Rentals
1–2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$80.00
per group
Makin Waves
Makin Waves
4.5
Waterskiing & Jetskiing • Gear Rentals
Read more
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Full view
About
Welcome to Makin Waves at Shephard's Beach Resort! We take your stay from good to GREAT with our watersport rentals. Experience jet skiing in the Gulf of Mexico on our brand new 2023 Yamaha Wave Runners. Kayak alone or with a mate, right off our beach and see our beautiful blue waters up close. Stand up Paddleboard and cruise with the dolphins up close. Beach Umbrellas, Chairs and table setups available to rent where a Shephard's Server will bring you cocktails to enjoy our world-famous sunset. We can't wait to see you at our Beach Hut! Jet Ski- $80 half hour/$120 hour + taxes/fuel Kayak-$30 hour/$75 three hours - Tandem $40 hour SUP-$30 hour/$75 three hours Beach Chair & Umbrella-$30 Daily Beach Locker-$10 or free w/ hour water rental
Clearwater, Florida
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2022
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours and Tickets by Makin Waves
Travelers talk about
(116 reviews)
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
453 reviews
Excellent
370
Very good
22
Average
12
Poor
9
Terrible
40
Tim W
3 contributions
Jun 2022
The Makin' Waves Crew (Aaron, Skyler, & Chris (Rook) ) are all very helpful, Personable, and polite.
They Rent Current Model Yamaha WaveRunner VX's that are in very good condition and Run well (as long as they have fuel, check your Fuel Gauge before leaving!) even if they are "governed" to not exceed 45MPH.
Considering the wide open ride area is in the actual Ocean, this is for your safety as the water can be very choppy and the "waves" can bounce you hard and cause you to lose your grip on the ski even at those speeds.
A Huge "Free Style" (You drive yourself and do what you want) Riding area on very quick and Reliable Jet Ski's makes for a Great Time for everyone!
They keep a "Watcher" out there with you in case you do have an issue with the Ski (like running out of fuel) but they let you do what you want as long as your in the area and not endangering anyone. They will also let you know when you are near your Time Limit (Depending on how busy they are) so that you do not incur any additional charges unintentionally.
We enjoyed it so much we went back a few days later and took advantage of the "Early Rider" Special, which can save you $10/ski on your Rental.
Good Job Guys!
They Rent Current Model Yamaha WaveRunner VX's that are in very good condition and Run well (as long as they have fuel, check your Fuel Gauge before leaving!) even if they are "governed" to not exceed 45MPH.
Considering the wide open ride area is in the actual Ocean, this is for your safety as the water can be very choppy and the "waves" can bounce you hard and cause you to lose your grip on the ski even at those speeds.
A Huge "Free Style" (You drive yourself and do what you want) Riding area on very quick and Reliable Jet Ski's makes for a Great Time for everyone!
They keep a "Watcher" out there with you in case you do have an issue with the Ski (like running out of fuel) but they let you do what you want as long as your in the area and not endangering anyone. They will also let you know when you are near your Time Limit (Depending on how busy they are) so that you do not incur any additional charges unintentionally.
We enjoyed it so much we went back a few days later and took advantage of the "Early Rider" Special, which can save you $10/ski on your Rental.
Good Job Guys!
Written June 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hello! Thank you for writing this detailed review! We are so glad that you had a great experience with several of our employees. We are thankful that you also understand our safety measures and why we put them in place. Thank you so much again for this review and coming to ride with us twice!!
Written June 6, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tourist181381
1 contribution
Apr 2021 • Family
Makin waves employees made our experience with renting wave runners a very comfortable and pleasant experience. We signed up on line and the website was user friendly and very easy to navigate. Once we arrived at sheppards hotel where makin waves was located all the employees were all very knowledgeable and very helpful in guiding us through the whole process from parking our car in valet to offering us a locker to store our stuff to guiding us on the safety of riding. Safety is very important and was stressed which made us feel very comfortable and confidant with renting the wave runners from makin waves. They went over and above to answer all our questions. We rented 3 wave runners for 6 people for an hour but 30 minutes would of been sufficient. One of our family members left their drivers license in their wave runner and one of the employees went out to find the wave runner being used by someone else after we were finished and recovered the license from them. I would highly recommend makin waves at sheppards hotel for all your rental needs. All the employees are very helpful, happy and very considerate and knowledgeable.GREAT COMPANY!
Written April 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kerry O
Yonkers, NY2 contributions
Apr 2022
We had booked a pair of jet ski rides for the Saturday of our trip. We noticed on the Friday that the jet skis weren't out on the water, so checked with the staff if they'd be going on Saturday. The staff said they'd canceled Friday's trips as the water was too rough and that they'd be able to get us out on Saturday, but the water would likely still be choppy, and offered to rebook us for Sunday when conditions looked better. We happily took the offer. We got there on time on Sunday, signed our waivers (do your boating registration online before!) and got an overview of what to expect. When I said it was my first time on a jet ski, the staffer gave me a big smile and said, "oh man, you're about to have fun!" and he was right! We had an absolute blast going out on the water and were pretty much free to go where we liked for the hour. Definitely the highlight of the trip! Highly recommended.
We also rented a golf cart for 2 hours on the Saturday to explore the area, ended up going to Another Broken Egg for breakfast (also highly recommend!). Had to sign a few waivers as well, but a straight forward process. We were able to hook up our phones to bluetooth to play music as we drove around. Nice way to see what Clearwater Beach has to offer!
We also rented a golf cart for 2 hours on the Saturday to explore the area, ended up going to Another Broken Egg for breakfast (also highly recommend!). Had to sign a few waivers as well, but a straight forward process. We were able to hook up our phones to bluetooth to play music as we drove around. Nice way to see what Clearwater Beach has to offer!
Written April 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Matthew Roberts
2 contributions
Sep 2020 • Family
Yesterday was the worst visit to the beach I’ve had since I’ve lived in Florida . This was because of the way I was treated at this establishment. I have been a regular customer for over 3 years . I drive 2 hrs and 20 minutes to Clearwater just to enjoy a 30 min sometimes 1 hr jet ski rental . Yesterday however didn’t go very well at all . I made my reservation prior to my arrival as I have always done . I have my boaters license also . I rented 3 skis one for me , my sister and a close friend of mine who I have bragged about this place to numerous times and he finally got a opportunity to check it out . Upon approaching the property he realized his boaters license had expired to which I directed him to the online site to reinstate it . We approached the valet parking who directed us to the scooter rental and told us we have to check in there now as rules have changed . We proceeded to the booth where We checked and my friend was told to take the next 30 minute to complete his boating test . We then went to the closet table to the jet ski booth to do so . As my friend was about to complete his test I approached the counter to speak to a representative to let them know the situation and that were are about ready to go skiing . I was assisted by the manager . He immediately got loud with me complaining that I failed to follow rules by showing up 30 minutes prior . I then attempted to explain the situation even pointing out the fact that I was sitting right Infront of the booth and I was even given a wristband by the front desk where the scooters were rented . He then disregarded that by saying I still didn’t come to see him with a extremely loud and aggravated tone of voice . After which he claimed that he called the front desk and nobody has spoken to me at all (calling me a liar in other words ) when I clearly had a armband which the lady at the front wrote my appointment time on . At this point I had lost all excitement to ride anymore . He then proceeded to say that it’s not fair to let people wait 1HR on my group because we want to be 30’minute late in an extremely loud , rude and aggravated tone of voice . He then told me the best he could do is 1 ski now and the other two will have to wait until 6 o clock to ride . We came as a family to ride together and best option is to split us up ? Not only that 2 people from group have to wait 3 hrs , because we were 30 minute late to the counter when in fact we were early and mis informed . He then said to me that the fact that I am repeat customer I should know the rules and there are no exceptions . At this point I was completely disgusted by the customer service and wanted my money back . He then told me he couldn’t give me a refund as he already had to refund someone else before me which got me so angry I was on top of my voice infront if other patrons . By this point my day was ruined . I will NEVER come back to this establishment . If the rude , belittling , condescending service is what is going to offered here I will never spend another dollar hear and I will call every friend I have recommend to this place to share my experience so they can avoid it as well . I wish I could give this review 0 starts to be honest
Written September 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Andreas C
Fayetteville, AR9 contributions
May 2022 • Friends
After placing a reservation 5 hours before(delayed 5 hours), upon arrival the attendant was extremely rude. He insinuated that my 3 friends and I were intoxicated(which we were not), 2 of which were people of color. He attempted to breathalyze us, which we had no problem with, however due to COVID (he only had one mouthpiece which he pulled out of his pocket) we declined. There was no one else the entire day that was asked to blow a breathalyzer. We were denied access to the rentals, and were told we would receive a full refund, yet the attendant did not even cancel our reservation, and we did not receive a refund. Our time was wasted and we felt violated by this encounter. There are other rental companies that can be used!
Written June 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hello, we apologize sincerely for this interaction that you had with our staff. We have done some digging and have figured out the employee that you had this encounter with and have addressed appropriately. This is not how we want to operate business. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Sincerely - management
Written June 12, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
EGCubs
Chicago, IL17 contributions
Sep 2022 • Couples
I'm in my upper 50s and haven't been on a bike since my late teens. My wife, a day before said we should try Jet Skiing and I told her we are too old.
The next day we went to Makin' Waves at Shepherd's to rent a JetSki. I was super nervous but Jeremy Christiansen, our guide made me feel at ease. Jeremy explained the whole jet ski to me in simple terms and answer all my questions. Jeremy took us out and gave me time to practice in open water with no boats around and watched us practice which made me feel safe. For a small fee, Jeremy took pictures and videos of our experience on a jet ski which came out awesome!! The pictures and videos were of super high quality and were sent directly to my phone (over 100 photos plus videos). My adult children were super amazed at our videos and pictures on the JetSki.
After about 20 minutes of practice, Jeremy sensed I was ready for a tour of the beautiful mansions of Clearwater Beach, but Jeremy asked me first if I was ready and I was. Jeremy always turned back to look at me the whole time to make sure I was safe while riding my jet ski. The mansion tour was jaw-dropping. My wife and I enjoyed it very much. I highly recommend Makin' Waves at Shepherd's. Overall the experience was super awesome.
The next day we went to Makin' Waves at Shepherd's to rent a JetSki. I was super nervous but Jeremy Christiansen, our guide made me feel at ease. Jeremy explained the whole jet ski to me in simple terms and answer all my questions. Jeremy took us out and gave me time to practice in open water with no boats around and watched us practice which made me feel safe. For a small fee, Jeremy took pictures and videos of our experience on a jet ski which came out awesome!! The pictures and videos were of super high quality and were sent directly to my phone (over 100 photos plus videos). My adult children were super amazed at our videos and pictures on the JetSki.
After about 20 minutes of practice, Jeremy sensed I was ready for a tour of the beautiful mansions of Clearwater Beach, but Jeremy asked me first if I was ready and I was. Jeremy always turned back to look at me the whole time to make sure I was safe while riding my jet ski. The mansion tour was jaw-dropping. My wife and I enjoyed it very much. I highly recommend Makin' Waves at Shepherd's. Overall the experience was super awesome.
Written September 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
We are so happy you decided to come out on our jet skis! Sounds like it was well worth it, and we love to hear that Jeremy took good care of you all as well. Thanks for this thorough review of your experience and come again!
Written October 3, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Valerie O
1 contribution
Jun 2021
Eric, Isaac, Wayne, and Joe did a great job and we’re very personable. They made sure we were safe on the water when it got stormy and ensured we got our complete time that we had paid for. Would certainly recommend water toy rentals, chairs, and beach items from them.
Written July 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
dhall854
The Villages, FL107 contributions
May 2022
We used this business while staying at Shepard's Beach Resort because this was where you had to rent chairs & umbrellas for use on the beach. No personal chairs or umbrellas allowed.
I also rented a Yamaha WaveRunner PWC for half an hour. If you rent this unit prior to noon they'll give a $10 discount off their $85 price. The PWC was a blast to ride and I had a lot of fun out in the bay.
Unfortunately later on, I noticed the rental facility next door was offering PWC rentals for $60 per half hour! Oh well...
I also rented a Yamaha WaveRunner PWC for half an hour. If you rent this unit prior to noon they'll give a $10 discount off their $85 price. The PWC was a blast to ride and I had a lot of fun out in the bay.
Unfortunately later on, I noticed the rental facility next door was offering PWC rentals for $60 per half hour! Oh well...
Written May 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thanks for taking the time to write this! The neighboring business adds a gas tax, fees, etc etc on top of that $60 advertisement. Makin Waves is one of the cheapest jet ski rental businesses on the beach and we are completely transparent with our upfront cost. Trust that you got the better deal and we are so happy that you had a good experience overall with us! Take care.
Written May 24, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lestad8789Clew
1 contribution
Jun 2020
Worst Jet ski rental ever!!! We were told to make a booking online thru their website and we did. We setup the "appointment" for 2:30pm and were there 1/2 before as required. At 2:30pm there was no Jetski, a Jetski arrived at 4pm but there were 4 people in line before us! ¿Why set a time just to make you wait?
At 3:40pm our jetski arrived and we departed 2 about a mile in our jetski started malfunctioning and had to go all way back at 3 miles per hour took us 20 to return, they saw that the jetski was bad and gave us another one that had just arrived but refused to give us the hour we paid for. The Jetski won't go over 30-35 miles and they have sensor and GPS so' they keep locking and 5 miles per hour when other Jetskis are close is annoying as FU(k!!!
When we got back the guy in the water literally push us yelling out of the Jetski to get other people on it before we even turned off. Went back to the service shack to get back my credit card and had to wait another 25 minutes because they were busy with other customers!!!!
Service 0/10
Jetski 0/10
Staff. 0/10. (RUDE)
Appointment 0/10 (1.5hrs wait for jetskit & 25min for CC)
At 3:40pm our jetski arrived and we departed 2 about a mile in our jetski started malfunctioning and had to go all way back at 3 miles per hour took us 20 to return, they saw that the jetski was bad and gave us another one that had just arrived but refused to give us the hour we paid for. The Jetski won't go over 30-35 miles and they have sensor and GPS so' they keep locking and 5 miles per hour when other Jetskis are close is annoying as FU(k!!!
When we got back the guy in the water literally push us yelling out of the Jetski to get other people on it before we even turned off. Went back to the service shack to get back my credit card and had to wait another 25 minutes because they were busy with other customers!!!!
Service 0/10
Jetski 0/10
Staff. 0/10. (RUDE)
Appointment 0/10 (1.5hrs wait for jetskit & 25min for CC)
Written June 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
r0dneyb1981
1 contribution
Jul 2022 • Family
Awesome experience!..The young gentleman running the booth were very helpful & professional. They did a great job of being attentive while also hanging back and allowing my niece and myself enough space to ride freely on our own.
Written July 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hey Rodney! We are glad you had a professional and fun experience with us! Thanks for the great review!!
Written July 21, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Barbie D
Wayne, MI22 contributions
We are looking to rent one of your golf carts for a ride around the area in December. Are we allowed to ride the carts down the sidewalk along the causeway bridge? Do you drive them in the main road? Where do you recommend going? Do you have tour suggestions?
do they have lockers? if so how big?
Makin Waves
Clearwater, FL66 contributions
yes we do free with ski rental school size any larger we can keep behind counter