6 Adventures to Get Out on the Water

Warmer temps bring the desire to get out on the water. A South Carolina coastal vacation gives you the perfect opportunity to feel the wind in your hair, the sun on your face and water on your toes.

We’ve got great ways to explore local waterways, whether paddling, kicking back on a motorboat, or catching some waves. 

Black River Outdoors offers guided kayaking eco-tours. Their two-hour Salt Marsh Tour, for example, allows you to paddle through the Murrells Inlet ecosystem, where you’re sure to spot a variety of wildlife, sometimes dolphins and sea turtles. Black River Outdoors also offers four-hour paddling adventures, as well as fishing tours.

Prefer someone else drives the boat? Book with Blue Wave Adventures Dolphin Tours, which runs out of the Crazy Sista Marina in Murrells Inlet. Blue Wave Adventures offers a licensed master captain with more than 25 years of experience, so you can relax and enjoy the trip. Take a morning tour and make some beautiful memories. 

Pick up the pace with Express Watersports, which offers Jet Ski rentals and tours, parasailing, and banana boat rides. Express Watersports is a one-stop-shop for adrenaline-pumping fun and adventure. They also offer Discover Scuba and certification classes and dive charters to artificial offshore reefs that include tugboats, airplanes, and even a 160-foot coal-fired steamer.  

Passengers on Lowcountry Boat Tours visit an unspoiled barrier island to search for shells. Or choose a Plantation Tour to see former rice fields and plantation homes, as well as former Native American homelands. Watch dol-phins play, and bald eagles fly while the sun sets on a Sunset Eco Tour. They also offer private and custom charters. Choose your adventure. It’s up to you!

Rover Boat Tour also offers a four-hour Sea Shell and Lighthouse Cruise to North Island aboard its Carolina Rover, a 40-foot, shaded pontoon boat. Visitors spend about an hour exploring the shoreline of a remote barrier island lo-cated where Winyah Bay meets the Atlantic. Their plantation tour goes through Winyah Bay toward the Great Pee Dee River to view the Historic Hobcaw House. Expect to see plenty of wildlife on both cruises.

If you’ve always dreamed of riding the waves, now is the time to do it. Learn how from the enthusiastic crew at Surf the Earth, which has helped soul seekers get up on boards since 1990. Lessons take place at 2nd Street, on the north end of Pawleys Island. 

Whatever water adventure you choose, you’ll be close to your Pawleys Island or Litchfield Beach rental.