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Saw This RDPer in the Florida Keys Today. MTI Porn.

beaverretriever

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The second I saw this boat I knew it was El Gaupo! We were anchored on Islamorada Sandbar then headed out and saw him cruise by with a bunch of other million dollar hardware boats. So bitchen!!!! I can only dream. @El Guapo
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And a couple of our shots of our lowlife day :(
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Our POS rental. hahaha. What a hunk of junk.
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I won't lie; i was so fricken sketched out driving a boat down here. It's so shallow everywhere it scared the shit out if me. I guess guys with the go fast boats stick tk gps running the intercostal just don't worry about it. But again, it sketched me out bad. I was so afraid to drive anywhere.
 
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DC-88

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We just rented the same exact POS last weekend on the gulf side, but the GPS onboard and the charts they gave me at the rental place were $money$ . We covered a lot of water, and threaded a couple inlets with seriously shallow 1' depths for hundreds of yards all around the channels but we all thought it was a blast. I've taken boats out of Morro bay and other west coast harbors a bit, but was also nervous at first due to the zillion markers and shallow depths everywhere. Didn't want to end up on qualified captain :D
 

G. Faulk

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My first time 12 years ago doing a Keys trip, the inside, same, fully sketched out I wouldn't do it without GPS.

Makes you have mad respect for the boaters a long time ago getting through it without GPS.

First time I was on that sand bar and I know there's Sharks everywhere in FL, I seen some large lemons and Hammer head Sharks there. Just cruising by 30' away while I had my drink in my hand.

Have fun, my second favorite place to boat.
 
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H20 Toie

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I won't lie; i was so fricken sketched out driving a boat down here. It's so shallow everywhere it scared the shit out if me. I guess guys with the go fast boats stick tk gps running the intercostal just don't worry about it. But again said:
It is scary as hell first couple of times running down there, i was lucky my first time i took my Cigarette from miami to key west i had Tank with me and we ran with two other boats. After a couple of trips i was the one that people would follow.
 

beaverretriever

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Man, I must just be a dipshit. I really need to learn all the ins and outs of the waterways there and learn how to use the markers better.

My wife got some shots of all the Skaters and MTIs flying by. It was incredible. Really need to get her to make more money so we can buy one!

Few more photos of the trip. Spent a week here. We spent all of our time on Iamorada this time. We usually go further south to Key West but wanted a change. A photo of our resort from a paddleboard.
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This guy didn't get me but his little brother did! Ouch. No I didnt pee on myself.
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So weird to be off shore this far and able to stand up and walk around.
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HubbaHubbaLife

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Glad you guys are enjoying the gulf coast & glades. My dad was born/ raised in Tampa/ St Pete so us kids spent lots of great times in the region in winters. I'd drive my bike in college from Gainesville to Key West on breaks with my girlfriend and we'd camp on a key free as birds, wake up naked and pretty much stay that way most of the day... 1980 in keys was awfully naked and free with extraordinary YaYo. Happy to hear Key West still rocks super chill. If I could rid myself of the SoCal folks and plug in some Fla gulf coasters I'd be one happy cat.
 

beaverretriever

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Glad you guys are enjoying the gulf coast & glades. My dad was born/ raised in Tampa/ St Pete so us kids spent lots of great times in the region in winters. I'd drive my bike in college from Gainesville to Key West on breaks with my girlfriend and we'd camp on a key free as birds, wake up naked and pretty much stay that way most of the day... 1980 in keys was awfully naked and free with extraordinary YaYo. Happy to hear Key West still rocks super chill. If I could rid myself of the SoCal folks and plug in some Fla gulf coasters I'd be one happy cat.


Haha, Key West is still pretty wild and free but not quite as hippie as you may remember it. Cost is just so high there it weeds out a lot of the free spirit. Love the Keys and I almost took a job there last year but we still love the West Coast. Not sure if I could live there full time. We have looked a places to buy eventually but who knows if that will ever happen.
 

RodnJen

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Haha, Key West is still pretty wild and free but not quite as hippie as you may remember it. Cost is just so high there it weeds out a lot of the free spirit. Love the Keys and I almost took a job there last year but we still love the West Coast. Not sure if I could live there full time. We have looked a places to buy eventually but who knows if that will ever happen.

We visited the Keys for a day last year during a week in Miami. We definitely want to make a family trip back there for several days.

My questions are does one Key offer more for families than others? And, do you or anyone else recommend a particular resort? We usually use VRBO but a resort property may offer more for the kids. I understand there may be properties that offer both.
 

El Guapo

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The second I saw this boat I knew it was El Gaupo! We were anchored on Islamorada Sandbar then headed out and saw him cruise by with a bunch of other million dollar hardware boats. So bitchen!!!! I can only dream. @El Guapo View attachment 830879

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And a couple of our shots of our lowlife day :(
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Our POS rental. hahaha. What a hunk of junk.
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I won't lie; i was so fricken sketched out driving a boat down here. It's so shallow everywhere it scared the shit out if me. I guess guys with the go fast boats stick tk gps running the intercostal just don't worry about it. But again, it sketched me out bad. I was so afraid to drive anywhere.

So cool of you guys to wave us down to say hi. Bummed we were in such a hurry trying to get back to Miami for a dinner reservation. It would have been nice to visit with you guys.

November Key west run was my 1st time in the Ocean and in the keys. I was so sketched out too. It’s nerve-racking when you look to your left and someone is standing on a sandbar as you are going by on plane in the channel. Lol

For any family looking to vacation in the keys, there are some great places for families in the Key Largo area. I was told the resorts are really nice and very family-friendly.

Happy New Year to ya,

Bo
 
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4Waters

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Man, I must just be a dipshit. I really need to learn all the ins and outs of the waterways there and learn how to use the markers better.

My wife got some shots of all the Skaters and MTIs flying by. It was incredible. Really need to get her to make more money so we can buy one!

Few more photos of the trip. Spent a week here. We spent all of our time on Iamorada this time. We usually go further south to Key West but wanted a change. A photo of our resort from a paddleboard.
View attachment 831123

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This guy didn't get me but his little brother did! Ouch. No I didnt pee on myself.
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So weird to be off shore this far and able to stand up and walk around.
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Portuguese man-o-war, you were probably hit by one, the tentacles are long and can still sting if they have been detached.
 

El Guapo

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Portuguese man-o-war, you were probably hit by one, the tentacles are long and can still sting if they have been detached.

There are a ton of Portuguese man-o-war’s in the area. My kiddo got stung this trip. We were floating in StiltsVille & the kiddo was on the back of our boat with his feet in the water, boom. He drug it up on the back of our boat screaming.
Yep, I officially peed on my child! Only his foot tho... lol
 

HubbaHubbaLife

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El Guapo.... Lots of financial tax benefits associated with residing in good ole FLA, but living there comes with extremes as you most likely are witnessing. I grew up accustomed to that heat/ humidity but since relocating to SoCal I've become a weather princess. Next you have to factor in the critters in residence; I have yet to see a mosquito in SoCal and nobody here knows what OFF bug spray is, ha. I tell my Fla buddies we're too wealthy to allow bugs here, lol. My dad took his shotgun out to his Tampa Bay golf course one drunk night in '78 and shot a gator that was too frequently messin round near one of the greens. Different times/ Different behaviors. I'll most likely marry again and move to Fla. as I age a bit more. The Gulf Coast folk are southern and hard to improve upon. Enjoy.
 

4Waters

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El Guapo.... Lots of financial tax benefits associated with residing in good ole FLA, but living there comes with extremes as you most likely are witnessing. I grew up accustomed to that heat/ humidity but since relocating to SoCal I've become a weather princess. Next you have to factor in the critters in residence; I have yet to see a mosquito in SoCal and nobody here knows what OFF bug spray is, ha. I tell my Fla buddies we're too wealthy to allow bugs here, lol. My dad took his shotgun out to his Tampa Bay golf course one drunk night in '78 and shot a gator that was too frequently messin round near one of the greens. Different times/ Different behaviors. I'll most likely marry again and move to Fla. as I age a bit more. The Gulf Coast folk are southern and hard to improve upon. Enjoy.

Mosquitoes here in Socal and mosquitoes in Florida are two different beasts, the ones in Florida could carry away a small dog. LOL
 

HubbaHubbaLife

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So true... and let's not even tell folks about the Palmetto Bugs! License plates needed.
 

El Guapo

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Sorry El Guapo... that response goes to Beaver Retriever on vaca in your hood. You already know this stuff as a resident.

No buddy, we wish we were residence! This is our 1st year boating down there. I found your post very informative. I didn’t know about the tax breaks.
Thanks for the info.
 

fmo24

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No buddy, we wish we were residence! This is our 1st year boating down there. I found your post very informative. I didn’t know about the tax breaks.
Thanks for the info.
No state income tax and vehicle registration is unbelievably inexpensive. Our 40 ft moho was roughly 200 dollars for two years. CA would be thousands for one year. LOL we full time but established domicile here in Fl for the breaks. Wintering down here this year
 

Ziggy

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Wife and I have been tossing the idea around of being snowbirds in Fl.
Posts and pics like these make me think even harder so thanks for sharing.
I do enjoy my worldly travels and learning about other people, cultures and climates. Makes us truly appreciate what we have at home and takes the blinders off our pinhole views of the tiny bubble we consider "normal".
 

HubbaHubbaLife

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No buddy, we wish we were residence! This is our 1st year boating down there. I found your post very informative. I didn’t know about the tax breaks.
Thanks for the info.
El Guapo.... Of course & thanks ...you'd be blown away at how much less expensive Fla is if you're a Cali based family and considering bailing on the left coast in the future. I live in an affluent SoCal coastal neighborhood for 30 years now and have become somewhat conditioned to the expense levels over time. The gulf of Fla down to Tampa region was always known as the Redneck Riviera to us locals, but thats a local reference used in my past. I've heard housing there has become higher end in cost over the past 20 years. You understand how that goes on any coastal property.
 

beaverretriever

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One thing you notice is there are zero boats with Merc engines. The only Merc engine I saw in a week was El Gaupo's group of MTIs. Yamaha basically dominates.

If we evwr get a place down there I would get a 22 to 24 foot center console. Perfect size for almost anything down there most of the time. Honestly there are tons of bay boats and flats boats running too, but they don't get too far out from the shallow water.
 
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