Duffy Boat Guides
Planning notes for a Duffy day in Long Beach. Start with the tide and the timing, then the size of the group, then the food.
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Duffy, Pontoon or Captained Boat?
Not sure which kind of boat suits your group? This guide puts a Duffy, a pontoon and a captained charter side by side: who drives, how comfortable each is in sun and wind, how many people fit, how pricing works, and which belong in the narrow Naples Canals. It ends with a quick pick for each kind of occasion.
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The Best Time to Cruise the Naples Canals
Morning, midday, sunset or a December evening: each hour gives the canals a different character. This guide weighs the four things that decide your timing, namely tide, light, wind and traffic on the water, adds a season-by-season view, then suggests an hour for photos, for kids, for quiet and for a proposal.
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Can You Get Under the Naples Bridges Today?
A two-minute course in reading a tide table, for people who simply want to know whether the boat fits under the Naples bridges. It explains why each day has two different highs, what spring and king tides are, how to pick a start time around the water, and what to do when the tide is up.
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Closer Than Newport: A Duffy for LA and Orange County
A table of straight-line distances from Los Angeles and Orange County to our dock and to Newport Harbor, with an honest note on who is closer to which. Then the practical part: free parking, transit, what to bring, and how to turn a one- or two-hour rental into a full afternoon in Long Beach.
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What 12 People on a Duffy Looks Like
Twelve is the hard limit on each boat, babies included. This guide shows what that looks like in practice: how the cabin seats a full group, what gear fits alongside, when ten to fourteen people should split into two boats, how the math works per person, and what changes once everyone is in winter coats.
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Dock-and-Dine on Alamitos Bay
Where to eat before or after your cruise, from the landing to the 2nd & PCH center across the street, with addresses we checked. Plus how to eat well on the boat itself, what to leave at home, how vendor deliveries work, and why you should ask before tying up anywhere but our dock.
Where should you start?
If you have never rented a Duffy, start with the complete guide to renting a Duffy in Long Beach: it covers the boats, the price, the route and the rules in one place. Then use these guides to fine-tune the day. The tide guide and the time-of-day guide go together, because the canals depend on the water and the photos depend on the light. The group-size guide matters as soon as your head count gets close to 12.
Every guide uses the same facts: our 22 identical 21-foot Duffys, up to 12 people per boat, a driver who is 21 or older, and $125 for one hour or $250 for two. Where a guide talks about the tide or the light, it points you to the live table or the monthly sunset times rather than guessing, because both change from day to day.
Planning for a particular season? In summer, start with the time-of-day guide, since the heat and the long evenings shape the day. In winter, start with the tide guide: the year's highest tides arrive then, and December evenings bring the Naples holiday lights.
For the facts behind every guide, keep the pricing page, the tides page and the rules and packing list open in another tab. And if your question is not answered anywhere, call (562) 598-2628.
