Fort Lauderdale Sandbar by Private Yacht — Swim, Float, Anchor
The Fort Lauderdale sandbar is the shallow bank off the Intracoastal where the New River comes in, a few minutes south of the Las Olas bridge, and a private captained boat is the way to spend an afternoon on it: anchor in waist-deep water, swim, float on the mat and head back past the mansions at sunset.
Yacht Rentals in Fort Lauderdale — Private, Captained, Priced by Size
Where the Fort Lauderdale sandbar is
In the Intracoastal Waterway on the stretch where the New River meets it, south of the Las Olas Boulevard bridge and a short run from Lake Sylvia. It is a bank, not a beach: the water is waist-deep at low tide and chest-deep at high, with the channel beside it, so the captain anchors on the shallow side and the boat stays put while you swim. From the Bayview Drive dock it is about fifteen minutes; from Hollywood or Hallandale, forty to fifty minutes up the Intracoastal.
What a sandbar day on a private boat looks like
The run down
Past the Las Olas Isles and the first of the big houses, under the bridge, and the engines come off. On a weekend the bank fills from noon; a weekday morning is yours.
At anchor
The floating mat goes in off the stern, the Bluetooth speaker stays on the boat, and the cooler is yours to fill. Three hours is the short version; four gives you the mansions on the way home.
The way back
Up past Millionaires’ Row as the light drops, which is the cruise the Millionaires’ Row page describes on its own.
Sandbar rules and what to bring
Bring
Sunscreen, water shoes for the shell bank, towels, your drinks and food. Ice, water and a cooler are on the boat.
Leave
Glass, which the captains ask you to decant, and anything that would float away. A no-wake zone covers the bank, so the music is yours and the jet skis stay in the channel.
Guest count
Every boat carries the number it is certified for, usually up to twelve or thirteen; the party boat page lists the ones built for a group.
How much a sandbar boat rental costs in Fort Lauderdale
Three hours from about $850 on a boat under 40 feet and $1,050 at 40 to 54 feet; four hours from about $1,150 and $1,400. Captain and fuel are added at checkout, the boat balance is paid at the dock, and the full price list is on Fort Lauderdale yacht rentals.
Boats for a Fort Lauderdale sandbar day
Every boat below is private and captained; the price shown is the boat for its shortest charter, with crew and fuel added at checkout.
Three to start with: the The Good Life (75 ft, up to 13 guests), the Whiskey And Waves (52 ft, up to 13 guests) and the Sea No (46 ft, up to 13 guests).
4 yachts in Fort Lauderdale
That is 4 yachts.Keep scrolling for more about this page.
Fort Lauderdale sandbar questions
Can you walk on the Fort Lauderdale sandbar?
Yes at low tide, when it is waist-deep or less. At high tide it is a swim; the captain reads the tide for your date.
Is the sandbar the same as Lake Sylvia?
No. Lake Sylvia is the deeper anchorage off the Las Olas Isles where boats raft up; the sandbar is the shallow bank nearer the New River. Many charters do both.
Do I need a boating licence?
No. Every Feeling Yachty boat comes with a licensed captain, so Florida’s boater card does not apply.
Can we bring alcohol?
Yes, on every boat, decanted from glass. A bartender can be added at checkout.
Is the Haulover sandbar a better day?
It is a different one: a full-day run forty minutes south, with a bigger crowd. The Fort Lauderdale bank is the three-hour version.
Book a sandbar day
Send the date and the group size; the desk picks a boat with a mat and a swim platform and reads the tide for you. Text or call the Fort Lauderdale desk on (954) 246-3636, or WhatsApp the same number.