In the mid 1980’s Mark LaPrade decided to create a dealership that would offer a customer more than just a place to buy a boat. Mark believed back then as he does now, if you’re out to make a customer for life, everything else will take care of itself.  Mark has since passed the business on to his daughter Tracie and her husband Steve and their philosophy is the same.  At Thunder Marine, it is not just the product that we sell, but how we do business. No matter which one of our great brands you are interested in – Nautic Star, Rinker, Starcraft, or Sylvan, your experience with Thunder Marine will be more of a relationship than a transaction. We believe your boating experience is more than just a weekend excursion; it is a lifestyle of fun and adventure.

With taking care of the customer always being in the forefront of our minds, we offer many extra benefits that others do not. 

-Our service and parts department offer the best in boating service to our customers.  Located at 4701 95th ST. N. in St. Petersburg, our state-of-the-art facility features the most current diagnostic and repair equipment available and our highly skilled factory-trained technicians will deliver the most efficient and quality boating care. We also have trucks that offer convenient mobile service throughout the West Coast of Florida.

-We have a full Finance Department in house.  So whether it is a new or pre-owned boat, we can offer several competitive finance plans. Our interest rates are among the lowest in the industry and we also offer extended service contracts, giving you peace of mind for up to 7 years.  

-We have a customer club called the Adventure Crew.  We set up events such as weekend excursions, fishing tournaments, safety classes and picnics that allow our customers to use their boats to the fullest.

-And if you are selling your boat, why have it anywhere else?  We have one of the most experienced sales departments on Florida’s West Coast and we utilize the top websites and marketing strategies to get your boat traffic. We handle all the details so you don't have the headaches.

Thunder Marine is proud to consistently be one of the top dealers in all of the brands we sell and we realize that success depends on our customers.  So our belief is not that you are a customer, but part of our boating family.