If this coast has a signature boat day, this is it: rent a pontoon, load the cooler, and idle out to the islands of Perdido Pass — Robinson Island and Bird Island, the city-owned sand islands just inside the pass where, on any summer Saturday, the boats raft up in shallow, clear water and the whole place becomes a floating beach day. Pontoons are the vehicle of choice because they're basically a patio that moves: flat deck, couch seating, a shade canopy, and slow enough that nobody needs to be a sailor. Our guide to <a href="/guides/robinson-bird-islands-with-kids">Robinson & Bird Islands with kids</a> covers the destination itself.
Here's what first-timers get wrong, what a rental day actually looks like, and the local docks we'd rent from ourselves.
Robinson Island (bought by the City of Orange Beach in 2003) and Bird Island sit just north of the Perdido Pass bridge, a few minutes from most rental docks. Unlike a sandbar, they have real sand to beach on — but no docks, no restrooms, no shade but your boat's canopy, and no facilities of any kind, so the pontoon is home base: everything you need comes with you. Two city rules run the place: alcohol and pets are prohibited on Robinson and Bird Islands themselves (they're allowed on your boat), and roped-off areas protect nesting birds — Bird Island is a genuine bird sanctuary, with herons, egrets, and terns nesting in season. Give the ropes a wide berth.
Get there early on summer weekends — the good sand fills by late morning — and respect the pass itself: Perdido Pass has strong tidal current, heavy boat traffic, and a no-wake etiquette near the islands. Swimming across to the islands is a bad idea for the same reasons. Rental pontoons stay in the protected bays, coves, and islands; they are not permitted through the pass into the Gulf. Boggy Point and Cotton Bayou are the public launches nearest the islands if you ever bring your own boat.
Rentals come in two standard blocks: a half day (about 4 hours) and a full day (about 8). A half day is plenty for the islands themselves — they're minutes from the Orange Beach docks — with time to cruise Terry Cove and around Ono Island on the way back. A full day earns its money when you want to range further: up the Intracoastal toward The Wharf, into Wolf Bay, or west toward Fort Morgan. With young kids, most families find four hours is the happy limit anyway.
Typical local prices (ballparks as of late 2026, always confirm at booking): a standard pontoon or tritoon runs roughly $250–$450 for a half day and $400–$600 for a full day in season, with double-deckers with slides at the top of the range. Life jackets and a dockside orientation are included everywhere; fuel terms vary — some docks include it, others bill by the gauge — so ask. Float mats, paddleboards, and cooler packages are common add-ons. Summer weekends sell out, so reserve ahead, and ask about the weather policy before you pay.
You captain it yourself, and it's genuinely easy — Alabama's hoop is a boating license: operators generally need an Alabama boater certification (the vessel license), and rental docks will walk non-residents through the state's non-resident options and their own age and ID requirements at booking — ask when you reserve rather than at the dock. The person signing must be an adult with a photo ID and a credit card, and arriving 30 minutes early for paperwork and the safety briefing is the local norm.
Capacity is set by the boat's Coast Guard plate, and it's a hard cap: most rental pontoons here carry up to 12, and every passenger counts, babies and toddlers included. Count heads honestly when you pick a boat — a 19-footer feels very different from a 24-foot tritoon or a 30-foot double-decker. Some double-deckers and larger boats come with a captain instead; if your group would rather nobody drives, say so in the form below and see our <a href="/sailing-charters/">captained charters</a> page too.
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The big-fleet option: pontoons from 19 feet up to 30-foot double-deckers, all kept in the water and ready to launch from the oldest marina in Orange Beach, with jet skis on the same dock if the group wants both. Hudson's location on Wilson Boulevard puts the Perdido Pass islands a short run east. Call the dedicated rentals line — it's separate from the marina's main number.
The hospitality outlier: renters consistently describe boats that arrive stocked — a cooler with ice, water, and snacks, a float mat, beach towels, even a phone charger — with the owner walking you through a map of where to go before you leave the dock. Based on the quiet back-bay side off Canal Road. If it's your first time captaining and you want the day made easy, start here.
The upgrade pick: 24-foot luxury pontoons with Bimini tops, Bluetooth stereos, and boarding ladders, plus smaller premium pontoons and floating mats, aimed squarely at island-hopping days in the Perdido Pass islands. Delivery and shuttle options make it workable if your condo or house isn't near a dock. Pricier than the marina fleets — the boats and the service are the reason.
Based at Bear Point on the east end — the closest rental dock to the dolphin grounds and a straight run south to the islands. A straightforward local rental operation sharing a marina with the Cold Mil dolphin fleet, which makes a same-day combo (morning cruise, afternoon pontoon) easy to arrange.
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