Sea Thunder or Sea Screamer

I%26#39;ve found two very similar ocean sightseeing cruise speedboats and wondered which was better? The both cost the same $20 for adults and $15 for 12 and under.

They are the Sea Screamer

http://www.seascreamer.com/myrtle-beach.htm

and

Sea Thunder

http://www.seathunder.com/

Any opinions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Ron

Saxonburg, PA

Sea Thunder or Sea Screamer

Either one is fine because they%26#39;re both the same. We went on the Sea Screamer and the Sea Thunder was right behind us. It looked like the same boat. It%26#39;s worth the money and they give you a nice 2 hour ride. Here%26#39;s how it goes...

The boat holds over 100 people, probabaly more like 150. All seats are good seats because anything you don%26#39;t see on the way out you%26#39;ll see on the way back. The seats in the front of the boat will stay dry. The folks in the back of the boat WILL get wet. Soaked! Also, wear your sunscreen.

The cruise starts by heading out to sea on the intercoastal waterway. The captain offers a few historical tidbits along the way, but not much. (Did you know that the intercoastal waterway is man-made and runs from Florida to New Jersey!) The most interesting sight is the area where the waterway meets the ocean. Here you%26#39;ll see many folks in small boats that have parked on a sandbar/penninsula and are enjoy utterly unspoiled beach terrain, fishing, etc. On my next trip to MB I%26#39;m definitely going to rent a boat and check out this area. The Sea Screamer cost us $80 for four, renting a boat shouldn%26#39;t be too much more.

Then you scream out to sea! Well, not exactly screaming, just a nice quick cruise. The boat is powerful, but I was very disappointed to learn just how fast this boat is NOT. It could have gone faster but the sea had 3%26#39; to 4%26#39; waves that day. After a couple of minutes the Sea Screamer slows way down so it can tailgate some shrimp trawlers. This is where the dolphins are seen, following the shrimp boats. The dolphins don%26#39;t play with you, they%26#39;re only there to get some fishing scraps. If you blink you might miss%26#39;em.

After that you%26#39;ll cruise south for quite a while as fast as the boat can take you. (Our captain said we cruised at 26 knots.) This is the part of the trip that gets everyone SOAKED. Bring a change of clothes! Then the boat turns around and brings you back to port via the same route.

Be sure to arrive at least one hour early to get tickets. I got there 50 minutes early and was lucky to get the last four tickets! After you have your tickets try to get on line right away to snag the desirable front seats. The boat does have restrooms below deck and drinks for sale.

Sea Thunder or Sea Screamer

Thanks ChubbyTraveler.

Where is the best place to sit to see the dolphins?

My family went on the Whirlpool Jetboats in Niagara Falls last year and I was wondering if this boat is anything like that?

A few years back we were in Myrtle Beach and went on a sight seeing cruise along the coast. The problem was that the boat (docked in Murrells Inlet) was used as a fishing boat before we got on so the boat reaked of bleach and fish for the entire trip. It was awful. In fact we got our money back afterwards. The Sea Screamer or Thunder aren%26#39;t like that are they?

Finally are there any discount coupons for either boat anywhere?

Thanks again for your help.

Ron

Saxonburg, PA

chubbytravler...

you gave a great description...I felt like I%26#39;ve gon for a ride! It is alot of fun and I agree that both boths are very similar. Probably the biggest difference is where they leave dock from. The Sea Screamer is out of Little River, approx 20 miles north of MB and the Sea Thunder docks out of Calabash, NC...just across the state line, maybe 10 miles north of Little River. With that being said, you will cover a different piece of the ICW on your way out....I really like the area of the ICW just outside of Calabash...but you do pass Bird Island (the little area where all the boats where parked) on either voyage. Bird Island is a great little area, and is just about only accessable by boat...you could either rent a boat or a jet ski and head up that way for the day...its a real popular hangout for the 4th of July...a number of folks will camp out on the island and cook out...great view point for all the firework up and down the beach. You should check it out! www.myrtlebeachwatersports.com is a great site for boat/jet ski rentals.

And like you said...the speeds of the boats can be greatly determined by what the seas are doing....not alot of fun hitting 3-4 foot waves going much over 25 knots! Ouch! And not safe either!

Glad you had a great time....it really gives you a different viewpoint of our area, thats for sure!

Oh, even tho%26#39; quite a bit of the ICW is man-made (i.e. the pine island cut) it does incorporate a number of natural rivers...just south of MB the Waccamaw River is part of the ICW for example....

:)

:)