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"Fast Cat" Zodiac Whale Watching Boat

A Smaller, Faster, and More Intimate Whale Watching Experience

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Ready to experience whale watching excursions like never before? Capt. Dave’s high-speed Zodiac whale watching tour is designed to get small groups up-close and personal with whalesdolphins, and other marine wildlife like no other vessel. Any closer and the dolphins will think you’re one of their pod!

In addition to taking passengers on a grand whale watching adventure, our 24-foot Zodiac boat rental with captain is available for burials at sea (ash scatterings). It’s also an excellent choice for private boat charters seeking an exhilarating thrill ride. This intimate vessel will carry up to 12 passengers.

A Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) Turbo-charged for Fun!

Our Zodiac boat rental (with captain) is available for public cruises too, and turbo-charged for fun. Fast Cat’s 240-HP inboard diesel engine is quieter and more reliable than an outboard engine. With speeds up to 30 knots, a small group of up to 12 passengers will spend less time looking for animals and more time enjoying their wildlife experience for a shorter, faster whale watching excursion. The special wide, rectangular bow area of this Zodiac whale watching boat is perfect for dolphin viewing as the bow rides within arm’s reach.

Our FAST CAT Zodiac whale watching tours are adventurous! Comfortable and upscale, Fast Cat features heavily padded seats with seat backs, a large custom sunshade, a custom teak floor, and a unique catamaran hull designed for a smoother, more stable ride than ordinary RHIBs. Her unique catamaran design won her honors in the Top Five Rowdy Ribs from Boats.com!

See for Yourself!

Our Fast Cat boat rental with captain takes California whale watching cruises to the next level with many added features, such as custom seating, a large t-top sunshade, and safety equipment. Fast Cat has passed a series of rigorous Coast Guard safety inspections to become the first U.S. Coast Guard inspected rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) in Orange County.

Our Zodiac whale watching tour is not your style? That’s OK — We have whale watching tours and boat rentals for all tastes! Many people prefer a relaxing, unhurried ride on the ocean. But for those who want to wake up and feel the thrill of moving fast across the water, don’t have time for a longer trip, or just want to be even closer to the dolphins and whales (and don’t mind the occasional spray at high speeds!) then this Zodiac whale watching excursion is just for you!

Important FAST CAT Safety & Comfort Information

Fast Cat is unique and has certain safety information that differs from our other vessels.
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Fast Cat private charter trip

I took my 4 year old and my sister on a private charter last month on the Fast Cat. It was worth every penny. Captain Dave was very accommodating and tailored the trip to our interests. We spent a long time following dolphin pods which my daughter loved. We saw a humpback whale about 15 feet from the boat – absolutely breathtaking. We also saw a pair of Minke whales at the end of the tour. No issues with ocean sickness at all as the boat has a low center of gravity and is so close to the water. I plan on doing this trip with my family every time we visit California. Just fantastic.

– Katy V., TripAdvisor
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AMAZING!!!

I’d heard about the Fast Cat adventure last year, and wanted to try it ever since. The cost was certainly higher than your average whale watching tour, but this trip was worth every penny. I think this is going to be an annual thing for my husband and I. We had so much fun. The Fast Cat is the Zodiac adventure where you’re right on the water. With such a small boat and group size, you’re not limited to seeing off one side of the boat. You can see all around. Our captain, Marie, got us right to a huge pod of dolphins. Once surrounded, she slowed, allowing everyone to take turns looking over the bow of the boat. Here you can see the Dolphins so close that you can practically touch them. I wouldn’t be surprised if some people actually did. You are that close. Captain Marie then located two greys, a mom and calf. We spent a good twenty minutes watching them. The boat ride itself is exciting. Lots of speeding and bumps. We were prepared to get wet, but we didn’t. If you only make one whale watching trip, it should be with Captain Dave’s. The other ships they have look awesome too. I’m happy we did the fast cat though.

– thewinsomewench, TripAdvisor
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Where do I start? My fiance and myself, Tom Ginn & Jennifer Gilbert were on a 7 day So California vacation with my daughter. Of course my daughter visited all the fun parks and we found an absolute gem in Captain Dave’s. We were expecting to see any wildlife and we got more then we bargained for. I sure wish i could remember one of our captain’s name. I believe it was Tim or Ken(Argggg). I do remember Captain Marie. These two were the most impressive captain’s. We were hoping to see a dolphin or two but would have been satisfied with seeing any wildlife. We still are in AMAZED at what we encountered. A Minke whale, a Humpback whale, 1000’s of Dolphin(Common) and a family of Sea Lion, we are still in AWE!!!!!!! Why they call these dolphins Common, is beyond me. They are everything but common. We have decided to make this an annual trip just for the fun. If we see wildlife then that is just an added bonus. This was the most incredible excursion of any type for both of us. The Fast Cat was absolutely incredible. They tell you that it is a little bumpy but fail to tell you that these are amazing fun bumps. They were not uncomfortable at all, just FUN! Make sure you bring plenty of room for lots of photos. This team at Captain Dave’s will make sure you see something. We want to thank you all again for the most incredible time we have ever had is a long, long time. I have a few more places to post my review so until we see you next year, thanks so much again.

– Tom G., Yelp
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An incredible experience - Can't wait to go back

The FastCat is amazing we had an incredible time. So close to the whales and dolphins. We even saw a humpback!

– Stagger L., TripAdvisor