Florida - East coast vs West coast

[Powerplay25]

Hey all you Florida guys. Which side of Florida has the best boating? I've been on the East and West coast a number of times and love both areas. Just wanted some of the locals opinions. Where are the best spots?

[RNM018]

WOW , This ought to get interesting . Sure glad I live in the midle ! I say it depents on what kind of running your looking to do . And if you don't mind salt . Personally , I don't do salt . So it's all about rivers and lakes for me . Seeing as how I live 2 miles from the St. Johns River ,it's kind of a No Brainer . Rich Martin 018

[Hottrucks]

I like the west coast better myself but also you have to consider north or south too??? no offence but the east coast people are nicer..and more layed back but mostly it will be about where you want to run

[JUPITER PULSARE]

I like the clear ocean water better than the murkey gulf water or black river water. So my vote is the east coast or south east (keys) area.

[Tom Foley]

Gulf waters up by me are gin - clear unless there is a major wind event . When we shallow water grouper fish here in Oct - Nov - and Dec ...you can see the fish eat the bait . Sometimes you think you are in the Bahamas its so clear !!
West coast waters seem to be very calm as well with any East winds. I live in Hudson which is about 30 miles north of Clearwater . We are very lucky to have many beautiful white sand barrier islands that really make for some great beaching and partying .

[JR IN JAX]

It is all good [actually the best there is], middle, left, right and bottom. It really depends on how big your rig is. The East coast needs bigger rigs for the rougher water. The keys need smaller rigs for the shallows. The Gulf is mostly calm enough for medium sized rigs and the Rivers/Lakes/ICW are good for the 20' speedsters.

[Powerplay25]

When I bought my boat five years ago, I flew into Tampa and water tested it on Tampa Bay. That is one big bay! It almost seemed like I was out in the ocean. Plenty of room to run.

I've got a friend of a friend who trailer's his Checkmate Pulsar from this area down to Florida and runs it on the St. John's river. I've heard it's nice, never been there.

[Ziemer]

With the Pantera, we like the West Coast.

Allison likes the St. Johns, Kissimmee River, and our back yard.

[JR IN JAX]

The St Johns is well worth the drive. The top is salt marshes, ports, restaurants, hotels and marinas. The middle is calm with no speed limits and a few hotel/marinas. The South is huge lakes, beautiful springs, then Palm trees but few marinas. Eventually it winds into shallows and Everglades [no marinas].

Top to lower middle is a full days trip at 80+ MPH.

Then you need to go to the Suwannee which is just as good....

[SFRacing]

there is a reason so many of the East coasters are moing to the west coast and a reason no west coasters are moving to the east coast. Actually, lots of reasons.

[Corona Mike]

If you don't mind the salt.....The Keys!! you can throw a rock from the east to the west! Best of all worlds!

[GDM]

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it is a matter of taste , you cant go wrong on either side

last winter i was there for a month and i went out of venice beach/sarasota , tampa , key west , islamarada key , miami

miami , the keys and ,tampa/clearwater area stick out in my head as great boating


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[Reaction19]

from the keys on up to haulover inlet. best women and hardest partiers. and a night life on the boat. plenty of flats and long straight aways. keys water is the closest thing to the water in the bahamas as far as clarity goes.

[JR IN JAX]

Florida is hard on your boat, a 100+ mile round trip is almost nothing on a Saturday during the Summer.

You also need to check the Ft walton/Destin/Panama City area which is just as much fun. They are just now digging out from all of the hurricanes of several years ago.

Don't forget West Palm/Jupiter which has some of the best drift diving in the world....

If you DO come down from up North, be sure to take back several NY/NJ/MASS liberals [conservatives can stay] when you leave [if you can hold your nose that long on the way home]. We would be greatly in debt to ya'll and it will make Florida a better place...

[Instigator]

Just don't tell any other Northerner's

The inland rivers and lakes that I've played on so far are awesome but personally I can't imagine living down here w/o playing in the salt.
Most of that has already been mentioned.

When I lived on the west coast we spent ALL of our time playing in/around the islands north of Captiva starting at North Captiva.
From their north are protected/un-spoiled islands that are ALL beach!
It's also a great run to start at Ft.Myers Beach and head north from there.
Vactioned there mutiple times in a condo w/a dock and been all over! If it's choppy, stay in the I.C.
If it's nice, run the gulf.