Everything you might want to know.

One hour is our standard ride, and it is the right one for the bay route and a stop on the sand. We also run a two hour ride, which is what you want for the Naples canals, or for fishing, or for anyone who would rather take their time than watch the clock.

Check in 30 minutes before your departure time. Arriving late cuts into your time on the water, not ours.

A 1-hour ride runs from $29 to $40 per rider depending on the day and the departure time, and a 2-hour ride is $50 per rider. The quietest weekday middays in the off-season are the cheapest, and summer weekend evenings are the priciest. The booking calendar always shows the real price for the slot you pick before you pay.

Children ages 4 to 9 can ride along as a passenger with an adult on day rides for $10, as long as the combined weight stays under 250 pounds.

Buying ahead brings it down: a 10-ride pack works out to $28 a ride, and a pass lets you ride once a day from $49 a month.

Strongly encouraged. We sell out often, so walking up is a gamble. Booking ahead also means our crew can reach you if anything changes.

Day rides, sunset rides and LED-glow rides after dark. In December we also run holiday light viewing rides through the Naples canals.

They are all the same price. Sunset and glow rides sell out first in summer.

Check in at our dock, in front of Ballast Point Brewery on Alamitos Bay. GPS it to 110 N Marina Dr, Long Beach, CA 90803.

The whole fleet lives right there, so the dock is the only place you need to go. We no longer have a separate storefront.

Yes, at Alamitos Bay Landing and along Marina Drive. Avoid the red-curbed boater parking.

Valet runs $10 on some weekends. Rideshare and public transit both work, including the AquaLink.

We say 10 and up, because by 10 almost every kid can reach the pedals. But the real test is leg length, not birthdays. Plenty of 8 and 9 year olds ride their own hydrobike fine, and we have had 10 and 11 year olds, and the occasional adult, who could not reach.

If you can reach, you can ride. See the leg length question below.

Children under 4 cannot ride at all, not even as a passenger. They are too young to follow instructions out on the water. From 4 to 9, a child who cannot reach the pedals can ride along on an adult’s bike on day rides.

Leg length is the one that matters, and it is the only real requirement for riding your own hydrobike. Height has nothing to do with it.

Measure from your sit bone to the bottom of your heel with your leg fully extended. You need about 28 inches to reach the pedals.

Worth measuring at home before you book. It saves everybody a difficult conversation at the dock.

Yes. 250 pounds total per hydrobike, which covers the rider, any child riding along and whatever you bring with you.

Yes. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult 18 or older.

None. If you can ride a bike you can ride a hydrobike. There is a learning curve, but it is a short one, usually about a minute of getting used to how the steering feels. After that it is just pedaling. It is a mild workout, more like an easy bike ride than a hard one, so you can talk the whole way and you will not arrive back wrecked.

Yes. Life jackets are required, we provide them, and ours are Coast Guard certified.

One. Every hydrobike in our fleet seats a single rider.

A child who cannot reach the pedals yet can ride along on an adult’s bike, ages 4 to 9, as long as the two of you come in under the 250 pound limit.

Plenty of people with physical and cognitive differences have ridden with us, and we take it case by case. Call 562.546.2493 and tell us about it before you book so we can talk it through.

We are not medical people, though, so anything to do with your own condition is a question for your doctor first.

No. For the safety of our crew, pets are not allowed.

You pedal above the water, not in it, so you stay dry. Feet are the only thing that ever gets wet, and usually that means a few drops. The frame sits open between the two pontoons, so a passing boat or a bit of current can send a small splash up through the gap. Alamitos Bay has a 5mph limit and most boats respect it, so actually soaked shoes are rare. Wear whatever you like and do not overthink it.

Dress for the weather. Worth bringing:

• Sunscreen
• A hat
• Water
• Sandals with a heel strap, or shoes you do not mind getting a little saltwater on

Every hydrobike has two cup holders and a storage cubby for your things.

A very small one, yes. There is not much room on a hydrobike.

If it is a small cooler or a picnic basket with grip on the bottom, it can sit on the side deck where a child would ride. Anything bigger is not going to work.

Yes. Ask the crew at the dock and we will get you the key.

Yes, and the 2-hour ride is the one to book for it. Two hours is enough to get out past the bridge, work the Naples canals and get back without rushing.

Bring your own rod, tackle and license. We are a rental, not a charter, so there is no guide, bait or gear.

There is a route map on our home page. The sandy beach along Alamitos Peninsula runs beside most of the route, on the way out and again on the way back, so the beach is not a single destination you have to reach. Stop ten minutes in, or keep going and find a quieter stretch. Either way it fits comfortably inside a one hour ride.

The Naples canals are the bigger trip, roughly two miles round trip. You can do it in an hour, but you will be pedaling the whole time with no stopping, and people who try it in an hour often feel rushed. Book the two hour ride and it becomes a leisurely one. It is beautiful, and it is a real workout for some people, so keep in mind that you are the engine.

Stay inside the bay. No going out to the ocean or into the harbor.

• Ride pack is paper tickets you buy up front, 3, 5 or 10 at a time, down to $28 a ride. They never expire.
• Pass lets you ride once a day for a month, a season or a year. Best if you are riding regularly.
• Gift card is for somebody else. Any amount, or a set 1-hour or 2-hour ride.

Never. They work on any available departure, including sunset and glow rides.

We mail them for about $6, or you can pick them up free at will call.

No. A ticket covers the cost of the ride, but you still need to book a departure. Book online or call 562.546.2493, then hand the ticket to the crew at the dock.

One ride a day, every day your pass is active. Take the standard 1-hour ride, or the 2-hour ride when you want to fish.

Book your spot online with your member ID like anyone else. Any departure counts, including sunset, glow and holiday lights.

No. A pass covers one rider. If you are bringing people along, a ride pack is the better buy.

They arrive by email, usually within a few minutes. You can send one for any dollar amount, or for a set 1-hour or 2-hour ride.

The recipient redeems it inside our online booking when they pick their date, or they can call us and we will do it for them.

Yes. We take groups of 40 by running back to back departures.

For tour operators, hotels and companies buying blocks of rides to resell or hand out, we run a partner program at up to 35% off. Call 562.546.2493 and we will set it up.

Yes, with at least 48 hours notice. When you book, we hold that time in our schedule for you, so cancellations inside 48 hours are not refundable.

Email hello@lbwaterbikes.com or call 562.546.2493.

Yes, also with at least 48 hours notice. Same contacts: hello@lbwaterbikes.com or 562.546.2493.

Now and then we close for wind, rain or fog. If you booked ahead, our crew contacts you and we sort out a new time.

This is the best argument for booking rather than walking up.

Bookings cancelled more than 48 hours ahead, yes. Inside 48 hours, no.

Passes are not refundable once they are active, and ride pack tickets are not refundable, though they never expire so there is no rush to use them.