What to bring on a BVI boat tour

People arrive with far too much. One small soft bag for the group is usually plenty, because most of what you would think to pack is already on the boat.

Bring these four

Swimwear, sunscreen, a towel and some cash. That is the honest list.

Sunscreen matters more than you expect. You are out for most of the day with the sun coming off the water as well as down onto it, and a breeze hides it until you are back ashore. Put it on before you leave and take enough to put it on again.

Cash covers lunch ashore, drinks at the bars and gratuity for the captain. Gratuity is at your discretion and 15 to 20% in cash is customary.

Worth bringing

A hat and sunglasses. A cover-up or a t-shirt that dries fast, which is more comfortable at a beach bar than wet swimwear. A dry bag or a waterproof phone case if you want photos in the water, and there will be water: at the Soggy Dollar on White Bay you swim or wade ashore, and getting into The Baths means about 100 yards each way from the boat.

Something on your feet you do not mind soaking. Sandals or water shoes with a bit of grip are the useful kind, particularly if The Baths is on your route, because that stop is rock and sand rather than a path.

If you burn easily, a rash vest is better than reapplying sunscreen every time you get out.

Already on the boat, so leave it at home

Masks, snorkels and fins for everyone, float noodles, and life jackets and safety gear. There is no hire charge and nothing to collect on the way.

An iced cooler with 12 waters, 12 sodas, 12 beers, 6 Truly and a Painkiller each. Shade and seating for up to 12 guests, and a six-speaker Bluetooth stereo, so bring your playlist rather than a speaker.

Your licensed, fully insured captain, the fuel on every fixed tour and all cruising permits are in the price of the day.

Things that are not included

Lunch ashore. We stop where the good food is, such as Pirates Bight on Norman Island, Saba Rock or the Bitter End in North Sound, or Foxy’s on Jost Van Dyke, and you pay your own.

Gratuity, as above. Fuel on custom tours, which we quote with your route. Pickup surcharges if you want collecting from Jost Van Dyke, Scrub Island or Virgin Gorda.

Paperwork

None on the day. Every guest signs our snorkelling and boat passenger waiver and it comes with your booking confirmation, so there is nothing to print.

One thing to tell us early rather than late: your final numbers. We buy cruising permits from customs for the exact number of guests booked, so extra guests need 48 hours notice.

Leave behind

Glass, if you can help it. A second bag. Anything you would be upset to see get wet, because on a boat it will.

Pick your day

All of it works the same way on every one of our private tours, half day or full day, from West End, Tortola. Send us your date and your group size and we will tell you which one fits.