Islamorada Sandbar

The Florida Keys

The Islamorada sandbar is one of the most famous sandbars in the country and is constantly busy with boaters year-round.

THE LOCATION

The Islamorada sandbar is located on the northern, ocean side of Whaler Harbor Channel in the town of Islamorada in the Florida Keys. It’s easily accessible from both the bayside or Oceanside and is an amazingly busy place throughout almost every weekend of the year.

THE ALLURE

The appeal of the sandbar is the clear, warm water, the white sandy bottom and a party-like atmosphere all wrapped-up in a tropical location. It’s also appealing because of the easy access for both gulf side and ocean side boaters. It’s also popular with tourists because they can easily reach the sandbar using rental boats or shuttles.

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO BOAT IN THE KEYS

CONDITIONS

The conditions are normally calm and the currents aren’t usually bad however, the tide can cause trouble for those who don’t pay attention. In my opinion, this is the perfect place for the boater who wants to party and mingle with others. It’s a super-fun place to visit but with the loud music coming from every boat it’s not the place to take a nap and kick back.

THESE FLOATS ARE IDEAL FOR SANDBARS EVERYWHERE

ANCHORING

Most of the boats try to anchor with the bow facing the channel and use both a bow and stern anchor (or powerpole). As the day goes on more and more boaters arrive and tend to fill in the gaps. As the sandbar get crowded it’s easy to be boxed in if you’re not thinking ahead. It also is why you want to use both anchors to keep the boat from swinging with the tide or wind. In addition, it’s best to anchor just off the shallowest part of the sandbar. That way when the tide goes out your boat is still floating in plenty of water. A few years ago, so many boats found themselves high and dry

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LAT/LONG:
24.93’34”N 80.60’06”W

SETTING:
Sandbar

SAND:
Clean, Hard-Packed Sand

BEST SPOT TO ANCHOR/BEACH:
Along the Northern Side of the Channel

NEARBY RAMP:

Harry Harris County Boat Ramp

CURRENT:
Sometimes (Depending on Tide)

DEPTH:
Shallow

WAVES/WAKES:
Calm but Can Have Wind Chop

FAMILY FRIENDLY:
No

WATER CLARITY:
Very Clear