The rules for renting a boat from us, online or at the tent, and for using our website. Please read them before you book.
The short version
Prices are per boat, for 1, 2 or 3 hours. Online, you pay when you book.
Plans changed? Move your booking for free. Bookings aren’t refunded when your plans change.
If we cancel, for example because the sea isn’t safe, you choose: a new time or a full refund.
Everyone gets a life vest. Stay within 300 m of the coast and go no further than Prainha beach.
Our team has the final say on safety.
1. Who we are
Aquaholic rents kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and pedal boats at Praia do Vau, in Portimão. It’s run by Fernando Carlos Ildefonso Duarte, a licensed maritime-tourism operator registered with Turismo de Portugal (RNAAT nº 196/2010).
Address: Casa Janelas Verdes S/N, Alfanzina, 8400-550 Lagoa, Portugal
These terms apply to every rental, whether you book online or rent at the tent, and to the use of this website. Our cancellation & refund policy and our weather policy are part of these terms. How we handle personal data is explained in our privacy policy.
By booking or renting, you accept these terms. Nothing in them takes away your rights as a consumer under Portuguese and EU law.
We may update these terms from time to time. The version on this page when you booked is the one that applies to your booking.
3. Booking
You can book online up to 7 days ahead and at least 1 hour before your start time. Start times are every 30 minutes, and every online booking is for 1, 2 or 3 hours.
One booking can include several boats. Each boat has a maximum number of people, shown on our Fleet & Prices page.
Your booking is confirmed once your payment goes through and we’ve emailed you a confirmation. Please check the details, and tell us straight away if something is wrong.
Online bookings must be made by someone aged 18 or over, who is responsible for everyone in the booking.
You don’t have to book: you can also come to the tent and rent any boat that’s free. At the tent, you can choose a set time or simply pay when you come back, but on busy days, or if your boat is booked later, we may ask you to choose a set time first.
4. Prices and payment
Prices are per boat, not per person, and depend on how long you rent. They’re shown in euros and include any taxes that apply. There are no booking fees.
Online, you pay in full when you book: by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, MB WAY, PayPal or the other methods shown at checkout. Online payments are processed by Stripe and PayPal.
At the tent, you can pay in cash or by card.
Coming back 5 to 10 minutes late is fine. If you stay out longer than you paid for, you pay for the extra time when you get back.
Our prices may change, but never for a booking you’ve already paid for.
Moving your booking to another time is free, if a boat is free then. You can do it online in My bookings up to 12 hours before your start time; after that, message us. The boat and rental length stay the same.
If your plans change, bookings aren’t refunded, but you can move yours instead.
If you don’t come and don’t tell us before your start time, there’s no refund.
If you’re running late, you keep your full time if nobody has booked your boat afterwards. Otherwise your rental ends at the booked time, or you can move to a later time if a boat is free.
If we cancel (for example because the sea isn’t safe, a type of boat is paused, a boat is damaged and we have no spare, or the maritime authorities don’t allow boats out), you choose: a new time or a full refund, with no fees deducted.
The EU’s 14-day right of withdrawal doesn’t apply to leisure services booked for a specific date (EU Directive 2011/83/EU, article 16(l)).
6. Weather and sea conditions
We follow the forecast up to 7 days ahead and watch the conditions all day. Our team decides whether it’s safe to go out, and that decision is final. If the wind picks up while you’re out, our support boat will help you to an area that’s always sheltered from the wind. Time you don’t use in that case isn’t refunded. The details are in our weather policy.
7. Safety on the water
Check in at the tent a few minutes before your start time. If it’s your first time, we’ll give you a quick paddling lesson and safety talk.
Everyone on board is given a life vest. We strongly recommend wearing it the whole time. If you take it off, you do so at your own risk.
Stay within 300 m of the coast and go no further than Prainha beach. Want to go further? Ask us at the tent first.
Children can go out on their own if they’re strong enough to paddle or pedal by themselves. They must stay within sight of the tent and no more than 300 m from the shore (our yellow buoys mark that distance). On the day, our team decides whether conditions are right for them to go alone. Parents and guardians are responsible for their children at all times.
Please follow our team’s instructions, on the beach and on the water.
Everyone on board should be able to swim, or keep their life vest on the whole time.
No alcohol or drugs before or during your rental.
We may refuse or end a rental if someone isn’t fit to go out safely (for example after drinking alcohol) or doesn’t follow these rules or our team’s instructions. In that case there’s no refund.
8. Looking after the boats
Please check the boat with us before you go, and tell us about any damage you notice.
Bring the boat and its equipment (paddles, life vests and dry box) back to the tent at the end of your rental.
If you damage or lose equipment through misuse or carelessness, we may charge the reasonable cost of repairing or replacing it. Normal wear and tear is on us.
9. Your belongings
You can leave your bags at the tent while you’re on the water, and we lend you a waterproof box for your phone and keys. We keep an eye on things, but please don’t leave valuables at the tent: we’re not responsible for their loss unless it’s our fault.
10. Our responsibility
We’re a licensed and insured operator, with the insurance the law requires for maritime-tourism activities. We look after our boats and equipment, and our motorised support boat is ready whenever we’re open.
Paddling and pedalling at sea are outdoor activities with some natural risk. We’re responsible for harm caused by our fault or by faulty equipment we provide. We’re not responsible for harm caused by not following these terms or our team’s instructions. Nothing in these terms limits our responsibility where the law doesn’t allow it, including for death or personal injury caused by our negligence.
11. Using our website
The text, photos, logo and design of this website belong to Aquaholic or are used with permission. Please don’t copy or reuse them without asking us first. Links to other websites, such as Google Maps or social media, are there to help you, and we’re not responsible for their content. We work to keep the website and online booking available and correct, but they may sometimes be unavailable, for example during maintenance.
12. Complaints and disputes
Not happy with something? Talk to us at the tent or contact us, and we’ll do our best to put it right. You can also use the official complaints book online, the Livro de Reclamações.
If we can’t solve a dispute together, you can turn to a consumer dispute resolution centre. For the Algarve, this is CIMAAL, the Centro de Arbitragem de Conflitos de Consumo do Algarve (www.consumoalgarve.pt). More information is on the Portuguese Consumer Portal (www.consumidor.gov.pt).
These terms are governed by Portuguese law. If you live in another EU country, you also keep the protection of that country’s mandatory consumer laws.
