Lazy Dog Adventures Sandbar Charter w/ Paddling in Beautiful Key West

Key West is THE destination for fun experiences in the Florida Keys, and spending a day on the water with Lazy Dog Adventures is a great way to really lean into the fun element. I think of Lazy Dog Adventures for kayaking, but they also do a really fun sandbar and paddle tour that gets you out into the backwaters of Key West, enjoying the nature and freedom of being away from it all. We spent a day going through the mangroves and relaxing on the sandbars, kayaking and paddleboarding in one of the most pristine Florida Keys locations. I loved it.

If you’re planning time in Key West and want to be sure to get the quintessential experience of being out on the water enjoying the sandbars and paddling, I want to point you to Lazy Dog Adventures for it. They’re an awesome team, it’s a women-owned business and they want to make sure everyone has the best time. We’ve got the full scoop on going out with Lazy Dog and exploring the quiet side of Key West. If you have any questions about this or planning your time in the Keys, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more!

Highlights of Lazy Dog Adventures Sandbar Charter

Even though we’re pretty good sports and are always down to go with the flow when we do group tours, I think the privacy and flexibility of being on a charter will always win out. Going out to the Key West sandbars with Lazy Dog Adventures was a great reminder of how different the backwaters of the Keys are in comparison with the places you explore on larger tours. Our guide, Bethany, was all about making sure that we got to have the experience WE wanted and that we got to see multiple places, doing different activities along the way. She made sure that we followed the good weather, that we had plenty of time to swim and snorkel, and even shifted into naturalist mode for some great birdwatching.

Being out on the water with people who love what they do and care deeply about the environment all around them really makes a difference in your experience. Lazy Dog Adventures was awesome from when we first were arranging our Key West sandbar and paddle until we were back safely on the dock. The personal care made planning our trip with them an easy activity choice. And what would a day on the water with Lazy Dog Adventures be if there wasn’t a dog to come along?! I know that there isn’t always a pup when you book a tour to the sandbar or go out kayaking with Lazy Dog, but we were lucky enough to have a buddy, Stanley, come along with us. He was a bonus to the already great experience.

Book a 1/2 Sandbar charter with Lazy Dog Adventures here!

Tips for a Great Sandbar Charter Experience

As you start to plan out your time in Key West and you look at the options for getting out on the water, you’ll see all kinds of different types of trip. Group snorkeling trips are wonderful, but you’re one of many on the boat and you’re very much subjected to time limits and schedules. Booking a sandbar and paddle charter with Lazy Dog Adventures, you’re in charge of the plan (within reason) and you get personal attention that’s very different from larger tours.

Think about what you want from your time out in the backwaters of Key West and tell your charter captain. For us, we told Captain Bethany that we wanted to be able to just veg, to just exist in the quiet shallows out away from the primary tourist area. She knew what we meant and made it happen. We also wanted to have some time paddling, so she had a combination of kayaks and stand up paddleboards ready for us. The glory of having a private charter is getting to choose your activities and pace and the captain knows how to make it happen. If you don’t communicate what you’re interested in and how you want your day to go, you’ll still have a wonderful time, but you might as well make your requests known.

When it comes to scheduling a sandbar charter with Lazy Dog Adventures, know that it’s about a 4 hour experience, so you’ll need to plan the rest of your day accordingly. We did ours in the afternoon so enjoyed an easy morning of driving the Overseas Highway and then had a great lunch at Hurricane Hole (in the same marina) before heading out on the water. Our aim was to have an afternoon of unwinding, so we scheduled our Key West sandbar charter to meet that goal. Lazy Dog Adventures really made our time with them perfectly Florida Keys with the chillness and hospitality.

Being Prepared for a Lazy Dog Adventures Charter

You know I’m always going to start by reminding you to wear reef-safe sunblock. Always put your sunscreen on at least 15 minutes before you’ll need it and let it set before you get in the water. When you’re on the sandbar charter with Lazy Dog Adventures, you’ll have time to apply your reef safe sunblock before you actually are out in the backwaters. Another good idea is to wear a lightweight long sleeve water/sun shirt when you head out on the boat. Lazy Dog Adventures uses a good sized pontoon boat for their sandbar and paddle charters, so there is a fair amount of the deck that is covered by the Bimini (sunshade) but sun exposure happens fast in the Keys and you’ll want to avoid burning, especially if you’re only just starting our your Key West trip.

Don’t forget to bring your towels, snorkels and cameras. While I know not everyone loves to snorkel, when you’re out on the sandbar and you’ve got a chartered experience, you can actually explore some really cool things underwater. The sandy beds are full of interesting crabs, snails and fish, and then if you carefully swim to the edges of the mangrove roots there is even more to see! I like to put my phone in an underwater case for this sort of snorkeling and bring it with me. It’s very different here as opposed to snorkeling out at Sombrero Reef or the sponge gardens of Key West.

I also like to have my big wildlife camera with me when I am out on the water, especially when it’s a calm day on a pontoon boat like the Lazy Dog sandbar trip. This is a great chance to photograph bird and sometimes dolphins and manatees. Being on a small charter, the captain is able to facilitate photography specific to your interests and the wildlife present. I think Captain Bethany turned around at least five times for us to see more birds, stingrays and other cool sights. Such a great time.

Why Choose a Sandbar Charter with Lazy Dog Adventures

Whenever I talk about booking a charter for a snorkeling or sandbar trip, it’s usually met with questions about cost and why we would do that instead of a regular tour. Here’s the scoop: when you add up the cost of 4 or more people doing a larger tour the total price often comes close to the cost of a charter. For example if you had 6 people that you were going to do a 1/2 day snorkel trip on a large boat, that would run around $800+ dollars for the rate plus tax, and then add a gratuity on top of that…

When you’re booking a 1/2 sandbar charter with Lazy Dog Adventures, you’re looking at $150 or so less for the same number of participants, time on the water, similar activities, and PERSONALIZED care. Planning a charter day can actually be a great budget tip for your group. Everyone travels differently though, so talk to your crew and see if you want to do this or something else.

Parking for Lazy Dog Adventures Sandbar Charter

When you’re heading out with Lazy Dog Adventures, you’ll be departing from Hurricane Hole, which is just off the edge of Key West proper. It’s very near the Key West Tropical and Botanical Garden or the hotels on Roosevelt Blvd. There is a good amount of parking at Hurricane Hole, but if you arrive at lunch time, it can be a bit tight, as this is one of the best lunch spots on the water anywhere in Key West. For charter trips of kayaking when you’re already in Key West and you’ve parked at your hotel, Hurricane Hole and Lazy Dog Adventures is a short (10 minutes) Uber ride away, or you can also see if your hotel’s shuttle will bring you. Visitors staying on Stock Island, like at the Perry Hotel and Marina, are just a few minutes’ drive or a twenty minute walk to the dock. Check your map program before you head to your tour to pick your best transportation option.