Destin, FL Summer Family Boating Trip

[Inthrustwetrust]

@Inthrustwetrust Great Info.

We booked a place right on the Beach, ocean side in Navarre for 8 days. They host indicated that there is parking for 6 and that I can put the boat there no problem and park it. So I have the Marina or on Premise choices. Also walkway right to beach. We will be down there the second week of August.

3-Level Gulf Front Townhome w/ Breathtaking Views - Townhouses for Rent in Navarre, Florida, United States (airbnb.com)

Any other tips or suggestions you could provide on the area would be most welcome.

I would like to try and do some fishing, if just for one day or part of a day. Brother in law likes to fish and I would like to take him and his boys out. Since it is my first time in the Ocean down there I am unsure where to go. I have been off shore 10+ miles in the great lakes in 3+ footers without issues, although the waves are tighter here and it can get rough. Does anyone have any thoughts? and if so, what type of fish and tackle/bait? I have on board Chart/Plotter, and two VHF Radio's as well.

The Navarre boat ramp is right down the road from ya, it’s a pretty nice ramp. 3 lanes, big parking lot. There is a gas station right next to it to fill up. (Normal gas station) Once you put in just head north in the sound until you see the channel markers to go east or west. I know very little about salt water fishing, but a lot of people fish right in the sound. If you want to go out to open water you have to go through the Destin or Pcola pass. It’s going to personal preference/money depending if you want to use Adventure or just use the Navarre ramp. It’s a crap shoot with traffic like I said. If it’s backed up it might 2 hours to get to/from Adventure , if not it might only take 20-30 minutes.

The sound is usually typically calm, you can easy cruise as fast as your boat can go 95% of the time until you get to the bay.

Juana’s, Windjammers are our favorite spots on the beach to eat, on the mainland TCs Front Porch, NY Pizza District, Stripes, Scooters, and Ye Ole Brothers are our favorite. We aren’t big seafood people but a quick google will bring up good spots. Navarre has a nice vibe, just about everywhere is family friendly.

Typically the gulf isn’t to rough in the summer, just keep a eye on the weather. If your boat has the connext maps they work/are marked well for the sound.

 

[HangOutdoors]

The Navarre boat ramp is right down the road from ya, it’s a pretty nice ramp. 3 lanes, big parking lot. There is a gas station right next to it to fill up. (Normal gas station) Once you put in just head north in the sound until you see the channel markers to go east or west. I know very little about salt water fishing, but a lot of people fish right in the sound. If you want to go out to open water you have to go through the Destin or Pcola pass. It’s going to personal preference/money depending if you want to use Adventure or just use the Navarre ramp. It’s a crap shoot with traffic like I said. If it’s backed up it might 2 hours to get to/from Adventure , if not it might only take 20-30 minutes.

The sound is usually typically calm, you can easy cruise as fast as your boat can go 95% of the time until you get to the bay.

Juana’s, Windjammers are our favorite spots on the beach to eat, on the mainland TCs Front Porch, NY Pizza District, Stripes, Scooters, and Ye Ole Brothers are our favorite. We aren’t big seafood people but a quick google will bring up good spots. Navarre has a nice vibe, just about everywhere is family friendly.

Typically the gulf isn’t to rough in the summer, just keep a eye on the weather. If your boat has the connext maps they work/are marked well for the sound.

I don't have the connext maps. I have the Garmin Chart Plotter with Navionics as a backup on board.

 

[HangOutdoors]

@Inthrustwetrust I just looked at the satellite images of the Navarre Boat ramp. Looks really nice with deep water channel out to the main channel.

Does this boat ramp ever get full? What about the others? Probably doing some weekday boating, coming in on a Sunday and leaving the following Sunday.

Also it looks like by boat to Destin Bridge is 34 miles or so by water. So I figure give or take an hour by boat. I also saw the launch right across from crab island. I am sure that gets full quick.

 

[Inthrustwetrust]

@Inthrustwetrust I just looked at the satellite images of the Navarre Boat ramp. Looks really nice with deep water channel out to the main channel.

Does this boat ramp ever get full? What about the others? Probably doing some weekday boating, coming in on a Sunday and leaving the following Sunday.

Also it looks like by boat to Destin Bridge is 34 miles or so by water. So I figure give or take an hour by boat. I also saw the launch right across from crab island. I am sure that gets full quick.

I only occasionally use the Navarre ramp, (I have access to private ramp) but weekdays it won’t fill up. Even on weekends it typically won’t totally fill up unless there is a event going on. If you launch before 10 ish you should be fine. I’ve never had a reason or attempted to put in at any Destin ramp, but I would assume it gets busy quick. If you wanted to tow and put in closer to Crab I would use ramp in Ft Walton next to the park. It does have a significantly smaller parking lot than the Navarre ramp. There are probably some others you can look up.

Even on a good traffic day on 98 you aren’t going to save any time going to Destin to put in. You might save some gas. If there is a accident or traffic is just bad that day it’s going waste time. Only caveat is weather, it’s long way to try to out run a storm, and you are going west. Typically in summer storms build up most days north of highway 10, and the sea breeze keeps them up there. Cell service at Crab is sketchy, and it’s busy you won’t be able to load radar, so you just have to keep on eye on the sky.

Also, have music downloaded, with poor cell service you won’t be able to stream any tunes. There is good service everywhere else though, something about that particular spot + all the phones overload the signal.

 

[Tiger J]

You could also stay in Baytowne.

Keep your boat at the Marina. Launch it at Sessna Landing in Santa Rosa. Make sure your rental unit has a golf cart. (Baytowne also has trailer storage on site.)

We do this trip all the time… party on!

 

[HangOutdoors]

@Tiger J I looked at Baytowne, and the prices where a bit more reasonable, but the Admiral and her Brother really wanted to stay on Gulf and a bit out of the way. Navarre was about the only place we found within the budget for a place. Thanks for the info

 

[HangOutdoors]

Should I bring the tubes and wake boards down with us? Is it safe to do these watersports in the ICW, Sound or if you go out into the gulf? Kids are asking me about sharks, etc. Never boated in the Ocean or surrounding areas.

 

[Inthrustwetrust]

Should I bring the tubes and wake boards down with us? Is it safe to do these watersports in the ICW, Sound or if you go out into the gulf? Kids are asking me about sharks, etc. Never boated in the Ocean or surrounding areas.

In the sound you are fine to do watersports. Stay out of the marked channel, it’s very busy. There are plenty of spots if you are comfortable running in shallow water. I would idle through and check the depths, and set visual boundaries with land marks on shore for your turn around. It’s usually glass early in the morning, as the day goes on it can get choppy for wake surfing/boarding/skiing. People tube over in the bay, I personally don’t, lots of rental boats, people that had a few to many drinks leaving crab, and fast movers running 60-150mph. There are sharks out in the gulf, they usually hang out around the channel exit and a couple hundred yards offshore past the sandbar. Keep a eye out for jellies at crab and out in the gulf. People scuba out on th sandbar all the time, I personally wouldn’t do water sports out in the open gulf, but I’m sure people do.

We get moon jellies all the time, for most people you dont feel the sting, but some people get a mild rash. There are also Portuguese Man O War, they are a bad time, I’ve personally only seen a dead one once in living here 3 years. Depending on when you come sea lice are also a thing, they are jelly fish larva, they feel like little fire ant bite, but it’s tolerable unless they get in those sensitive areas of the bathing suits. With your rental being away from the main beach area, shuffle your feet for the sting rays. They are gentle and avoid you, but if you step on one they can sting.

All that being said, I wouldn’t worry or scare the wife/kids, just all the things to watch out for. 3 years living here with 2 kids under 5 and we go out on the boat almost every weekend in summer. Swim, tube etc, knock on wood, never had a issue.

 

[2kwik4u]

@HangOutdoors That place looks amazing. Gulf front views, boat parking, I love it. Honestly, really good chance I'm going to reach out to the property manager and see if they have anything else like this elsewhere still available. Beats the pants off the condo we had, and I think it's like $14/night more or something silly like that. We were considering a spring break trip down there (last week in March for us), and if I could swing a setup like this it would be a go!

When I was launching from Navarre I didn't even worry about the depth too much. I had Navionics running the whole time, but I don't have a real time depth sounder on my boat. The water is so dang clear you can just, quite literally, SEE the bottom. You can tell quickly and easily if it's too shallow for you. My uncle with the outboard had to pay more attention than I did. I hopped out and checked a few times, and even when I was "uncomfortable" with how shallow it was, I was still a foot or so off the bottom. It was really less of an issue than I expected. Pay attention while you're there, but you'll get comfortable quick.

Like @Inthrustwetrust mentioned, there is a launch closer to Destin along the ICW in Ft Walton. It was a not bad drive at like 9 in the morning when we went. Drive home was like 45min though. I would've rather done that distance by boat, but the group wanted a shorter boat ride.

Be sure to post some pics of your trip. Enjoy!

 

[NewGuy]

@HangOutdoors, it looks like you are getting great direction from the folks here. I hit Florida and the Gulf pretty hard in my job and family vacays from Vero Beach, to the Keys, Destin & 30A. to Orange Beach to Venice, LA. I love them all. The only caveat I‘d say with Destin in June is that it’s nuts. Terrible traffic and 2+ hour waits at restaurants. No matter where you stay, it’s worth a drive and a lunch through the beaches of 30A (Seaside, Seagrove, Rosemary, Alys, etc. It’s worth a look at Panama C Beach as well, but slips from 30A beaches to PCB may be limited. Shell Island is a spectacular way to beach and spend a day or two. Fishing is pretty good no matter where you go, but Destin and Panama are pretty stressed. Enjoy the trip! Happy to help with questions as well.

Also, if you want more quiet family time, the Fort Morgan, AL and Fort Morgan marina are more reasonably priced. Destin and 30A beaches have a lot more bling, but Ft. Morgan is waaaay more chill and beaches are way less packed. Mobile Bay is calm and has very little traffic, but it’s shallow. You can stay on the bay side and easily walk to a Gulf beach. I actually prefer the serenity of the Bay versus the Gulf. Fishing the bay is amazing and easy for beginners (trout and redfish) and you can easily do it on your boat.

 

[Tiger J]

I second the The PCB trip and Shell Island as well.

 

[HangOutdoors]

@Tiger J Looks pretty cool there. May have to save that for our next trip down. Hopefully the Admiral will enjoy this first trip so much that towing the boat down there won't be such a big deal a couple times a year.

 

[NewGuy]

I second the The PCB trip and Shell Island as well.

Forgot to mention Baytowne will be cool too. Headed back to Louisiana in a couple weeks. Love those people there. I’ve adopted LSU and have run so many trips to the marsh; my wife is scared I’m about to go native! But ”you in Shreveport so you way up north.”

 

[NewGuy]

@Tiger J Looks pretty cool there. May have to save that for our next trip down. Hopefully the Admiral will enjoy this first trip so much that towing the boat down there won't be such a big deal a couple times a year.

Cool part of the 50 mile stretch we’re talking is there are tons of different experiences; all great and all very different. I wouldn’t worry about sea life. Crab island will get jellies and you may get a little sting, but not really a big deal. Sharks not a big deal either, but I would avoid being in the water nearing or after sunset. A local young man here took a shark attack a few years ago, but he was waist deep shore fishing at dusk with bloody bait and squid in his pocket. Guess where the shark hit him. He survived fine, but it was a nasty bite. Shark fishing is a blast for kids as well.

 

[Tiger J]

Forgot to mention Baytowne will be cool too. Headed back to Louisiana in a couple weeks. Love those people there. I’ve adopted LSU and have run so many trips to the marsh; my wife is scared I’m about to go native! But ”you in Shreveport so you way up north.”

Hahahaha! Geaux Tigers! I grew up right off of Lake Maurepas in South LA, but yes, I am considered a yankee now to all of my cajun people…. (Defined by Anyone who lives north of I-10.)

I do miss the marsh. You can catch specs, reds, bass, and sacalait all in the same day.

Navarre, Perdido, and Pensacola are all some good places too. You can’t really go wrong with any of the places mentioned in this theead.

 

[haknslash]

Keep an eye out for manatee as well. They are protected mammals and are slow movers. Basically sea cows that slowly move about. If you see them don’t harass them as it’s highly frowned upon and illegal. https://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/wildlife/manatee/

 

[HangOutdoors]

Thanks for the info about the Manatee's.

The more I read about the area the more excited I get to get down there and enjoy the ocean.

 

[2kwik4u]

Thanks for the info about the Manatee's.

The more I read about the area the more excited I get to get down there and enjoy the ocean.

I have a super important question you haven't addressed yet.......Are you taking the AR210 or the FSH255? I can't remember where you stood on that deal/transaction/mess. I gotta think the FSH is the boat to take here if there is a choice

*edit*
Also.....wife and I were talking last night. I think we're going to try and make it down to Navarre again in March. Definitely taking the boat with us.

 

[HangOutdoors]

I backed out of the 255 FSH, timing wasnt the best for us.

 

[2kwik4u]

I backed out of the 255 FSH, timing wasnt the best for us.

Dangit. Sorry to hear that. They're neat boats. I want one.

You're 210 will still serve you well for this trip I think. My 190 did fine, but I wish I had a SHADE more power overall with a full compliment of people and running with another boat that was significantly more powerful than mine.