Charter Fishing · Tours · Kayak & Paddle · Dive · Boat Repair

Marine & Outdoor Recreation Self-Audit

Eight operational areas specific to marine and outdoor recreation businesses — find the booking gaps, compliance exposure, and retention leaks costing you.

20–25 minutes · 8 sections · Scored findings with action steps
What this audit covers
  • Booking & Availability
  • Distribution & Visibility
  • Reviews & Reputation
  • Waivers & Liability
  • Customer Follow-Up
  • Regulations & Compliance
  • Business Continuity
What you get
  • On-screen score the moment you submit
  • Gaps ranked by priority and revenue impact
  • Specific action steps you can implement yourself
  • Tool and platform recommendations with context
  • Full report emailed within 72 hours
Get Started — $197 →
Secure checkout via Stripe · Access link emailed immediately after payment
← See all industries|Free scan first →
Marine & Outdoor Recreation

How Well Is Your Operation Actually Running?

Walk through your own systems honestly. This audit identifies where manual processes are costing you time and where automation could fill the gap without changing everything you have already built.

⏱ 20-25 minutes 📋 8 sections ✓ Detailed results with specific recommendations
Your Operation
Section 1 of 8
Florida SB 1718 -- do you have 25 or more employees? If yes, E-Verify is required for every new hire within 3 business days. Seasonal crew counts toward the threshold. Independent contractors (1099s) do not.
Yes -- E-Verify runs for every hire within 3 days
Under 25 employees -- not currently required
Not sure of headcount relative to the threshold
What type of marine or outdoor recreation business do you operate?
Charter Fishing (inshore, nearshore, or offshore)
Kayak / Paddleboard Rental or Tours
Sightseeing / Sunset / Dolphin / Wildlife Tours
Bait & Tackle Shop
Dive Shop / Dive Charter
Parasailing / Jet Ski / Water Sports Rental
Other Marine or Outdoor Recreation
How many years have you been operating?
Under 2 years
2 to 5 years
5 to 10 years
More than 10 years
During peak season, how many trips, tours, or rental sessions do you run in a typical week?
1 to 5
6 to 15
16 to 30
More than 30
Booking & Availability
Section 2 of 8
When someone wants to book a trip or rental with you, how does that happen? Key indicator
They book online through a calendar on my website — deposit is collected automatically Automated
They book through FareHarbor or a similar platform — some automation in place Partial
They find me on FishingBooker and book through there — I pay commission on every booking Gap
They call or text me to book — I take it from there manually High Gap
They email me or fill out a contact form and I follow up by phone High Gap
When you are out on the water or away from your phone and someone calls to book, what happens to that call?
They can book online without me — the calendar handles it
They leave a voicemail and I call them back when I can
They probably try someone else — I miss that booking
How are trip deposits or payment collected?
✓
Credit card collected at time of booking
✓
Through my booking platform (FareHarbor / Peek etc.)
✓
Venmo / PayPal / Zelle (Friends & Family)
✓
Cash at the dock on the day
✓
No deposit required — pay on the day
Distribution & Visibility
Section 3 of 8
Where can customers currently find and book your business? OTA presence is critical
✓
My own website with booking
✓
FishingBooker
✓
Viator
✓
GetYourGuide
✓
Airbnb Experiences
✓
TripAdvisor listing
✓
Groupon or deal platform
✓
Phone and referral only
If you are listed on Groupon or a similar deal platform, have you calculated your actual net per booking after trip costs? Most operators have not
Not on Groupon or any deal platform
Yes — I have done the math and know my margin per Groupon booking
No — I have never specifically calculated it
How do you handle your FishingBooker listing (if applicable)?
Not applicable — I am not a fishing charter
Active and I update it regularly — photos, pricing, availability
Listed but I have not updated it in more than 6 months
Not listed on FishingBooker
Reviews & Reputation
Section 4 of 8
What is your current Google review situation?
100 or more Google reviews
51 to 100 Google reviews
26 to 50 Google reviews
11 to 25 Google reviews
Under 10 Google reviews
After a trip or rental, is there an automated system that asks customers for a Google review? Most operators skip this
Yes — an automated message with a review link fires after every trip or rental Automated
Sometimes — I ask in person or send a manual text occasionally Partial
No — customers who want to leave a review find it on their own Gap
Waivers & Liability
Section 5 of 8
What does your customer sign before boarding or launching? Liability critical
Digital waiver sent via link before the trip — signed before they arrive at the dock Best Practice
Digital waiver signed on a tablet at check-in Acceptable
Paper waiver on a clipboard at the dock Gap
Nothing formal High Gap
If a customer dispute arose today about an incident 12 months ago, how would you locate their signed waiver?
Search by name or date in our digital system — find it in under 2 minutes
Look through filed paper waivers organized by date — probably find it
Search through a box or folder of paper waivers — might take a while
Honestly not sure — we do not have a reliable archive system
Is your marine insurance a commercial for-hire policy, or recreational coverage? Critical question
Commercial for-hire policy — specifically covers carrying paying passengers Correct
Recreational / personal boat policy High Gap
Not sure which type I have Gap
Not applicable — I do not carry passengers for hire
Customer Follow-Up & Communication
Section 6 of 8
When a customer books, what communication do they receive automatically before the trip?
✓
Booking confirmation with date/time/deposit
✓
Pre-trip reminder 48 hrs before (what to bring, where to park)
✓
Waiver link sent before arrival
✓
Note about snook stamp / species-specific regulations
✓
Just a confirmation — nothing else before the trip
After a customer leaves, what happens? Most operators: nothing
Automated post-trip sequence fires: thank you, review request, future booking offer Automated
I personally follow up with some customers — not systematic Partial
Nothing — I wait for them to book again if they want to Gap
Do you have an email list of past customers you could send a message to today?
Yes — a segmented list organized by trip type (inshore / offshore / etc.)
Yes — a general list, not segmented
The data exists in my booking system but I have never emailed past customers
No — I do not have a usable past customer list
Regulations & Compliance
Section 7 of 8
When a major species season closes (grouper, amberjack, snook), how quickly does that get reflected in your marketing and booking platforms?
Same week — I update my listing, website, and social media when seasons change
Eventually — it gets updated when I notice or when customers ask
It usually does not get updated — my listing says the same thing year-round
When red snapper has a short 1-2 day season announced — how would you fill your boat? The list is the answer
Email my past customer list — specifically offshore fishing customers
Post on social media and hope the right people see it in time
Call people I know and hope for the best
I do not have a clear plan for this
How are USCG and operational compliance deadlines tracked?
A calendar with 60-90 day alerts for every deadline — EPIRB, fire extinguisher, license renewal, drug testing
Paper notes or a binder I check periodically
From memory — I know when things are generally due
Nothing formal — I find out when something expires or fails inspection
Business Continuity & Storm Readiness
About Your Operation When You Can't Be There
If a storm watch went up tomorrow and you had to evacuate by Thursday -- which of these would your business still have running on Friday?
Select all that apply. This matters in coastal Florida -- three named storms hit Tampa Bay in 65 days in 2024.
Automated customer emails going out on schedule (sequences, notifications, follow-ups)
New customer inquiries or leads still being captured via online form or booking system
A pre-built closure notification ready to send to my customer list in one click
All vendor and supplier contacts documented somewhere other than my personal phone
None of these -- my operation requires me to be present to keep running Gap
Is your vessel, equipment, and customer booking history documented in a way that would survive a direct hit to the marina?
Yes -- current photos and a digital inventory log exist in cloud storage Good
Partially -- some documentation exists but it has not been updated recently Partial
No -- if the location were damaged tomorrow, the insurance claim would be based on memory High Gap
If a storm was approaching and you needed to notify all booked charters about cancellations and rescheduling options -- what does that process look like?
Yes -- automated email or text to the customer list, works whether or not I am at the location Good
Manual but fast -- I have a template and the list, I can send in a few minutes from anywhere Manageable
Social media post -- customers who follow us will see it Gap
No plan -- I would figure it out when it happened High Gap
About You
Section 8 of 8
Get Your Full Results
We will analyze every answer and show you exactly where the gaps are, ranked by impact.
Automation Opportunity Score
0
out of 100 — higher score means more untapped automation
Your Results
Want a Specific Action Plan for Your Operation?
We do a free 30-minute discovery call, look at what you are actually running, and tell you exactly what is worth changing and in what order.
Schedule a Free Discovery Call