Should I bring a hard suitcase to Sea Base?

No. Soft-sided duffel bags are strongly recommended because storage space aboard sailboats is extremely limited.

What shoes work best for Sea Base Islamorada sailing?

Quick-drying sandals, water shoes, or deck shoes with good grip work best for Sea Base sailing adventures.

Do I need seasickness medication for Sea Base?

Many participants benefit from bringing seasickness medication, especially during the first day on the water.

Should I bring my own snorkel gear to Sea Base?

Participants are generally expected to bring their own mask and snorkel. Full-face snorkel masks are not allowed.

Florida Keys Best Coral Reef Snorkling and Diving Locations!

The Florida Keys are home to Earth's second largest coral reef, after Australia's Great Barrier Reef. There are so many amazing snorkeling and diving locations in the Keys and so much to see. You'll see reef sharks, nurse sharks, vibrant corals, rays, barracudas galore, rainbow parrot fish, midnight parrot fish and sea turtles. But where to go, specifically? Here are the locations, as described by professional dive and snorkling organizations and past Sea Base participants. many recent participants' experiences!

Best snorkeling locations

Let's start with the map and the provide descriptions after it!:

Here are some of the top locations that Sea Base crews often visit. Looe Key Reef And there's even an Interactive Keys Snorkeling Map on NOAA.

Looe Key Reef - an AMAZING reef for snorkeling which immense diversity of life. Looe Key Reef is a spectacular, protected coral reef located 7 miles offshore of Big Pine Key and Ramrod Key in the lower Florida Keys. It is one of the most vibrant sections of the Florida Reef Tract. It has abundant marine life, including sharks, groupers, and diverse hard and soft corals. The depth varies from 7 to 15-foot waters ideal for snorkeling, to deep 30 to 90-foot spur-and-groove formations perfect for scuba diving. The reef gets its name from the British warship HMS Loo, which sank on the reef in 1744.
Alligator Reef was named after the sunken USS Alligator and is located 4 miles off Islamorada. It generally ranges in depth from 10 to 35 feet, with many spots around 20 to 25 feet, although some areas are as shallow as 8 feet. The reef features vibrant coral formations surrounding the 136-foot Alligator Reef Lighthouse. The shallow 10-to-20-foot living coral barrier reef boasts over 500 marine species! It is located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
In November 1822, the USS Alligator, a U.S. Navy schooner on patrol to suppress piracy and protect merchant convoys in the Caribbean, ran aground on a shallow reef four miles off what is now Islamorada. Unable to free the ship, the crew burned and sank her deliberately. The Alligator Reef Lighthouse, a 136-foot iron skeleton structure, was completed in 1873.
Hens and Chickens Reef - is a shallow 106-acre patch reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary just off Plantation Key in Islamorada. Accessible only by boat, it is famous for its distinct cluster of coral heads resembling a mother hen and her chicks. Depths range from 5 to 35 feet. The site is highly popular for snorkeling and diving due to its calm waters and unique topography. It features a maze of coral mounds, purple sea fans, and abundant marine life including ESA-listed star and brain corals. You can also explore the "Brick Wreck," an unnamed barge that broke free in July 1949 and sits just next to the main light tower
Cheeca Rocks - Just to be confusing, aka, The Donut Hole at Cheeca Rocks (because there is another donut hole at Patch Reef) is ocated one mile directly off Upper Matecumbe (Islamorada area). It is a smaller "Donut" than the one at Patch Reef and is part of French Reef (near Key Largo and Islamorada). It is 5” to 25” deep and 100 yards in diameter.
The Donut Hole at P atch Reef - It is off North Grassy Key (between Marathon and Duck Key).
It is a shallow, sunlit reef ranging from 15 to 30 feet in depth.
The reef's donut shape (with a sandy "hole" in the center) makes it exceptionally easy to navigate around.
There are beautiful coral formations at this reef.
Dive sites provide more information about this spot.
John Pennekamp State Park -
102601 Overseas Highway (MM 102.5), Key Largo, FL 33037.
Phone: (305) 451-6300. The park, known for incredible snorkeling, is a destination in itself. My scout crews spend time here before or after Sea Base. See this link: John Pennekamp for much more information. There is a pizza place nearby that opens at 11am daily and delivers to John Pennekamp for the Sea Base boat crews. It's called
- Tower Of Pizza - 100600 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo, FL 33037
  Phone: (305) 451-146.
  Scouts love the pizza and adults love the other food they have, also.