Question for Florida Boaters???

[kfp673 0]

Hello All,

 

We live in Pennsylvania and do all of our boating in mountain lakes and rivers. We have an 06 248LS. We love the lake where our boat is wetslipped however we would like to set up a vacation to Florida and bring our boat along (although with gas prices these days it might make more sense to just rent a boat). Assuming we trailer the boat down I would love to hear some opinions on where we could go to take the family on a great vacation filled with boating and snorkling etc that is not too dangerous for us having no ocean boating experience. I read on here of people boating from Miami to the key's. What do you think would be a good idea keeping in mind that we would need a place to launch etc. Ideally we would be boating in a nice area with good snorkling but without much danger and we would probably just stay at a hotel or hotels since our boat is a bowrider. Please share your thoughts. Thanks

[MrJersey 0]

We are based close to Sarasota. Due to ocean breezes and ocean swell, with a boat your size (ours is 25') there will not be many occasions when you will truly enjoy leaving the intercoastals and venture out onto the ocean. We picked Sarasota to base ourselves as Sarasota Bay is a large area with at least some protection from ocean breezes and no ocean swell and there are not too many Slow Speed/Idle speed zones. However it does get busy some weekends and there can be plenty of wake at times. These are our experiences and we would highly recommend the area for boating during the day and a great atmosphere both on and off the water at all times.

[hallmark 0]

Hello All,

 

We live in Pennsylvania and do all of our boating in mountain lakes and rivers. We have an 06 248LS. We love the lake where our boat is wetslipped however we would like to set up a vacation to Florida and bring our boat along (although with gas prices these days it might make more sense to just rent a boat). Assuming we trailer the boat down I would love to hear some opinions on where we could go to take the family on a great vacation filled with boating and snorkling etc that is not too dangerous for us having no ocean boating experience. I read on here of people boating from Miami to the key's. What do you think would be a good idea keeping in mind that we would need a place to launch etc. Ideally we would be boating in a nice area with good snorkling but without much danger and we would probably just stay at a hotel or hotels since our boat is a bowrider. Please share your thoughts. Thanks

Your 248 is more than capable of great trip to the Keys. The summer months are very calm waters, out of season rates at most of the marina's and hotels...there are any number of good ramps available on all of the Keys.....crystal clear waters for snorkeling on both the Atlantic side as well as the gulf sides. Excellent fishing within site of shore. Go online to see the many snorkeling sites available....there are also tours you can take to get you familiar with the areas you choose to visit....Have a great trip

[calmond 0]

Old post (hope I am in time) but I have to agree with hallmark. The Keys are a great place to boat with just about any sized boat. If the winds are from the East you stay on the West side and if the winds are from the West say on the East side of the island chain. The run from Miami down to Key West is protected most of the way and is absolutely beautiful. Stay in the channel, make sure you have a chart plotter with current charts and just enjoy your selves. There are literally thousands of places you can snorkel in 20 to 3 feet ow water all up and down the Keys. Islamorada is one of the better keys if you do not want to stay in Key West. Many of the hotels have private docks and there is great snorkeling very close and one great sandbar on the Atlantic side for partying. Miami is also not a bad spot but the traffic can be very bad and the theft can be a big concern. If you do Miami stay on Key Biscayne as it has most of the great stuff about Miami and much less of the issues. There is also a good marina right before you get into Key Biscayne and some great hotels in the island. There is great boating to the south of the key and an excellent beach! If you are concerned about the salt water thing then do lake Okeechobee and plan to use the locks to go to the west coast one day and stay in Stewart for the evening in a hotel on the water. The locks are very cool and that will give you a little salt water experience. I should warn you that the accommodations on the Lake are somewhat rustic... Grin. Of course swimming with alligators turns some people off but hey they did not eat me the last time I went through the area.