Key West Sports & Outdoors Tips by grandmaR Top 5 Page for this destination

Parasail, Windsurf or Sit on the Beach Water Sports Review

I saw this kiosk at the beach for Parasailing. My daughter and granddaughter did this and loved it. I can't read the sign too well in the photo but it also looks like they have sail boards for rent here.

Equipment: This may be the location for Sunset Watersports which advertises the following prices:

2 Chairs & Umbrella $15
16' Hobie Cat " Getaway" sail boat $60hr
14' Hobie Cat "Wave" sail boat $40hr
Sunfish sail boat $30hr
Wind surfer $30hr
Single Kayak $15hr
Douple Kayak $20hr
Pedel Kayak $25hr

Address: South Roosevelt Blvd.

Directions: Right on Smathers Beach, Key West

Phone: 1-877-453-9978

Theme: Boating/Sailing

White Street Pier Fishing Review

When the kids were little, Bob would take them fishing off White Street pier. You don't have to hire an expensive charter boat captain to fish. In addition to small snappers and grunts, anglers have been know to hook into tarpon, snook and redfish.

The City of Key West has rebuilt the White Street Pier reducing sediment build-up and they have reconfigured the swimming area to keep people away from fishing gear. The pier has just recently been re-opened.

Wear a hat and sun protection.

Equipment: White Street Pier tide information.

Nothing is sold at the pier. You need to bring a rod and bait, and a bucket would be a good idea too keep the fish in.

You do not need a Recreational Saltwater Fishing License if you are any child under 16 years of age. Otherwise, with certain exceptions, you will need a fishing license.

Address: 1400 Atlantic Blvd

Directions: Southern end of White Street, oceanside

Theme: Fishing Trips

Mooring field Dock or Moor Review

Many people anchor out off Key West. The alternative is to take a mooring in the mooring field which is between Fleming Key and Sigsbee Park which is on what was known as Dredger's Key. (Sigsbee is the Navy housing and was built on fill or the Key West dump)

The moorings themselves are helical screws designed to hold a 40 foot boat in up to 65 knot winds. Currently there are 81 moorings, and if the demand for them is great, they have permission to expand up to 149..

Because the waters around Key West are a no discharge area, all boats that have signed an agreement for more than three days must have a mandatory pumpouts, which are included in the moorage fee and can be done boat side. There will also be MSD inspections of vessels that sign agreements for more than 4 days moorage in the field.

In addition, every boat must use a shock absorbing pennant, which the City provides for a deposit of $20. It connects the buoy to around five feet or so of mooring line on your boat, which you must provide.

The charge was $12 a day for transients and $120 a month plus tax for long term moorage of 30 days and up. Because the marina running the moorings claimed they were losing money, the charge has been raised (as of 1 March 2004) to $15/day and the monthly rate to $163.50 including tax. It will go up to $261.50 in 2005.

Dockmaster hours 7 am - 5 pm daily

Equipment: We stayed in the mooring field for 3 weeks in January of 2001. Our boat is oversized for the moorings but at that time the moorings were free.

We had our own mooring pennant of course.

We did have to pay to use the dinghy dock in Key West Bight.

The problems with being on the moorings here are:
a) The shower facilities are reported to be the worst in Key West
b) The mooring field is completely unprotected from the the northwest winds which are common in the winter and it can be quite rough and uncomfortable. We were pinned down on our boat for several days at a time because it was too rough in the mooring field to make a safe dinghy trip in to the dock.
c) The Key West Marina which administers the moorings is in Garrison Bight which is not convenient to town.
d) Garrison Bight is inaccessible to sailboats with tall masts because of a low power line across the entrance. So to get fuel or water, the boat has to go all the way around Fleming Key to the Historic Key West Bight.

Address: 24-24.417 N 81-47.38 W

Directions: from Main Ship Channel Buoy # 31 to Garrison Bight Channel Buoy # 3 and sail around the northern end of Fleming Key to Garrison Bight Cannel Buoy #17 then southeastward into City Mooring Field

Other Contact: VHF-FM Channel 16/09

Phone: (305) 292-8167

Theme: Boating/Sailing

Website: http://www.keywestcity.com/depts/port/mf/contact.h

Scuba Water Sports Review

under construction

Theme: Scuba Diving

Baseball

under construction

Theme: Sports Watching

Personal Water Craft Water Sports Review

Under construction

Theme: Boating/Sailing

Sun and Comfort Stations The Beach Review

All along the Hawk Channel side of Key West (the south-east side) is a long beach, which runs from up by the East Martello Tower around to the West Martello Tower. This is a man made beach, and the sand is a little coarse, but it is the closest thing Key West has to a beachy-beach. South Roosevelt Blvd runs down alongside the beach, and on the beach side of the road is a sidewalk for jogging, or roller blading. On the both sides of the road, is parking for cars. This car has attempted to park a little bit in the shade. The sun is very hot even in the winter.

The two main beaches on this side are Smather's Beach which is Key West's largest public beach - a 1 mile stretch of fine sand beach.- west of Key West Airport and South Roosevelt Blvd. and Higgs Memorial Beach - Reynolds Street and White Street, Key West down by the West Martello tower. Both of these beachs have bathrooms. Higgs Beach in Old Town Key West is not as great a swimming beach, but it is a favorite hangout for locals.

Equipment: Smathers Beach -bring aqua shoes if you plan on swimming. There are food and beverage vendors, volleyball courts, showers and you can rent beach chairs, windsurfers, jet skis, kayaks and umbrellas at several locations along the beach. The beach itself is free.

Higgs Beach - There are beach chair and umbrella rentals available. There is also a bar and restaurant on the beach, volleyball courts, grills for cookouts, famous sunning pier and free tennis courts. This beach is also free.

Address: Roosevelt Blvd.

Theme: Beach Activities

Website: http://www.vacationkw.com/beaches.htm

Rest Beach/C.B. Harvey Park The Beach Review

There are a string of beaches along the south side of Key West (ocean side) This beach is one of them.

Rest Beach has soft sand and natural vegetation. It is wheelchair accessible and there is a yoga deck with nightly classes. Restrooms are within walking distance.

Rest Beach is the home of the White Street Pier where you can enjoy some great fishing.

C.B. Harvey Park is a newly installed beach front park that has picnic facilities and shoreline for wading and shell searching.

Address: Atlantic Blvd and White Street on Atlantic Ocean.

Directions: Harvey Beach is on Atlantic Street, on the south side (ocean side) of Key West. It's just east of the White Street Pier, and across the street from the bocce courts

Theme: Beach Activities

Website: http://www.keywestcity.com/depts/recreation/maintained.asp

Higgs Beach The Beach Review

Higgs beach formerly known as Monroe (County) Beach is a free beach that is open 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., daily

In Feb. 2004, 374 tons (300 cubic yards) of sand on Higgs Beach that had been washed away over the last year was replaced, .. greatly improving the conditions on the beach and better facilitating the daily cleaning of seaweed and other debris" according to the Monroe Co. news release

Higgs Beach has shaded places to eat, restrooms and an outdoor shower. I am told there is also a restaurant right on the beach for food and drinks

Equipment: There is a grove of Australian pines nearby that provides the area with good shade. There are also gazebos on the beach - gun emplacements that were here during WWII have been used as the bases for these.

Across the street is a large Playground for the younger kids in the family if they "get bored of the beach."

There is a long wooden pier (White Street Pier) to the right side of the beach. There is a rental shack on the beach to get chairs. You can rent Snorkels and mask also and get comfortable with snorkeling if you've never done it before.

Clyde's Key West website says: "Walk out to the end of the wooden pier there you will find a set of concrete steps going into the water. Use caution the bottom of the steps that are in the water are slippery, use the hand rails. You will notice a line of old pylons from the original pier curving around. Snorkel along it you will encounter a wide variety of sea life both on the wall and on the bottom. Take your time and see how many different sea creatures you can find. .. don't touch anything"

Snorkeling is addictive and you will lose track of time so wear a coverup or you will get badly sunburned

Address: Atlantic Street oceanside (south)

Directions: Near West Martello Tower, just west of the White Street Pier.

Theme: Beach Activities

Website: http://www.clydeskeywest.com/higgs.htm

Garrison Bight Fishing Review

When we lived in Key West, Garrison Bight was the place where all the charter fishing boats were. Since then, an additional road has been built that changes the configuration of the Bight (or harbor) and the City Marina has been changed from Key West Bight (downtown) to Garrison Bight. But the majority of the sports fishing charters are still congregated here.

I'm not into fishing myself, so I have not used any of them.

Below are the boats (and in some cases the captain's name) and the phone numbers of boats headquartered at Garrison Bight

Equipment: Amorous Junior Rendueles City Marina Garrison Bight Key West FL 33040 (305) 296-5375

Can't Miss Party Fishing Boat City Marina Garrison Bight Key West FL 33040 (305) 296-3751

Capt. John's Greyhound V City Marina Garrison Bight Key West FL 33040 (305) 296-5139

Captain Hook Rick Haveland City Marina Garrison Bight Key West FL 33040 (305) 296-0117

Charter Boat Ramerzi City Marina Garrison Bight Key West FL 33040 (305) 294-0803

Grand Slam Craig Jiovani City Marina Garrison Bight Key West FL 33040 (305) 296-8389

Greyhound V John Batillo City Marina Garrison Bight Key West FL 33040 (305) 296-5139

Gulfstream III Party Boat City Marina Garrison Bight Key West FL 33040 (305) 296-8494

Jolly Roger II Joe Mercurio City Marina Garrison Bight Key West FL 33040 (305) 296-8210

Linda D Bill Wickers City Marina Garrison Bight Key West FL 33040 (305) 296-9798

Rampage Charters City Marina Garrison Bight Key West FL 33040 (305) 296-7996

Reef Runner Tony Soldano City Marina Garrison Bight Key West FL 33040 (305) 296-3330

Top Hook Charters City Marina Garrison Bight Key West FL 33040 (305) 294-9679

Wild Bill City Marina Garrison Bight Key West FL 33040 (305) 296-2533

Directions: City Municipal Marina, Garrison Bight, Key West FL 33040

Phone: 305-587-4452

Theme: Fishing Trips