waterfront park like setting. Adjacent to the Historic Venice Train Depot it's easy to find. The boat ramp is wide enough to accommodate two trailers at the same time. Pavement on the ramp is an excellent condition but can be a little slippery at low tide. The dock area to the north and south of the boat ramp has cleats for tying off your vessel and the dock pilings have thick rubber bumpers so there is no need for you to pull out your boat fenders for docking. There is a well-manicured grassy area with benches adjacent to the boat ramp providing a comfortable place to sit and watch the activity on the water. There are also some shaded picnic tables for an easy access waterfront picnic. The park is clean, safe and convenient. There's plenty of boat and trailer parking on the weekdays but weekend prime time parking will be a challenge. If water access is what you are looking for, Marina Park has what you need... It's so easy. Enjoy!

Beautiful very nice place, take your wife out to enjoy the weather and just a gorgeous view…read moreespecially sunset time. Greater restaurants around as well.

We joined 6 months ago and enjoy an outing. The dock hands Chris and Andrew have been very helpful…read morecasting off, tying down and filling up the gas at pump side. I recommend a tip for these guys as they are in the hot sun doing a great job. FYI for corporate. If possible, please remove the boats on the web site that you have decommissioned. If one is out for service, please post a notice on the reservation page indicating "out of service" and maybe an expected time back in service. Just leaving them blank so no one can book tells us nothing. It helps us club members when trying to book a date and time. Boats are always clean and ready to go. Keep up the good work guys.

We spent two hours on the water with the captain and her mate and had the most wonderful time…read more The water is gorgeous and the sun was shining in the bluest of skies. We were served wine, beer or champagne and cheese and crackers as we sailed the gulf. If you are looking to lay back and relax and catch up with a dolphin or three, as we did, I recommend you indulge yourself. It''s a great couple of hours. Thank you both.

If I could give them a 10 out of 5, I would!…read more To say we were happy with our experience is an understatement. We sailed as a party of six with my parents and my two little girls (ages 5 and 3). About halfway through, the weather turned and it started pouring, forcing us to head back to port early. We completely understood and didn't expect any kind of "make up" time since the rain wasn't their fault. To our surprise, Sail Venice went above and beyond. Even though we had less than an hour left when we came in, they offered to take us out again at a different time. We hoped for a sunset sail, but the forecast looked like more rain, so we figured it wouldn't happen. Then, last minute, they called us after watching the skies clear and asked if we wanted to come back out. Twenty minutes later we were on the water again, and it turned into an absolutely lovely evening. My daughters adored their very first sailboat ride, and we could not have asked for a more thoughtful, accommodating, and caring crew. Sail Venice truly made our trip unforgettable. I cannot recommend them highly enough!