The Solent is a thirty mile stretch of sea between Hampshire in the UK and the Isle of Wight. It is a very popular tourist area in Britain, and its reputation as a top watersports destination is world renowned.
The Solent is probably unrivalled anywhere in the world for its maritime history and heritage stretching from the Roman times to the present day where it is the home of the Royal Navy. Great historic events including the Spanish Armada, the threat from Napoleon and D-Day were played out here, and everywhere you look, there are remnants and legacies of these bygone ages. Now we are in the leisure age, the sheltered waters of the Solent provide a truly outstanding watersports destination. with its great variety of sailing conditions, stunning seascapes, rich diversity of natural beauty and wildlife, and all the facilities, attractions and amenities befitting a modern resort, the Solent has it all.
There are many ways to see the Solent, but one of the best is by having a Solent Rib Charter. they are fairly inexpensive, they can be very fast, and because of their speed, you can see a lot of things or visit a lot of places in a short space of time.
A rib (or Rigid Inflatable Boat), is a very stable and seaworthy craft despite being so lightweight, and it is a very high performance craft. they usually carry between two and twelve people and their incredible versatility and manouvreability makes them ideal for the leisure industry, as well as for military use, and rescue or marine support services. Ribs can go blasting or wave-jumping as comfortably as they can go for a gentle sightseeing cruise, or providing a good viewing platform for one of the many regattas held in the Solent.
The sheer versatility of ribs make them the four by Fours of the sea.
People charter a rib in the Solent for a wide variety of reasons. Excitement, sightseeing, team-building, bonding with mates etc. and they are hence very popular for corporate events and stag or hen parties, which often include helicopter rides, Solent treasure hunts, 4×4 off-road racing, meals, accommodation and barbecues/parties.
When you take out a Solent rib charter, you can either ask for skippered rib charter where the charter includes an experience captain to take responsibility for everything, and suggest good places to go to, or you could get a bareboat rib charter where you simply have the rib, and you, or one of your party have responsibility for steering it. you have to have sufficient experience or qualifications to take a bareboat charter though.
As you would expect, Solent rib charter prices vary depending on a number of factors, time of year, whether it coincides with a big marine event (eg. Cowes week), size of boat, whether skippered or bareboat, duration of charter etc, etc. As a general guide, rib prices start from about 300 for half a day, and 400 for a full day, and all sorts of packages can be provided and tailored to suit you budget and preferences.
As the Solent is in England, the weather cannot be guaranteed. what can be guaranteed however is your enjoyment during it, and the glow of satisfaction you’ll feel afterwards. you will experience a quality time with some of the quality people in your life, and you’ll want to do it again soon. If its sunny, then lucky you. If it isn’t, then you are even luckier, because the waves will be even higher
