Planning A Water Tour Trip: A Quick How-To Guide

Are you the kind of traveler who loves going out on the water? Maybe all you do is look around for beach trip opportunities, so you can dip your toes in, lounge on the sand, and hire a jet ski to zip all over? 

If that sounds like you, then you’re probably very much into the idea of planning a water tour trip all for yourself. And it’s a great idea – there’s a lot to see and do along the coastlines of the world. 

But when it comes to planning a water tour, there’s a few things you need to make sure of. Especially if you’re not planning to book a spot on an established tour, go on a cruise, or hire any kind of guide to help take you around. 

Because water tours are fun, and keep you in touch with nature, for sure! But they can also be expensive and dangerous if you get something wrong. 

As such, here’s a quick how-to guide for spending your next vacation going from watery lagoon to picturesque river and back again. 

Where Do You Want to Sail?

Do you want to stay regional, and take a trip round local rivers or lakes? Or would you rather head abroad and go island hopping, or cruise down a famous coastline? 

Wherever it is you really want to see by water, make sure you lock down the idea ASAP. 

If you don’t, you might end up planning a super long, incredibly energetic boating trip that takes you halfway across the Atlantic. 

And trust us, that’s not a sustainable vacation idea for anyone new to sailing!

How Do You Want to Sail?

Then we get to the actual craft you’re planning to take on your adventure. How do you want to get from A to B? 

In a canal boat, where you can gently motor your way down thin stretches of water, all the while sipping coffee as it meanders down the stream? 

Or maybe in a luxury yacht that you can hire from WAJER Yachts, and have a full week to use the sunny deck, fully kitted-out kitchen, and comfortable beds? 

The way you want to sail will inform where you’re going to be able to go, as well as what kind of budget you’re going to need for the entire trip.

Safety Considerations

Once those two choices are out of the way, you’re going to have some safety considerations you’ll have to double check. 

And make sure you’re confident about the choices you make here. There’s no going back once you’re actually on the water and realize what you’ve gotten yourself into!

Skill level

Do you have any kind of skill in sailing, steering a boat, or simply being out on water for an extended period of time? If not, now’s the time to check in with someone who can show you the ropes (quite literally). 

You might want to plan a few mini excursions with experienced captains, who can show you what it’s like to be in charge of a vessel, and also show you how to man a boat for a few hours. 

But still, don’t expect to be an expert after a few trips like these! You’re simply trying to get a feel for the experience, as well as gauge how ready you are for the journey.

First aid

First aid is a crucial skill on board a ship. If someone needs medical assistance, you’re unlikely to have an ambulance there in 20 minutes! 

So you’re going to need to brush up on your first aid as well, as you’ll need to be able to keep someone safe enough to get back to shore first. 

It’s a massive responsibility to undertake, however, so make sure you’re ready to take on this kind of role. 

Remember, if someone starts bleeding, or they get knocked unconscious, you could be in a genuinely dangerous situation. 

Emergency access

Speaking of ambulances, you’re also going to need to keep one eye on where you are at all times. 

Not only so you can navigate properly, but also so you can get back to the shore in as short a time as possible if you need to get external aid. 

Budget Considerations

On top of your safety considerations, there’s a few budget issues to go over as well. Here are the important ones to think about while you can, before they end up costing you the earth!

Trip length

If you’re going out to sea, or any kind of open water, you don’t want to go out there for too long. 

Ocean faring requires a more robust, heavy power vehicle, and those tend to be a lot more expensive to hire. 

Try to keep it to a week maximum, unless you can find a deal on boat hire that’s exactly right for your needs.

Staying stocked up

You can’t just nip out to a supermarket to grab another bag of groceries! You’re going to need to make regular stops to stock up on food, drink, and toiletries. 

Not only will these trips be a bit costly in themselves, as you might need to travel quite far from where you’ve docked to where the store is. 

But also, having to dock frequently will add a lot of time to your trip. That could push it over budget by simply needing you to take an extra day on the water.

Plan the Water Tour of Your Dreams

So, you’d love to take yourself and your friends around the best blue, crystal clear waters of the world. Let’s make sure you’re doing so with the right preparation behind you!

From making sure you keep your trip contained enough to be doable, to safety considerations like having the right kind of life jacket on board, there’s quite a few things to think about here. 

Plus, you’re always going to need a bit more food and water whilst you’re on the waves – trust us on that one!