Let’s just say you’re driving down Route 1 in Florida and you’re ready to party.
It’s always nice to have good friends down there, but your best friend to have is a friend with a boat.
Now there are outfitters all over the state that specialize in Sandbar Partying that supply almost anything you might need like food and drinks that know when and where to go cause you have to watch the tides. Most sandbars are completely underwater during high tides, but emerge as dry strips of land when the tide goes out.
Remember, Florida is a peninsula surrounded by water on both sides, so year round Sandbar Parties are always rocking somewhere.
Sandbar Partying is simply a floating laid-back social gathering where boaters anchor their vessels in shallow offshore waters to swim, listen to music and just hang out and have fun.
Vessels tie up closely together and people use giant rafts, paddle boards, surfboards, kayaks and fun inflatables to get around the boats.
There’s grilling onboard, cold beverages from the coolers and a festive atmosphere with competing sound systems from different boats as they crank up the tunes.
Don’t be surprised to see a “food boat” pull up selling edible delights just as a food truck might arrive on land. There was a guy with a pizza oven doing a busy business the last time we went.
Just bring a happy attitude and be ready to make new friends. Expect a stranger to approach with a boat drink in hand and strike up a conversation.
You’ll see people set up with lounge chairs and umbrellas right in the water. We’ve seen jet ski rentals, assorted water toys, people playing volleyball, bouncing on trampolines, you name it.
During football season, you’ll see a lot of large screen televisions.
People come there to check out other people’s boats too, so you’ll see an occasional For Sale sign.
We have been to Sandbar Parties from Jacksonville to Key West but our favorite are the ones around Islamorada and further south to Key West.
So soak up some sun with some island sounds and a cold one, and yes, people bring their dogs too.







