Sandbar packing guide

What to Bring on a Key West Sandbar Charter

Updated July 28, 2026

Sandbar packing has one governing principle: you're provisioning a stationary day in full sun with no shore services. The boat is your infrastructure — everything else you either bring, confirm the captain provides, or do without.

One captain-text before packing saves half this list: 'What's provided, what's the cooler policy, any glass or alcohol rules?' Then fill the gaps below.

The short answer

Sun kit (reef-safe mineral sunscreen, rash guards, hats, water shoes), a cooler with more water than seems reasonable plus real food, towels and dry clothes in a dry bag, and floats if the boat doesn't carry them. Confirm provided gear before duplicating it, and leave glass, valuables and anything unfloatable at the hotel.

Sun kit — the non-negotiables

Reef-safe mineral sunscreen, applied before boarding and reapplied after water time
Rash guards or swim shirts for everyone staying in the water long (that's everyone)
Brimmed hats with chin straps or clips — wind owns the unsecured
Sunglasses, polarized if you have them; the glare comes from above and below
Water shoes — shell fragments and seagrass are part of a real sandbar
Lip balm with SPF; the forgotten burn everyone gets once

Cooler and provisions

Water: a bottle per person per hour is the honest budget in summer
Electrolyte options for kids who won't drink plain water all day
Real food, not just chips — salt water manufactures appetites
Cans and plastic only; glass is banned on most boats and awful on sandbars
Ice, plus a small separate bag for drinks people grab constantly
Trash bags — everything you float in with floats back out with you

Comfort and play

Floats and mats if the boat doesn't provide (confirm — many do)
A mask and snorkel for the curious; seagrass edges hold rays and starfish
Towels plus a full change of dry clothes for the ride home
Dry bag for phones, keys, meds; waterproof phone case with leash for photographers
Portable speaker if your group's the music type — with awareness the water carries sound
For kids: buckets and scoops beat electronics on a sandbar, every time

Leave behind

Glass anything — near-universal boat rule and a bare-feet hazard
Jewelry; the sandbar keeps what it takes
Valuables beyond one card and ID in the dry bag
Spray sunscreens (deck-slick, neighbor-misting, often banned)
The illusion that one water bottle covers a person for five hours

Frequently asked questions

Can we bring alcohol?

Many private charters allow adult drinks in cans within reason — the captain's rules and judgment govern, and shared trips vary widely. Ask explicitly before packing, drink like you're spending hours in sun (hydrate double), and let the captain's word be final without pushback. It's their license.

What do we do with wallets and phones while everyone's in the water?

Consolidate into one dry bag, stowed where the captain suggests — someone's usually near the boat, and reputable crews handle this daily. Bring the minimum: one card, one ID, the phones. The less aboard, the less to think about.