San Diego: Speed Boat Captain Tour & USS Midway Pass

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/11

Duration2h

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

You Drive the Boat Through San Diego Harbor—Here's What You Actually See

You captain your own speedboat on a narrated tour of San Diego Bay, following a guide in a separate boat connected by two-way radio. You'll pass the USS Midway (and drive underneath it), see sea lions at Point Loma, cruise past Coronado Naval Base and the Maritime Museum, and loop around Cabrillo National Monument and Coronado Bridge. The tour includes a safety briefing, life jacket, and all fees. No boating experience or license needed.

Step-by-step itinerary

San Diego Harbor speedboat tour

Captain your own speedboat
Follow expert guide with narration
Pass Point Loma bait barge
See sea lions playing
View Coronado Naval Base and Island
Drive under USS Midway bow
Hear live narration at Maritime Museum
See Downtown San Diego from water
Pass Coronado Bridge
Pass Cabrillo National Monument
See oldest active sailing ship

The Experience

The safety briefing takes longer than you'd expect. You're standing on the dock in a Coast Guard-approved life jacket that doesn't quite fit right, listening to the guide explain throttle control and how to keep the boat level when you turn. It's not glamorous. But then you're in the F13 speedboat, hands on the wheel, and the guide in the boat ahead radios through: "Follow me, and watch the water." That's when it clicks—you're not just riding along San Diego Bay; you're piloting it.

The route moves fast. You head toward Point Loma first, where the San Diego Bait Barge sits in the water and sea lions actually show up—they're loud and chaotic and closer than you thought they'd be. Then you swing past Coronado Naval Base and Coronado Island from the water, which looks completely different from the shore. The guide's voice comes through the two-way radio with facts about the harbor's history, the ships, the landmarks. You're not just hearing it; you're seeing it from the angle nobody else gets. When you pass underneath the USS Midway's bow—actually drive under it—the scale of the ship hits different when you're in a small boat looking up.

The Maritime Museum ships come next, each one narrated as you approach. The oldest actively sailing ship in the world is there, and the guide tells you which one it is. Coronado Bridge slides into view, and then you loop past Cabrillo National Monument before heading back. The whole thing takes the time it takes; there's no rushing it, and there's no sitting still either. You're steering the whole way, which means you're engaged the whole way. No boating license required, and the guide stays in constant contact, so you're not actually alone out there—you're just the one holding the wheel.

What’s included

Your own F13 mini speedboat, guided and narrated tour with two-way radio communication to the guide's boat, US Coast Guard-approved life jacket, safety orientation before departure, and all taxes, fees, and handling charges.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomeNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Speed Boat Adventures, Inc.

Is this one for you?Right for anyone 18+ who wants to actually steer a boat through San Diego Bay instead of just watching from a tour boat—the guide handles the narration and navigation while you handle the wheel, which is what makes the whole thing feel like your own adventure instead of a passenger experience.