Frequently Asked Questions

Planning a jet ski adventure on Magnetic Island? Here you'll find everything you need to know before joining one of our guided jet ski tours or supervised jet ski hires in Horseshoe Bay.

General and Safety

  • No. You don't need a jet ski licence or any previous experience to join our tours or hires.

    Before heading out, we'll take you through a comprehensive safety briefing, show you how to operate the jet ski and make sure you're comfortable and confident before you get underway.

  • The minimum age to ride as a passenger with an adult aged 18+ is 6 years old.

    For our longer Full Island Tour, we recommend children are 8 years or older due to the duration of the tour and changing water conditions.

  • Yes. Riders aged 16–17 can operate their own jet ski, but they cannot carry another underage passenger (including another 16 or 17-year-old).

    For hires, a parent or guardian must be present to complete the hire agreement.

    For tours, a parent or guardian must also be booked on the tour, either on the same jet ski or separate.

  • Our maximum rider weights are:

    • Single rider: 120 kg maximum

    • Two riders: 160 kg maximum combined

    These limits are important for the stability of the jet ski and your ability to safely remount from the water if required.

  • Yes. All participants must be competent and confident swimmers.

    This is an important safety requirement for both our guided tours and supervised hires, as you need to be capable of swimming and safely remounting the jet ski from the water.

  • Yes. All riders need a clear understanding of English and must be able to understand the safety briefing, follow instructions and communicate effectively with our team.

    If we're unable to communicate clearly enough to safely complete the activity, unfortunately you won't be able to participate.

  • For safety reasons, you cannot participate while pregnant or under the influence of alcohol or drugs. All riders and passengers must have a 0.00 BAC.

    Please let us know about any medical or physical condition that could affect your ability to safely participate, including back, neck or eye conditions. If you're unsure whether a condition may affect your participation, please contact us before booking.

  • Each jet ski booked requires the follow (for example 3 jet skis need 3 photo IDs and matching cards)

    Photo ID
    Bring one form of valid photo identification, such as a driver’s licence, 18+ card or passport. Your guide will check this during the pre-tour briefing.

    Credit Card
    A credit card matching the ID is required for registration. No deposit is withheld, charges only apply in the unlikely event of an incident.

    Clothing
    Wear something comfortable for check-in. We’ll fit you with a thermal rashie.

    Sunglasses & Hats
    We provide tinted goggles for sun and splash protection. You’re welcome to bring a bucket or fishing hat with a secure strap (excludes straw hats, which can’t be worn on tour).

    Phones & Cameras
    You’re welcome to bring your phone or small camera on the ski. Your guide will show you the safest storage options during the briefing.

    Sunscreen & Towel
    Bring a towel for after your tour. If you didn’t pre-order sunscreen, feel free to bring your own, we include time to apply it once you’re suited up.

    Water Bottle
    Bring a small reusable water bottle. Each jet ski glove box fits one bottle up to around 600 mL, and your guide will point out the safest way to store it.

  • We provide all required safety equipment, including life jackets.

    For our guided tours, we also provide thermal rashies, goggles, dry bags and seasonal stinger protection when required.

    • We're located on the beachfront in Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island, beside the boat ramp.

      If you're arriving by bus, we're around a 1-minute walk from the Horseshoe Bay bus stop. Look for our blue banner underneath the palm trees.

    • Get directions here.

Getting Here

    • We're located on the beachfront in Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island, beside the boat ramp.

      If you're arriving by bus, we're around a 1-minute walk from the Horseshoe Bay bus stop. Look for our blue banner underneath the palm trees.

    • Get directions here.

  • The easiest option for most visitors is to catch the SeaLink passenger ferry from Townsville to Nelly Bay, then take the public bus to Horseshoe Bay. Do not confuse Sealink with Magnetic Island Ferries.

    The ferry crossing takes approximately 20 minutes, and buses connect with SeaLink ferry arrivals at the Nelly Bay Ferry Terminal.

    Once you arrive in Horseshoe Bay, we're approximately a 1-minute walk from the bus stop.

  • Magnetic Island has two bus services departing from Nelly Bay — one towards Picnic Bay and one towards Horseshoe Bay. Make sure you catch the Horseshoe Bay bus.

    The bus drops you on the beachfront in Horseshoe Bay, around a 1-minute walk from our office. Public transport on Magnetic Island is operated by Kinetic, with fares currently $1 for all-day travel.

  • Coming from Townsville?
    For our 8:30 AM tours, we recommend catching the 7:00 AM SeaLink passenger ferry from Townsville. SeaLink is the passenger ferry service and is different from Magnetic Island Ferries.

    Connecting Bus
    When you arrive at the Nelly Bay Ferry Terminal, the connecting bus leaves at 7:40 AM and arrives in Horseshoe Bay at approximately 7:52 AM. This gives you plenty of time to grab a coffee, take a walk along the beach and make your way to our office before your tour.

    We Don't Recommend the 8:20 AM Bus
    We ask you to arrive at our office at around 8:20 AM, ready for your 8:30 AM briefing. The later bus, which connects with the 7:45 AM ferry, doesn't arrive in Horseshoe Bay until after this time, making it too late for our morning tour.

    Bus Timetable
    You can view the full Magnetic Island bus timetable here.

    Prefer a Taxi?
    Taxis are also available on Magnetic Island. If you'd prefer to pre-book your transport to Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island Maxis is another option.

  • Yes. Magnetic Island Ferries operates the vehicle ferry between Townsville and Nelly Bay, so you can bring your own vehicle across to the island.

    If you're visiting without a vehicle, the SeaLink passenger ferry and connecting public bus are an easy way to reach us in Horseshoe Bay.

  • Yes. There is free public parking around Horseshoe Bay within easy walking distance of our beachfront office.

Bookings & Weather

  • Yes. We operate 7 days a week, weather and conditions permitting.

    As a small family-run business, there are occasionally days we need to close for appointments or family commitments. Our online booking calendar always shows our current availability, so it's the best place to check what's available for your dates.

  • Please arrive around 10 minutes before your booking time so we can get everyone checked in and ready for the safety briefing.

    If you're travelling from Townsville or relying on public transport, we recommend allowing plenty of extra time.

  • Weather and sea conditions around Magnetic Island can vary depending on wind direction, so we assess conditions carefully before every tour and hire.

    If conditions aren't suitable for your booked experience, we'll contact you to discuss the available options. This may mean changing the route, moving to a different tour, rescheduling or cancelling if we can't operate safely.

  • Our tour routes are always subject to weather and sea conditions.

    If conditions prevent us from travelling in the planned direction, we may change the route or offer an alternative tour. Where you move to a shorter, lower-priced tour, we'll refund the difference.

  • Full Island Tour Conditions
    The Full Island Guided Jet Ski Tour is our most weather-dependent tour. If your preferred day isn’t available on our calendar, please call us on 4758 1100 or email us and we’ll talk you through your options.

    Tour Adjustments
    On rare occasions, weather, sea conditions or minimum numbers may prevent us from completing the full island lap. If this occurs, we’ll switch to our Top End Tour and refund the price difference. Your guide will keep you updated every step of the way.

  • Our Five Beach Bay and Top End Tours have no minimum numbers.

    The Full Island Tour requires a minimum of 2 customer jet skis to operate.

    If minimum numbers aren't reached, we'll contact you to discuss your options.

  • We recommend booking ahead, particularly during weekends, school holidays and peak periods.

    We intentionally keep our groups small and have a limited number of jet skis.

  • Possibly. Our online bookings close before each session, but that doesn't necessarily mean we're fully booked.

    For same-day availability, give us a call or come and see us at our Horseshoe Bay office.

  • Please allow plenty of time to arrive before your scheduled booking. Our safety briefings and tours operate to set departure times, and we can't delay the rest of the group for late arrivals.

    Late arrivals and missed bookings are non-refundable and cannot be rescheduled, as your jet ski has been reserved specifically for you.

    If you're travelling from Townsville, please allow plenty of time for your ferry and bus connection and check our Getting Here information before travelling.

  • Bookings cancelled or changed with at least 24 hours' notice can be managed in accordance with our booking terms.

    Cancellations, changes or missed bookings within 24 hours of your scheduled booking are non-refundable, as your jet ski and places have been reserved specifically for you and we may be unable to resell them.

    If we need to cancel due to weather or operational conditions, we'll contact you to discuss refunds, rescheduling or a voucher for your next visit.

Need more convincing? Come find the fun on Instagram.

You didn’t ask, but just so you know… this little corner of Balding Bay is my favourite place on Earth 🌏🩵 #thisismagneticisland #magneticisland #townsville #townsvillenorthqueensland #queensland
That’s a wrap on August! And today was exactly why you should choose locally owned when you visit @thisismagneticisland ☀️ On any given day, with any wind forecast, we know where the calmest water is and where you’re going to have the be
Today’s tour was unreal, but the highlight wasn’t the conditions or the scenery. At our last stop in Maud Bay, we spotted a green sea turtle on the beach. At first we thought she might just be sunbaking, but it quickly became clear somet