Snorkeling in FL

jmj6239

Member
I'm looking for the best places in Florida to go snorkeling, to help plan a vacation this fall!
Also looking for possible boat rentals or charters for a day of fishing.
any insight would be great.
 

jmj6239

Member
Thats only a couple hundred square miles give or take! I trying for something a little more specific. thanks though!
My wife wants to know if there is any near tampa, or is it to far north?
 

seasalt101

Active Member
Originally Posted by jmj6239
Thats only a couple hundred square miles give or take! I trying for something a little more specific. thanks though!
My wife wants to know if there is any near tampa, or is it to far north?
go down to marco island manatees everywhere and dolphins it's 125 miles south of tampa roughly...tobin
 

flcandy

Member
Originally Posted by seasalt101
go down to marco island manatees everywhere and dolphins it's 125 miles south of tampa roughly...tobin

Marco is awesome nice blue waters.
 

groupergenius

Active Member
Originally Posted by jmj6239
Thats only a couple hundred square miles give or take! I trying for something a little more specific. thanks though!
My wife wants to know if there is any near tampa, or is it to far north?
What time of year? Are you wanting to stay around Tampa?
Not too much close to Tampa that compares to anywhere in the keys. You have until Sept. 9 to rake in on the scallops just north of the Tampa Bay area.
Steinhatchee is good for scalloping as well as Crystal River.
If you go to the keys, I suggest Big Pine Key or Looe Key. The protected reef at Looe is awsome. Way better than Pennekamp IMHO. Or else all the way to Key West. There are snorkel charters all over the keys. I'm not sure how much they cost since I have my own boat.
 

digitydash

Active Member
Originally Posted by GrouperGenius
What time of year? Are you wanting to stay around Tampa?
Not too much close to Tampa that compares to anywhere in the keys. You have until Sept. 9 to rake in on the scallops just north of the Tampa Bay area.
Steinhatchee is good for scalloping as well as Crystal River.
If you go to the keys, I suggest Big Pine Key or Looe Key. The protected reef at Looe is awsome. Way better than Pennekamp IMHO. Or else all the way to Key West. There are snorkel charters all over the keys. I'm not sure how much they cost since I have my own boat.
Looe key reef is beautiful been their many times
 
i have a spot it along the walls and docks by sailfish Marina and head south you'll need a drop flag and best time to go is around high tide i have seen a bunch of awesome things even little baby squid swimming with me changing color rapidly.. also i think there is a shelve, i see a lot of divers going into the water around the bridge. This is one spot that is worth snokeling!
 

grumpygils

Active Member
Originally Posted by jmj6239
I'm looking for the best places in Florida to go snorkeling, to help plan a vacation this fall!
Also looking for possible boat rentals or charters for a day of fishing.
any insight would be great.

I have a house in Marathon and it offers you everything. You can rent your own boat for a few days through Ricks Water crafts or Bud's Boats and snorkle the reef at your leisure or fish. Islamerada also has alot of things to do.
Good Luck
Mc
 

devil dog

Active Member
Originally Posted by coraljunky
The Keys


Key West was the best for fishing and snorkeling. if you can try to make it out to the DryTortuga's that was a lot of fun...
 

vpotts28

Active Member
Originally Posted by seasalt101
go down to marco island manatees everywhere and dolphins it's 125 miles south of tampa roughly...tobin
I don't know if that would be a good idea Tobin. All of those channels have boats running through them at 100mph. The poor manatees are even safe. From what I have seen in Marco and the outskirting islands, I would go anywhere near that water.
 

seasalt101

Active Member
Originally Posted by Vpotts28
I don't know if that would be a good idea Tobin. All of those channels have boats running through them at 100mph. The poor manatees are even safe. From what I have seen in Marco and the outskirting islands, I would go anywhere near that water.
it used to be 10mph in the channels because of the manatees times they are a changin...tobin
 

jenni620

Member
my boyfriend and i just went snorkeling with manatees in june. it was AWESOME!!! we went to crystal river; its about 50 miles north of tampa. pretty boring town; we just stayed for one night, got up the next morning to snorkel, and spent the rest of the week in tampa. it was a ton of fun. the manatees were soooo cute...and fat!!! lol
i would totally go again.
 
Top