Any Marine techs in Florida??

[allpointsmarine]

So i have been thinking of relocating for a few years, prob 4/5yrs. My father lives in the Englewood area, and my brother lives outside Tampa. I live in Mass.. Cape Cod area. And like i said want to get out of this state bad, but of coarse nothings ever easy. I currently own and operate my own business here and winters suck of coarse and then other seasons too busy to think and enjoy life at all. So my question is.... i am sure a million guys from northern areas think same way as i do but i am really sick of all the BS .
with that i ask the big question
Would i be busy in FLA? and what is the real pay rate there? not sure i would do my own business there, i did apply two years ago when visiting at a marine max in sarasota area but could move fast enough to keep promise, should have.
ok i am opening myself up for a beating here i know, so please go easy :cheers:

[allpointsmarine]

i guess i shoulda said i am a marine tech, 18yrs in the business, 3 years owned my own business

[wotjohn]

I have been a outboard tech in the tampa bay area for 25 yrs.the going rate for outboard repair is from $60 to $97 hr .the mobile guys are cheaper .I make $30 hr flate rate. the best thing to do is open your own shop.

[Tom Foley]

There is definitely room for good outboard mechanics / diagnosticians in FL . BTW the weather is pretty good !

[VectorPat]

Stick to the coastal areas. I have been in the central fla area for 34 years and I am making less than I was 10 yrs ago. Its still slow here but the Tampa/St Pete area seems to be ok

[JPEROG]

The guys that want to work are busy..I have a friend that came down 2 years ago, put flyers out at the ramps and marine supply stores etc. for 4 months consistently to get started and he has since bought a building and is out 3 weeks non-stop. His biggest issue is getting guys that want to work and take pride in what they do. 2nd issue was getting used to dealing with salt water abused pigs that people create from neglect. The work ethic is not what it is where I came from but it sure is a great place to live, a lot good people, and there is opportunity for sure.

Joe

[Ally25]

There is a small Evinrude dealership here in Keystone Hts. Fla. that is for sale. The owners health is not good, and have been trying to sell out the business they have owned for years. It is located about 50m S W of Jax. Fla. You would not have to deal with to many saltwater crusted motors being in N central Fla. They always seem to be busy with work. E-mail if you would like for me to get more information on the shop. Ricky [email protected]

[allpointsmarine]

Hey JPEROG,
where is your friends business located?
I have heard the Tampa st pete area is busy, my bro lives in that area he aint no tech either lol
My thoughts were to move there and try to work for or with someone, to get used to the area, and i am kinda used to salty crap they are up here too. may not be as bad but have dealt with.
i would love to open my own business right out the gate just to risky with kids and wife to support
any ideas on good places to look/work and is timing a big deal.? like should i move over the summer or does that not matter either
thanks for the input, helps.

[JPEROG]

Boating almost comes to a halt in Dec. Jan. and Feb. (not for me I like going out with a sweatshirt and having no water patrol on the river), my friends shop is near Titusville. Things are much busier down here then in most areas of the country. There are 1000 people a day that move into the greater Orlando area alone. Anytime you have growth, you have opportunity. As I said, if you have drive to survive, you will make it down here. Tampa/St. Pete has some nice areas but it is also a decent size city (traffic, crime, and everything that comes with a bigger city). I am on the East side 100 miles South of Jacksonville and I love it here.

Joe

[allpointsmarine]

seems that marine maxx is the sh!t down there.. any thoughts
like i said, need to get a job (yukk) then open business after getting settled
maybe im thinking too safe

[merctech5591]

seems that marine maxx is the sh!t down there.. any thoughts
like i said, need to get a job (yukk) then open business after getting settled
maybe im thinking too safe

marine maxx is a very large company.. only downside to that is you are more of a number than a person. I have always worked for the mom and pop dealership and are always treated like family more than a number. This is just my experiance. Get you resume together and drive the town and see what options are availible. I can tell you in houston tx , good techs are far and few between. in the last 7 years i have had 1 good tech all the others were just parts and oil changers..

[Capt.Insane-o]

I can't wait to move.

[allpointsmarine]

:iagree:

[merctech5591]

I can't wait to move.

that make 3 of us.. I moved to houston almost 7 years ago.. been working for the same dealership since.. Its just time to get back to miami and enjoy life again.. will be back to miami in july. :thumbsup:

[payments due]

Depending on where in the state you wanna go, I'm in North Florida and the fishing boats are busy here! In my little hole in the wall county there are several marinas and shops that are busy! In North Florida your best bet is Destin or Panama city area! In central Florida its Tampa or boca grande

[allpointsmarine]

whats the typical pay down there?

[allpointsmarine]

:cheers: