Reserved for your group
Room to spread out. Built to spend the day outside.
A spacious center-console layout gives everyone a comfortable seat, easy water access and plenty of deck space for gear, lunch and a slow ride home.
Founding membership reservations open · Operations begin soon
Your ocean.
Your way.
Come out for the kind of day we’d want for ourselves: a small group, a beautiful boat, clear water and no rush. Choose spearfishing, lobster season, a private outing or a memorial at sea. Small groups, clear water, and days planned the way we’d want them ourselves.
Founding membership$20 monthly or $199 annually.
Founding members book first when reservations open, help shape the experiences we run, and get two invitations to the launch party.
French-owned · South Florida-based
From $20/monthOr $199 for the year
Priority bookingMembers book first when reservations open
A French touchFrench-run days, finished the French way
Bring someoneTwo invitations to the launch party
Les expériences
Six good reasons to leave the dock.
Pick the day that sounds like you. We keep the group small, plan around the weather and water, and take care of the details before you arrive.
Private charter · from $700
The reef,
without the crowd.
Come for a half-day or stay out all day. We’ll match the plan to your experience, keep the group small and spend our time where the water looks best.
A little France at sea
The ride home can be the best part.
Once the gear is packed away, settle in. We’ll open something cold, bring out a board of French cheese, charcuterie and good bread, and take the long way back through the inlet.
01
Champagne on the water
Served after diving and boat operations are finished, when everyone can relax and enjoy it.
02
A proper French board
Cheese, charcuterie, baguette, fruit and sparkling water, selected for the size of your party.
03
No need to hurry home
Good music, a comfortable seat and an easy run back to Fort Lauderdale.
Menus depend on the trip, the weather and local alcohol rules. We never serve alcohol before or during diving or while anyone is operating the boat.
The group boat
One dedicated boat. Your group. Your day.
This is the boat for friends and families who want space of their own. There’s room to sit comfortably, move around and change the plan when something better catches your eye.
Our team
The team behind your day on the water.
One captain, one boat, every trip guided. Here is who runs Petit Bateau and how your day on the water works.
Aurélien Portuese
Professor of Economics, University of Miami
Founder, Petit Bateau
We built Petit Bateau because the best days on the water are small ones: your group, one boat, and a captain who reads the water. No crowded decks, no strangers shoulder to shoulder, no guessing where the fish are — just Fort Lauderdale’s reefs and wrecks, run the way we would want them run ourselves. Every trip gets treated like it is the only one that matters.
Every trip is guided and kept small — your group gets the boat to itself, never a crowd of strangers. We plan each day around the conditions and what you want to chase: spearfishing, free-diving, or simply a day on the water done right. Safety comes first, always: we brief every group before departure, and we never push water or weather we would not dive ourselves.
We keep this simple: every trip is run by the founder — one captain, one boat, your group only. The U.S. Coast Guard OUPV captain’s license is in progress, and we take no paying passengers until it is issued.
Founding membership · reservations open
Be there from the beginning.
We start running trips soon. Join now and you’ll get first pick of member dates, a half-day guided tour, two launch-party invitations and offers we’re putting together with South Florida partners.
Choose your membership.
$20per month
100 of 100 founding spots left
Planned member rates — no payment taken today. This just holds your spot.
We’ll open the member calendar before public bookings. Dates depend on weather, availability and the normal rules for each trip.
01
Priority booking
Members book first when the launch calendar opens.
02
French boards on board
Add one of our seasonal cheese and charcuterie boards to any eligible outing — we’ll price it for your group.
03
Deals around South Florida
We’re working with local restaurants, ocean businesses and places we genuinely like.
04
Two launch-party invitations
Come aboard for the launch and bring someone with you.
How we run the day
Easy for you. Well planned by us.
You shouldn’t have to think about coolers, routes or backup plans. Tell us who’s coming and what would make the day special; we’ll handle the rest.
01
We start with a real conversation
We’ll ask about experience, timing and the small things your group cares about. No generic package if it doesn’t fit.
02
The water decides the route
Visibility, sea state and the season shape the plan. If conditions change, we’ll tell you plainly and make the right call.
03
Everything is ready at the dock
Gear, provisions and the route are sorted before you arrive, so your time starts on the water—not with a checklist.
04
We finish on a good note
Freshwater rinse, your photos when included, and—if you chose it—a French apéritif for the ride back.
Free to start
Get the playbook.
The free way to come aboard with us — the playbook downloads right here when you join the list, and your email keeps you posted on our launch.
Free download
The Spearfishing Playbook
Seasons, species, lobster rules, the gear checklist, and how to read Fort Lauderdale water — the guide I wish someone had handed me.
Plan your day
Tell us what a great day looks like.
Choose the basics and add the one detail that matters to you. We’ll turn it into a plan when reservations open.
“Good company. Open water. No crowds.”
Private request brief
Private briefSpearfishing Privé · Half day
Planning price
from $700
from $700
1 guest · Fort Lauderdale · Date to be confirmed
A French point of view.
A South Florida day.