Boating Outside the Box

Like a lot of folks in South Florida, I’ve been on and around the water since I was a kid. I’ve traveled all around the globe running sportfish boats and fishing tournaments, but there’s nothing quite like home. I started Sportfish Outfitters marine supply shop in 2013 to spend more time at home. Sportfish and big center consoles are our core customer base, but we spend plenty of time on skiffs and small boats. Our mission was always to be like the local surf/snow/bike shop and not like a big box store. We focus on the top products and good intel for our customers based on our experience, all while trying to maintain a sense of style and authenticity with our brand.

Sometimes when you’re living the boating lifestyle — like we do here in South Florida with beautiful weather all year round — it’s easy for things to get a little mundane. Boating can turn into a routine where you’re always doing the same things or going to the same places. Same sandbar, same people, same fishing spots … When that happens, you know it’s time to start getting a little creative with new boating ideas to shake it up a bit. Imagine your boat as a tool to adventure.

Some friends and I decided to do just that. Here are a few of our ideas to get you started.

Sandbar Movie Night

This one is a great activity for spring or fall when it gets dark a little earlier, so there’s enough time for a full movie and you can still get home before it gets too late. Do it alone or get a bunch of friends with boats together. This is a great activity for the kids, too. To make a DIY screen, we used a 1/2 inch PVC sheet panel with two PVC posts and a wireless Bluetooth projector. Make sure you pick one with its own battery that doesn’t need to be plugged in. An inflatable movie screen also works, assuming it’s not too windy. For the location, pick your favorite protected, sandy spot that you can pull up to. Be sure to check the tides and weather before you go. A nautical-themed movie like “Captain Ron,” “Jaws,” or “Pirates of the Caribbean” works well.

Sandbar Coffee Meet Up

If you’re feeling ambitious, and you and your friends are early risers, this is a good time. Not to mention the reward of a sunrise to start your day. For our “coffee bar” we got fancy with it. We built a bar top table out of PVC pipe, a marine table base and an epoxy-coated 2 by 2 feet piece of plywood. You can certainly keep it simple with any old folding table. Pick a sandbar or anywhere shallow that you can anchor up with friends. Now for the coffee, a Jet Boil, found at most camping stores, to heat the water and a French press work best for an easy setup.

Happy Hour Hang

The typical boating trip seems to always be either first thing in the morning or the middle of the day when it’s hot. If you’re a native, you may prefer to avoid the crowds and mid-day heat by boating in the evenings. A happy hour hang is a great way to meet up with friends after work, now just sweeten the pot by doing it via boat. Get a handful of boats together and find a secluded spot to tie up for the evening. Cold beers will do, but we often pre-mix some drinks so all we have to do is add ice and your favorite spirit for a refreshing evening outing with friends. See recipes here.

Boat Camping

This requires the most effort and is the riskiest of our ideas, but the experience is worth it. There’s nothing quite like sleeping on a boat and waking up to the sunrise. Winter is the best season for camping in Florida in order to avoid the heat and bugs. Pick a safe, protected spot near shore and set up a makeshift tent over your boat with camping mats and a sleeping bag, or, if you are really into it, rig up an actual tent. Depending on your boat you can also set up a sleeping hammock with a mosquito net and rain fly. Grill out for the evening and wake up with the sun. If you’re not feeling quite that adventurous, there are plenty of state parks with boat ramps where you can camp in your vehicle or ground tent and still enjoy that evening and morning time on the water.

Whatever you decide, try to avoid the crowds, invite friends and be safe out there! If you need help with supplies for your boat to make these outside-the-box boating activities happen, or just want to chat about ideas, come visit us at our Jupiter shop.

261 N. Alternate A1A, Suite A, Jupiter
sportfishoutfitters.com
@sportfishoutfitters