Does any one else, when on a boat, instantly hear Adam Samberg in their mind? Serenading you about…read moreflippy floppies? Oh... no? Just me? My family was on vacation in Okoboji and decided renting a boat wasn't in the cards for us this trip-- but taking an excursion on the Queen II definitely was. Boy, am I glad we did! The open-air upper deck was just what we needed (the lower deck is inclosed). Pricing may be a bit steep? But it is no fuss, clean, has a good offering of refreshments, open to all ages, and it is actually quite fun to hear about the different parts of the lake via the narrative throughout. The Queen II was recently (last year or so) repaired/refreshed and it definitely shows. Overall, I'd do the Queen II again (even though I have frequented the lake decades of my life). And if you're new to the area, I definitely recommend you do so as well!

During our recent vacation at the Iowa Great Lakes, Gayle and I decided to try some different…read moreexperiences from previous years visits. I ride on the Queen II seemed that one such opportunity. The Queen II takes passengers around West Lake Okoboji at $15 per persons over 36" tall. This replica of the original steamer, the Queen, offers a unique view of this glacial blue water lake, the surrounding landscape and at a maximum depth of 136 feet.. The ride also comes with a history lesson from the captain. In the late 19th century, the lake region became a resort area and the small steamboats and sailboats could not keep up with the flow of vacationers. The Queen, a large steamer, was constructed, along with other larger boats, to accommodate this new need. By the 1920s, the construction of roads around the lakes brought about the demise of most of the fleet. The Queen stayed in service for those people who wished to see the lake by water. In 1973 the Queen was finally retired, after 89 years of service. The Queen II was commissioned and built in 1986 and she was designated the "Flagship of the Iowa Navy." They want you! They want you! They want you as a new recruit! The excursion lasted approximately 75 minutes and I particularly enjoyed the relaxation, the scenery, and the cool breeze. My son enjoyed taking pictures of the birds flying nearby looking for food. The cruise also gave me a few landmarks for future land exploration. Tickets can be purchased at the Queen II Dock, and when we go again, it might be kind of cool to sail around around Sunset.

Everyone in the store, the shop, and the dock was very helpful. We had a lot of fun with the boat…read moreand tubing and all that. However, as amateurs, we actually damaged the boat. Blake - maybe the manager - was very understanding and helpful. They towed us in and kept costs down for us. Yes we had to pay, but that's expected. I have to highly recommend this company. I find the service to be exceptional even when we damaged their boat.

WHAT GREAT 4TH OF JULY PARTY! Parks Marina did another…read morewonderful job this year entertaining guests on their 4th of July freedom Cruise!

After having a bad experience with a competitor, we called Make a Wake in hopes of salvaging our…read morevacation. Make a Wake did just that! It was obviously a busy day for them but they were extremely friendly, responsive and knowledgeable. They got us in on short notice and out on the lake as quickly as possible. Thanks Make a Wake! Vacation: Saved!!

This place has crappy boats. Watch out for the yearly scam. I paid $1000 for 8 hr boat rental with…read moreinsurance. I used 4 hours and they didn't make it right. The owners are scumbags looking to profit any way possible. Make sure to check for prior damage.

We're in town from all over the country (LA, DC, Seattle, Indiana, KC) for a family wedding and…read morerented from these folks on two different days. Yesterday we rented a 23' speedboat and tube, and today we rented to Seadoos. Both days were excellent! The vehicles worked great and were in good condition. The check-in and out was fast and friendly. They had plenty of life vests for our group. We had a terrific time on the water thanks to these fine folks! Highly recommend!

We rented a large pontoon boat on Friday, 8/11 for 6 hours. The process was so easy, and check in…read moreand out were quick and easy. The staff there were great to work with the the guys who helped us get everything on the boat were amazing too. We had a great time and will use them next year for our Family vacation! Ann & Rick Petersen

Even though Mau Marine is 500+ miles away from my home in Chicago, it was worth every penny to buy…read morea boat from them. It's no secret that boat dealers have a less-than-stellar reputation in the industry for being forgetful, reactive, and aloof to customers' needs. I can honestly say this didn't happen once with Mau, and they thoroughly impressed me. Everybody I encountered, from Lee in sales to Joe in finance to Shaun/Seth/Justin in parts/service, handled their respective roles with utmost professionalism and friendliness. It's a shame that the geographical separation makes doing business with them pretty much impossible because I would love to have them continue maintaining my boat. Heaps of integrity at this place - if you are in the market for a boat or boat service or even flip-flops (they sell them there), you should have no reservations about working with them. They're great people.

These guys make it extremely simple to set up a Gas account. Their neighbors, parks marina, won't…read moreset anything up unless you've bought a boat there

Dave and Pat Swanson, the owners and operators of Blue Water Divers, are some of the greatest…read morepeople in the business of scuba diving that I have ever come across (and I have dove MANY places in the world). They are ethical, honest and strive to keep you coming back, unlike many larger outfits that I have experienced which seek "diver in, diver out..." in the name of greater financial equity. Blue Water Divers is a 5 Star Padi facility (the highest rating possible). They offer guided boat dives, fill both Air & NITROX, offer extensive equipment rental (including dry suits), instruct Open Water Diver certification as well as: Advanced Open Water Diver (which I have recently completed with them), Rescue Diver, Master Scuba Diver, Divemaster, Assistant Instructor, Instructor. They also offer specialty courses such as: Night Diver, Dry Suit Diver, Altitude Diver, Deep Diver, Underwater Videographer, Underwater Photographer, Ice Diver, DPV, Wreck Diver, Enriched Air, Search & Recovery, Boat Diver & Navigation. The ONLY draw back to Blue Water Divers is their pricing. It can be a little on the high side, but I don't mind paying a little more to keep them running strong! Highly recommended.

I dived with Dave Swanson back in 2000 as part of my 50 Dives in 50 States project (An American…read moreUnderwater Odyssey - 50 Dives in 50 States). Dave and Pat Swanson were great and I found more diversity of underwater life in Lake Okoboji than I could possible imagine. I highly recommend Blue Water Divers. Best to Dave and Pat!

We rented a pontoon boat from Triggs Bay resort. Staff was so helpful as not if us were very…read moreexperienced in driving boat. Helped us drive in and dock. We had a wonderful 4 hours out in the lake. Boat in great condition. Price was reasonable. Highly recommend! The rooms and pool area look very inviting. I would consider staying here next time I am in the Lake Okaboji area

Been coming here for decades our family always live our vacation at Triggs and it's a great place…read moreto spend time on the lake with family great and wonderful lake front property and kid and animal friendly

Great time on the lake!! Customer experience was top notch. Very friendly. Would recommend making…read morereservations in advance. Will visit again when I'm the area.

Extreme Water scam. My sons rented wave runners on July 21, 2020. Returned then after the hour and…read morewere told they were good to go. An hour and a half later one son received a call saying that a wave runner was damaged. He did not do any damage to it. They did not examine the condition of the wave runners with my sons before or after use. They kept the deposit for both waver runners. Do not use Extreme Water Sports they will scam you.