Sandbar Charter

About This Trip

The Sandbar Charter is a half day on the shallow water around Sebastian Inlet, built for people who want to swim, wade and look around rather than fish. It is a private charter for up to six guests on a 26′ Avenger bay boat, so the day belongs to your group.

Captain Richard runs to the sandbars that suit the tide that day. At low water the bars come up out of the lagoon as bright shallow flats where you can stand in knee-deep water a long way from shore. The boat anchors up, people get in, and the pace is entirely yours — some groups swim for two hours, some want to keep moving and see more of the water.

Because it is shallow, clear and protected, this is one of the easier trips to take with children or with anyone who is not confident on a boat. There is no ocean crossing and no rough water on a normal day.

What’s Included

• Private half day charter — just your group, up to 6 guests
• 26′ Avenger bay boat with a USCG-licensed Master captain
• Life jackets and all required safety gear
• Swimming and wading time on the sandbars
• Wildlife viewing on the way — dolphins, manatees, sea turtles and rays

What to Bring

Swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and a hat are the essentials. Water shoes help on the bars, where the bottom is a mix of firm sand and shell. Bring drinks and snacks if you want them — alcohol is fine in moderation, but no hard liquor and cans or plastic only, no glass on board. A dry bag for phones is a good idea.

What You’ll See

The shallows around the inlet are some of the richest water in the Indian River Lagoon. Dolphins work the channel edges and frequently come through the sandbar area. Manatees graze the seagrass and surface to breathe within easy view. Rays glide across the sand flats, and in summer sea turtles are common — this coast sits alongside the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, one of the world’s most important sea turtle nesting beaches.

Best Time of Year

Late spring through early autumn is the core sandbar season, when the water is warm enough to stay in for long stretches and the bars are most inviting. Summer gives the warmest water and the best turtle sightings. Autumn is quieter and still comfortable. Winter trips run and the wildlife is still there, but the water is cold for swimming, so most winter groups treat it as a scenic and wildlife trip rather than a swimming one.

Who This Trip Suits

Families with children, groups who want a relaxed day rather than a fishing day, visitors who want to see the lagoon, and anyone who would rather be in the water than casting into it. Minimum age is 2. No experience needed.

More to explore: the spoil islands between Sebastian Inlet and Vero Beach.

Bachelor or bachelorette weekend? party boat days for groups up to 18.