Travel Planning
Arrival Time
All crews should try to arrive at Sea Base or the Brinton Center between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. of their arrival day. Crews arriving before 1 p.m. will be on their own to feed and entertain themselves as we are still preparing for their arrival; dinner is at 6 p.m. and is the first meal provided. Please provide us with an accurate estimate of your arrival time. This should be noted on your crew roster.
Departure Time
All crews my leave as early as they want on their last day and must depart by 11 a.m. so we can get ready for the next crew arrivals. Breakfast will be served at 8 a.m. but crews can arrange for an early breakfast.
Organize Information
Please verify that your reservation is correct. Is the number of people correct? Are your arrival and departure dates correct? Is the fee correct? If you have any questions, please call the Sea Base office at (305) 664-4173.
Budget
Plan for travel expenses. Include money for overnight stops, meals, charts, side trips, souvenirs, and emergencies. Most individuals spend $100 to $150 for personal expenses during their week.
Tour Plan
All crews must complete a BSA Tour Plan. The plan must be approved by your local council. You must have a copy of the Tour Plan with you when travelling. Crews will not be able to begin their adventure without a tour plan. A separate tour plan is required for each crew if they are on different adventures or travelling on different days.
Please note that different crews on different adventures or adventure days need different Tour Plans. If you have one crew arriving on a Saturday, and another crew arriving on a Sunday, you need two separate tour plans. Each crew checking in will be asked for a copy of their approved Tour Plan.
Additional Planning Aids
To aid you in your pre-trip planning, we suggest that you do not rely only on the information that you will receive from Sea Base. Some other reference material might include merit badge pamphlets on Lifesaving (#3278), Swimming (#3229), and First Aid (#3276). Your Scoutmaster’s Handbook (#6501), Fieldbook (#3200), the Boy Scout Handbook (#3227), and the Guide to Safe Scouting (#34416) can also be helpful.
Your Travel Arrangements
Traveling from home to the Sea Base can be an adventure in itself. Most crews find that the transportation is the largest part of their unit’s expense. For this reason, it is important to study all of the various modes of travel available before choosing the one that is most enjoyable and affordable for your crew. BSA publication #3734, Tours and Expeditions, may provide you with assistance in planning your trip and filling out the tour permit application.
Due to logistical and insurance considerations, Sea Base does not provide transportation from the airport to the Base. There are several ways to “get here from there”:
Airport |
Distance to Sea Base |
Distance to Brinton Center |
Notes |
Miami International |
2 hours |
3 hours |
Connecting flights to Bahamas also. |
Fort Lauderdale |
2.5 hours |
3.5 hours |
Connecting flights to Bahamas also. Sometimes flights are cheaper. North of Miami airport. |
W. Palm Beach |
3.5 hours |
4.5 hours |
North of Fort Lauderdale airport. |
Marathon Airport |
45 minutes |
45 minutes |
Smaller commuter airport in the middle Keys. |
Key West |
1.5 hours |
half-hour |
Some domestic flights. Located in the Lower Keys. |
Air Travel
You have a variety of travel options available for your trip. Listed above are the airports serving South Florida. Depending on your adventure, you will want to know the best way to get to your destination. Crews attending a Scuba Certification, Scuba Adventure, Scuba Live-Aboard, Coral Reef Adventure, or Sea Exploring Adventure will be traveling to Sea Base, located on Lower Matecumbe Key at mile marker 73.8. For crews participating in the Out Island Adventure, Keys Adventure, or Florida Fishing Adventure, you will be traveling to the Brinton Environmental Center on Summerland Key at mile marker 23.8.
For crews participating in scuba programs, plan your return flights accordingly. After a scuba dive, you must not fly for at least 18 hours. To avoid any possibility of decompression sickness, your departing flight for home should be scheduled for 8 a.m. or later.
Travel Tip! With the airlines charging $25 or more for a checked bag these days more and more people are going strictly “carry on”. However, as we all know there’s a list of things you can’t carry on, such as liquids over 3 ounces, pocket or filet knives, etc. Our suggestion is that you have your whole crew mark and bag their items that aren’t allowed in the cabin, combine them in one suitcase and the check only one bag! Then they can carry on their clothes, etc. and the cost is significantly reduced!
Private Vehicles are often the most economical mode of travel to Sea Base. Cars or vans loaned to the unit by family members, churches, or private businesses can be a great expense saver. Check with your local council for the availability of buses owned by troops in your area. Parking is available at the Sea Base.
Chartered Buses are a very convenient mode of travel. Buses can pick your group up at a central location in your town, and drop you off right at the Sea Base. Great flexibility can also be afforded with buses, because you could take other side trips in addition to your Sea Base adventure. Charter bus parking is not available here, and we do not have accommodations for bus drivers.
Auto Rentals and Shuttle Services
The staff of the Florida Sea Base has researched and provided the enclosed travel information to help you plan an exciting and safe trip to Sea Base. (All information was current at the time of publication.) It is the responsibility of each crew to contact and contract its own means of transportation to Sea Base. None of these companies are affiliated with the Florida National High Adventure Sea Base or the Boy Scouts of America and the Boy Scouts of America assumes no responsibility for the quality or reliability of these carriers.
Bus, tour, taxi, and limo services also have service to the Keys from the airports. For your convenience, a list of their phone numbers follows:
Blue Sky Adventures (877) 225-8375
Davis Tours (954) 472-2858
Emerald Transportation Service (800) 524-7894
Greyhound Bus Lines (800) 410-5397
Keys Shuttle (305) 289-9997
Southern Bus Lines (888) 352-2873
To 'n' Fro (305) 852-4514
Auto-rental agencies have locations near most of the airports on the mainland, and in the Keys. For your convenience, the phone numbers for rental car agencies are:
Avis
(800) 331-1212
Budget
(800) 527-0700
Enterprise (800) 325-8007
Sea Base staff will assist you with a shuttle for your rental car return and pickup. From Sea Base MM 74 to the Marathon Airport ONLY. From Brinton Center MM 24 to Key West Airport ONLY. Please ensure that your rental car can be dropped and picked up at the appropriate airport. Sea Base staff cannot assist with rental returns at other locations. The Sea Base courtesy shuttle van is only available after 4:30 p.m. on your arrival day.
Traveling from the Miami Airport
It is approximately a two-hour trip by car to Florida Sea Base and three hours to the Brinton Center. If you are renting vehicles, take the appropriate rental car bus to the rental center. Ask for directions to Highway 836, also known as the Dolphin Expressway. Follow 836 west to Turnpike exit. The Florida Turnpike is a toll road, and you will pass through three toll gates at $1 apiece. If you’re traveling from the Fort Lauderdale airport, you will pass through four toll gates. Take the Turnpike south; it ends in Florida City (last city on the mainland) and turns into U.S. 1. Continue south on U.S. 1. You will cross an 18-mile stretch of the Florida Everglades on this road, and then you will come to the first Florida Key, Key Largo, at mile marker 106. (Key West, the southernmost point, is located at MM 0.)
Continue south through several islands linked by the highway: Plantation Key, Windley Key, Upper Matecumbe (which is known as Islamorada), and finally Lower Matecumbe, the island where Sea Base is located. You are looking for MM 74 at the south end of Lower Matecumbe. If you cross one more bridge, you’ve gone too far. The landmark on your left (across the street from Sea Base) will be a large rhinoceros (yes, a rhino) atop a sign for Caloosa Cove. Turn right onto Toll Gate Shores Blvd. Sea Base is on both sides of this road. A very quick left will take you to a one-story building with an “office” sign. Our staff will be waiting for you!
If you are going to Brinton Environmental Center, continue south on U.S. 1 another 50 miles. You will pass through Marathon, over the 7 Mile bridge and through Big Pine Key. The Brinton Center is just past MM 24 on the south end of Summerland Key. There is a left-hand turn lane that leads into Brinton. Park in the turnaround in front of the main building. Our staff will be waiting for you.
Additional information about the Florida Keys and its various offerings can be obtained from the local chamber of commerce offices.
Islamorada Chamber of Commerce: (800) 322-5397; http://www.islamoradachamber.com
Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce: (800) 872-3722; http://www.lowerkeyschamber.com
Key West Chamber of Commerce: (800) 648-6269; http://www.keywestchamber.com
TRANSPORTING SCOUTS SAFELY
Do all you can to keep Scouts safe …
- Always use seatbelts
- Turn your headlights on for safety
- Don’t drive fatigued
- Load-hitch-tow trailers correctly
- Avoid night driving
Driver’s Pledge
- I will not drive when I feel fatigued. I realize that when I am fatigued, I process information more slowly and less accurately, and this impairs my ability to react in time to avoid accidents.
- I will arrange my schedule so that several days before a Boy Scout “driving trip,” I will get a good night’s sleep every night to avoid the cumulative effect of not getting enough sleep.
- I will make trip preparations far enough in advance so that last-minute preparations don’t interfere with my rest.
- I will make travel plans that take into account my personal biological clock and only drive during the part of the day when I know I will be alert.
- I will be smart about engaging in physical activities during Scouting outings and will make sure that I will be ready to drive alertly.
Check for Good Mechanical Condition
Tires, brakes, windshield wipers, all lights, no fluid leaks, horn, turn signals, clean windshields and windows.