How far from South Beach is the Banana Boat Ride departure location?

The Banana Boat Ride departure location is approximately a 10-30-minute drive from Miami Beach, depending on traffic.

Can I bring my young child with me on the Banana Boat Ride?

All guests must be at least 4 years old to participate. Guests under the age of 18 can participate but must have a parent/guardian present.

What time does the Banana Boat Ride depart?

You may request a departure anytime within the day's operating hours (subject to availability.) After confirmation, be sure to contact the local operator using the details on your ticket to confirm your preferred departure time.

What are the opening hours for the Banana Boat Ride?

The boat typically operates from 10 am to 3 pm (hours subject to change at any time.) Be sure to contact the local operator directly after confirmation to verify your scheduled departure time.

How early should I arrive for the Banana Boat Ride?

Be sure to arrive at least 15-20 minutes prior to your scheduled departure, as you will need to complete paperwork at check-in.

How often does the Boat depart during the day?

There are typically daily departures for all activities every 30 – 60 minutes.

How long will be out on the water during the Banana Boat Ride?

The banana boat ride is approximately 15-20 minutes of high-speed fun!

Is there a weight limit to participate in the Banana Boat Ride?

Each guest can weigh a maximum of 250 lbs.

How safe is the Banana Boat Ride?

All equipment is well-maintained for maximum fun and all required safety gear is provided.

What type of Banana Boat is used?

You will enjoy a four-person seated position style tube called the “Great Big Mable HD”. The local operator replaces the tube every few weeks to ensure that the equipment always stays in mind condition! This tube has the top ratio between safety and comfort along with offering an unforgettable and thrilling ride where riders will not be bored from its amazing sensation.

What do you use to tow the Banana Boat?

The Banana Boat will be towed by a high-end 25ft powerboat.

What should I wear for the Banana Boat Ride?

Depending on the activity you select, you may get into the water, however, regardless of which activity you select, you will get wet! It is recommended to wear comfortable clothes, with a bathing suit underneath (especially if you plan to get into the water.)

Are restrooms/changing rooms available at the marina?

Restrooms/changing rooms are not available at the marina. Please be sure to use the restroom prior to your arrival, and come dressed appropriately for your selected activity.

Can I participate in any of the activities if I have no experience?

Absolutely! No experience or qualifications are required.

Do I have to know how to swim to participate?

Swimming skills are not required as long as you are comfortable in the water and do not panic.

Is there a minimum age requirement for any of the optional activities?

There are different age requirements for each activity: Flyboard guests must be at least 13, Banana Boat guests must be at least 5 years old, Parasailing guests must be at least 5 years old, Jet Ski drivers must be at least 16, and Jet Ski passengers must be at least 6 years old.

Can I parasail with others in my group (if option selected)?

Absolutely! Double and triple flights are available. Simply let your guide know your preference on the day of travel!

Is there a weight limit for parasailing (if option selected)?

The maximum weight is 450 lbs per flight (combined weight of all guests on a single flight.)

How long are we in the air for parasailing (if option selected)?

Actual flight time is approximately 5-10 minutes. As you will be going out with other parasailers, the total parasailing boat time can take up to an hour.

Do we dip into the water during parasailing (if option selected)?

Getting dipped in the water is optional. Just let your guide know if you'd like to be dipped!

Is there a weight limit for jet skiing (if option selected)?

Each guest can weigh up to 275 lbs - There is also a maximum weight limit of 350 lbs (driver and rider combined) for each jet ski.

Do I need a boating license to drive a jet ski (if option selected)?

Drivers born after Jan 1, 1988 must pass a boat exam, which can be taken upon arrival for a small fee ($3). It typically takes 10-15 minutes. If you plan to drive a jet ski, please arrive early to allow sufficient time to take the exam.

Is a deposit required for the jet ski rental (if option selected)?

Yes - please be sure to bring cash or a valid credit card and ID as there is a refundable $250 deposit for each jet ski.

Can I add an activity upon arrival?

Absolutely, you can always add additional activities based on availability, however, it is recommended to reserve in advance, to guarantee your preferred activity and departure time.

Tubing/Banana Boat with Miami Watersports

Miami, USA

1 hour (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Take to the water for your adrenaline fix while in Miami with this fun banana boat ride. Hop aboard the banana boat with space for up to six people and prepare to get wet as you are towed behind a 25ft motorboat. Admire the views as you zip along the shore and hold on tight as you pick up speed! Optional photo packages are also available to capture your experience.

Enjoy up to 20 minutes on the water
Fun family activity suitable for adults and kids
Choice of departure times to fit your travel plans
Make it a Combo with other water activities!

What's Included

Professional Instructors
All equipment/Safety Gear
Parking Available

Add Passenger/Rider (Extra cost at check-in)
Waterproof phone case (optional at check-in)
Photo Package (optional at check-in only for certain activities)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

3400 Pan American Dr, Miami, FL 33133, USA
Upon arrival to Dinner Key Marina, we are located on Pier 9 (next to Pier 7). Look for the Yellow Smiley Face Flags to find us (if you do not see us, continue driving on the road that goes along the water line, and you will end us finding us).

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

First, listen to instructions and a safety briefing from your instructor before putting on the necessary equipment. When you're ready, join up to six people on a spacious banana boat and hold on tight as you are pulled behind a powerful motorboat. Enjoy the views of the coastline and ocean as you zip along the water.

If you're looking for even more excitement, there are also a range of other water activities to try when your experience is over.

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers can participate
(Banana): 4yrs+ to Participate/Duration: 30min/Max 250lbs per rider

Parent/guardian must be present to sign waiver for anyone under 18 years of age
Start times may be delayed/cancelled due to weather or other factors; voucher will be provided to reschedule
Must bring a valid government ID or passport to complete paperwork at check-in
Cards without full name printed—Amex/Apple Card/Gift cards are not accepted by our company
Must understand English for safety instructions
Health conditions may prevent you from participating in certain activities
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

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Frequently Asked Questions (25)

Q:Is parking available near the departure point for the Banana Boat Ride?

A:Yes - Parking is available at the Marina in LOT 62 (Parking rates may apply.)

Apr 2023

The answers provided are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Laneshia_S

My fiancé and so had a wonderful and terrifying experience going tubing! The captain was so funny and he made sure those 20 minutes were memorable! I would definitely go again when we come back to Miami!!

Reviews

3.7

based on 75 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Its $80 each person “hidden fees”

Norma_C, Sep 2025

You pay $30 here and $50 each when u get there for “fuel” so just be aware. Everything else was great. Second time getting on it. Last time was 5 years ago and i did not pay that much.

Never booking again

Niketa_R, Nov 2024

Ride was cancelled citing high wind. Miami watersports is refusing to refund money. Will never book again.

Banana Boat

Margaret_P, Apr 2024

It was misleading. The booking says approximately an hr. You get there it’s 30min. You pay an additional $30 person when you arrive. And basically they say taken it up with Viator.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hi, We're trully sorry to hear that your experience wasn't as good as expected.

The one thing that i will...

Winnie_I, Aug 2023

The one thing that i will never forget was that viator is dishonest. I ended up paying way more than was advertised. Should have paid with miami water sports direct. What a reapoff!

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Hi there, I am so sorry for this :( They list the activity at $29 per person, and state that this is not the full price but there is additional fees for fuel/ taxes at check in. I'm so sorry. It is always easier to book with the company directly ... I still hope you enjoyed it!

Do not BUY

Suzanne_F, Jul 2023

Worse rip off. Viator should be ashamed of offering this service. I hate the fact that you charge one price and daily to share the additional hidden cost

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Hi Suzanne, I am so sorry for your frustration! You guys had a reservation this past Friday for a group of 9 persons to do the banana boat. You got upset because you were asked to paythe remaining fees for fuel/ taxes at checkin that is well advertised on the Viator page and just left. Again, I am sorry for your frustration Suzanne. We tried to nicely explained you everything but you got mad and left! It can be difficult at times to please hundreds of customers we have on a daily basis...

Extra Fuel Charge Per Person

jennifer_c, Jul 2023

I bought the Banana Boat for myself and my 9 Yr old son for $29 each but when I showed up I was told there was a Extra $38.00 fuel + tax Per person I feel like that should have been told to me when I Booked Luckily I had the $ in my account but if I didn’t I would have had to leave and and Explain that to my son That isn’t professional at all it was misleading and No Refunds Either which isn’t right !

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Hi Jennifer, So sorry for your frustration. However, as we explained you at check in, everything was mentioned on the Viator page, prior for you to book. I am sorry if you did not ready it. For single activities it does say that there will be a remaining fee for fuel/tax. Nothing was misleading at all, you just didn't took the time to read it...

Awesome guide & Awesome ride

Jonetta_W, Jul 2023

Awesome guide! Awesome ride! Read the fine print for gas surcharge. Knew about charge but didn't think it would be PER PERSON. Expect to pay more upon arrival.

DONT GO

Cellia_A, May 2022

We called to reserve we wanted to so the parasailing and the banana we were 15 in are group we paid over $2000 when we got there they told we had to pay$1400 more for tax's and gas i wish i had read the reviews before reserving here..! Next time we will just go to clear water they do walk in!

Ride tour was extremely...

Theresa_M, Apr 2022

Ride tour was extremely Too short fast but man was it supper fast and very very short don’t sit in front or back if you don’t want to get wet

Not worth it

Matt_C, Apr 2022

What a mess. Didn’t reserve our time. Put us on the fun boat instead. Said it was 20-25 min ride and it was only about 15 min. Not with the $$. Dumpy area.

Response from Host, Apr 2022

The tickets booked through our affiliates like TripAdvisor or Viator.com allow you to check in anytime between 10:00am and 1:30pm. Then we accommodate our guests with the next available spot (departures are every 25 minutes). The banana boat ride last 15 to 20 minutes (the fun boat 20-25 minutes), as advertised upon booking. We are sorry to see that you were disappointed with your experience, unfortunately the Fun Boat ride is a bit more pricy at this time.

Very fun experience!

Noah_A, Mar 2022

Very fun time and got to meet some friendly people in the process. Staff was very helpful and professional.

Bday celebration

Jakita_W, Mar 2022

This was great. If you’re not strong enough to hold don’t do it. It’s almost like riding jet ski. You will enjoy it

Great Experience

Tenisha_M, Dec 2021

This was a great experience! Pierre was such a great host & instructor. He was so patient & super fun! The view of Miami was breathtaking! I will definitely be back my next visit.

Response from Host, Dec 2021

Thank you for the great review Tenisha! We will see you soon.

The worst customer...

Mark_K, Nov 2021

The worst customer service experience ever. My husband took the children and they wouldn’t allow him to get the prepaid tickets because card was not in his name (although we are married with same name). Ok that’s fine it’s policy… but then I don’t want to miss out for kids and offer to have my husband pay cash on the spot and problem solved right? Nope they refused to refund the card and took double payment. I said well if you said he has no authority to use my card for tickets then how can you not refund him? The response was he already filled out waivers! This made no sense and what an awful way to run a business!!! I asked if they could mail an SD card for pictures at least, and again they refused saying they don’t ship? Come one man I paid double for a service and you can spare a postage stamp!!!!!

Response from Host, Dec 2021

We are sad to see that our customer service experience did not meet your expectations. We have many customers a day! It is difficult to please everyone of our guest, but our team is doing the best they can to ensure the best activity. We do not accept cards without the cardholder present with their IDs to prevent any frauds. Your husband paid cash the remaining balance due from your reservation. The remaining balance was at $25 + tax per person for the fuel and service fees, and was advertised upon booking on Viator.com ($29 paid online and $25+tax paid at check-in). No refund was due after his cash payment for this balance. If you added the picture package, we hand the SD Card to the participants with all the pictures on it, or we directly transfer to their phone as soon as the activity ends.

Horrible experience

Chyrae_C, Jul 2021

This place is unprofessional. It almost ruined my vacation in Miami. They were rude and sarcastic, they have you stand in a long line just to tell you you have to fill out a waiver in another long line this place had me speechless.

Response from Host, Jul 2021

We are sorry to see that you had a bad experience at check-in. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of people we are trying to accommodate, especially during weekends, waiting times or delays might occur. Our team is doing its best to reduce them as much as possible and offer the best service from check-in to check-out.

Terrible experience and poor customer service.

Michael_E, Jul 2021

The ride was cancelled two days in a row due to weather. When I requested a refund I got no response, despite repeated requests.

Response from Host, Jul 2021

We are sorry this happened. Please send an email to info@miamiwatersports.com regarding your activity information. We have been experiencing some unfortunate weather this past week and we understand your situation. We will look into the matter and reply accordingly.

Workers were horrible and very disrespectful

Etienne_j, Jun 2021

Annabelle the young lady in charge was terrible, the way she spoke to me and the way she went about out reservations. We never got to get on the banana boat because she put our name last on the list. Never again will I ever be anywhere near this young lady

Response from Host, Jun 2021

Sorry you didn't have the experience you planned. We do our best to provide the best experiences for all of our customers. Here at miami water sports we have reservation and walk ins. Walk ins are first come first serve. Sometimes we have a long wait and we inform all of our customers when the next available time is for their activity. If someone missed their appointment time or did not answer the phone we ask the next available group to move up and then we move that group to the next available time. Anyone that was not able to do their activity is giving a voucher to come back at another time/ later date. Please feel free to reach out to us to solve any unresolved issues.

Water tubing doesn’t exist anymore. It’s a banana boat instead

Adaora_O, May 2021

When I first purchased this voucher it was for water tubing but when I got there they informed us that they don’t do water tubing anymore they are doing banana boat. I just wish they would have advertised the banana boat instead so the public would know what they are purchasing. Overall the experience was nice to. Our tour guide was the bomb. I forgot him name.

Response from Host, Jun 2021

The banana boat is part of our tubing package. We are always looking to improve our activities and adding the banana boat is apart of our upgrades. Glad you enjoyed the experience and looking forward to having you back.

Fun as hell

Damien_y, Apr 2021

All of it! The captain, the other guests! Al of it was amazing! Definitely wished I would combined this and the jetski.

Buyer beware!!

Alexandria_R, Mar 2021

Do not book through this company!! The ticket price is $25 but they don’t make it 100% known that there’s hidden fees when you arrive. $15/person fuel fee + tax. The issue isn’t the money, it’s the fact that they hide these fees from you which comes off like a scam. And all sales are final so even though we canceled due to feeling lied to, you cannot get your money back. I’m filing a complaint with the BBB about how unprofessional this company is.

Third party doesn’t include gas and tax fee!

AhmadMuaz_M, Mar 2021

If you’re like me, just know that they charge gas and tax fee so the tubing costs go up to $55 per person! It was really fun, but was a little bummed by the additional cost. Bring towel! and they take photos of you for an additional $40.

Loved it

Keionna_T, Feb 2021

Loved it. The driver was amazing and friendly. He allowed us to choose our speeds by using hand signals. He even went slow for the people that were scared of water activities. We went as fast as possible and no one flipped off

So fun

Caitlyn_W, Jan 2021

The captain went really fast and knows how to get the adrenaline pumping, she told us to give a thumbs down if she went too fast but my brother and I absolutely loved it

Girl overboard lol

Angela_B, Dec 2020

Our driver was very friendly and accommodating! When my 17 year old daughter fell off the tube he was very Alert and attentive. We all laughed so hard that she was the one to fall off. And she wanted to go again. I will definitely recommend water sports

poor customer service

Alisha_B, Sep 2020

This place is terrible. Customer service is not a priority here. The workers have the better customer service until they managers come around. The lady manager does not know how to talk to ppl and she argues with everybody.

Response from Host, Sep 2020

Please send us more details about this so we can assist you better infor@miamiwatersports.com

Scary but fun

Lateisha_H, Aug 2020

Staff was great. I had so much fun I thought I was going to fall off. This you only have to pay gas and I think it was only 20. I went on a windy day so the waves made it better is what the driver stated

Will never use the company again

Shaniquah_H, Aug 2020

A waste of money. The tubing price was $61 and then they charge you $97 for gas for only about 10 minutes of tubing. I have rented jet skis for cheaper than this.

Response from Host, Sep 2020

Our company Price matches any other places in Miami so we actually guarantee that we have the lowest prices. All additional fees are mentioned prior to booking.