Why take a team out on Duffys?

A Duffy outing gets people talking away from the office without asking anyone to perform. Small groups share a boat, someone on each boat learns to drive it, and the whole team cruises the same water at the same easy pace. It scales from one boat for a small team to several boats leaving together, as availability allows.

How many boats does a team need?

Divide your head count by 12 and round up: a team of 30 needs three boats, a team of 50 needs five. The group planner on the pricing page does the arithmetic and the price for any head count.

With 22 boats in the fleet, a larger group can go out together, depending on what is open that day. Call (562) 598-2628 before you book a large group, and we will tell you which start times can take that many boats.

Who drives each boat?

Each boat needs a driver who is 21 or older; nobody needs boating experience. The Dock Master takes each boat to the end of the dock, hands its driver the keys, and gives a quick tutorial and a map. Pick your drivers before the day so the launch runs without a huddle on the dock.

Under California law, the driver of a boat must not be under the influence. If your company allows drinks at the event, adults may bring their own beer and wine; your drivers should skip them.

How do you run the day?

Book every boat for the same start time.
Ask the team to arrive 30 minutes early. Parking is free and on site, and carpooling helps on busy days.
Check in at the office together.
Each boat launches with the Dock Master and a driver at the wheel.
Cruise as a group, or set the team a challenge.
Bring every boat back by the end time on the booking.

What can a team do on the water?

Keep it simple. A few ideas that need nothing but the map you get at the dock:

A photo hunt. Give each boat a list of sights from the map and ask for a photo at each one, with the whole boat in the frame.
The sea lion count. The local sea lions appear throughout the day. The first boat to photograph one wins.
A quiet lap. Ten minutes with no work talk and phones away. An electric boat makes that easy to enjoy.

Skip the races: the boats top out at 5 mph, and the bay is shared with other boats.

What about food?

Bring it, or have it brought. Food and coolers are welcome aboard, and local vendors deliver boards and catering for rentals; call (562) 598-2628 for their details. Ice is $7 a bag in the boat shop.

When is a good time for a team outing?

Weekday afternoons suit most teams, and a late-afternoon start lets the outing end around sunset; the sunset times by month help you plan it. In December, an evening cruise past the Naples holiday lights makes an end-of-year outing that is not another dinner.

How do you keep a big group together on the water?

Agree on a meeting point from the map before you leave the dock, so boats that drift apart know where to regroup. Keep the boats in sight of each other, put the drivers in a group chat, and agree on a time to start heading back so every boat makes the end time. At 5 mph, nobody gets far ahead.

What does a team outing cost?

Each boat is $125 for one hour or $250 for two, for up to 12 people. A team of 30 on three boats for two hours pays for three boats at $250 each. The pricing page has the planner, how we compare sets out the facts about our fleet, and the complete guide to renting a Duffy in Long Beach covers everything else.

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