You can find tiki bars all over South Florida. Nothing like a thatched roof and the open air to put you on island time, but you don’t have to go to the tiki hut. In this story, the tiki hut actually comes to you.
There are plenty of places in SoFlo to enjoy a fruity cocktail at a tiki bar, but not many of them sit right in the middle of the New River.
Greg Darby, Cruisin’ Tikis: "We’ll go down river for a little bit."
Greg Darby: "One of my neighbors on the end of the canal says, ‘Darby, your tiki hut fell in the water.’"
Greg Darby invented the Cruisin’ Tiki. It all started with a backyard dream.
Greg Darby: "I always wanted a tiki bar in the backyard. I’m and engineer, so I started designing. Once I had completed for a tiki bar that was floating, I said, ‘What if I put a motor on it?’"
A 30 horsepower motor takes you and 10 of your friends anywhere you want to go. Even if you don’t want to go anywhere.
Greg Darby: "The ideal use is just cruising up and down the river. If you live on a lake, taking a few friends out on a Saturday afternoon. It comes complete with the chairs, a Bose Bluetooth sound system, all of the Coast Guard requirements."
Of course, when you hit the water on a motorized tiki hut, people tend to notice.
Greg Darby: "I tell people, if they wanna come on the boat and don’t want their picture taken, better not come on."
Guest 1: "It’s very stable, I feel very safe on it, and it’s a heck of a lot of fun."
Guest 2: "I think this is a little more comfortable. It’s not as bumpy, it’s very stable. When you’re on a fishing boat, you knock into things and come out with bruises. You might come home with bruises for different reasons on this boat."
The Cruisin’ Tiki sells for just over $21,000, but make sure to save some money to stock the bar.
Greg Darby: "Everybody having a good time?"
Guest 4: "The best thing about it is the mobility of it, to be able to be on a tiki bar with your friends, and whichever bar you want around the Intracoastal."
FOR MORE INFO:
Cruisin’ Tikis
43 S. Pompano Parkway
Unit 213
Pompano Beach, FL 33069
(877) 554-5200
cruisintikis.com