Daytona Florida Boat Show 5/19 - 5/21

[tuffr2]

Is this boat show worth going to? It is being held at the Halifax Marina.

It sounds like there will be all types of boats there at the docks. I have been to the Annapolis show in Sept (I think, could be early Oct) and would give that show a thumbs up. Oh, that show was sail only. Now power boats.

Daytona will have both sail and power.

[molo0928]

It's mostly a powerboat show that are trailerable. There really isn't enough dock space for sailboats.

[tuffr2]

The Jacksonville Boat Show is also starting today. I will go to both to determine which one is better. Today is the Daytona show, tomorrow will be Jax.

[molo0928]

Funny you say that. I was talking to the ops manager of the Daytona show and she said they had to run two shows on the same weekend because of a scheduling snafu. Hopefully you'll find something different at the Jax show if ya go. So it's the same company running the shows. Just don't know if they have the same content.

[tuffr2]

Agree, it has to be a scheduling snafu. I would not mind looking at the Marlow Hunter 33. Now if I was building boats in Alachua I would be torn as to which boat show for my exhibit.

Anyway, I can do both shows and can report back.

[Geek_Guy]

If you've been to Annapolis I'm quite sure you'll be very disappointed in the Daytona show. I went to the JAX one two years ago, and only spent 15 minutes. All trailerable power. I went to St Pete last year and won't go back. The big one in FL is Miami. I've not been but suspect that may be worth the trip.

[CaptsWife]

Originally Posted by Geek_Guy

If you've been to Annapolis I'm quite sure you'll be very disappointed in the Daytona show. I went to the JAX one two years ago, and only spent 15 minutes. All trailerable power. I went to St Pete last year and won't go back. The big one in FL is Miami. I've not been but suspect that may be worth the trip.

+1

We went to the Jacksonville boat show once......never again. ESPECIALLY after going to the Anapolis Sailboat Show. I would like to go to the Miami one sometime.

[captain mitch]

The show in Daytona is all small stuff!
The marina is large, but there is no clout to draw any consequential boats over 25-30'
We based there for a few years and like the marina but Daytona itself is foundering about trying for an identity other than Bike Week and Spring Break

[tuffr2]

Just got back from the Daytona Boat Show. I give that show 3.5 stars out of 5. For me, that 25foot (ish) size is what I am looking at. At least now. It was a good information gathering show. It was hot and thus hiring. They did not have any sailboats but that was ok. They had enough boats there for me to look at except I would have liked to see a 25' World Cat. They only had the bigger 29' World Cat.

Again, it was a good information gathering exercise. Of all the boats there I liked the Dual Console boats the best. They are just big (ish), deep bow riders. They are built on the same hull as the center console boats. I got to really check out a Key West 219 Dual Console. They did not have a Key West 239 Dual Console.

Probably the coolest boats were a few of the brokerage boats they had along the dock. I got to walk on a used 46' SeaRay Express Cruiser as well as a 34' Carver. Both of these boats were clean and well kept...or just deatailed. The 46' SeaRay was nice and big with big enough bathrooms. Again, heck I would pay to walk around on these boats.

I got information from Freedom Boat Club. That is an interesting concept. Not sure, but maybe this is for me. The initial membership fee is tough to swallow at $3900 show boat price plus $229 / mo plus fuel to use the boats on a weekday basis. They have Cobia 22' center console boats, pontoon boats and deck boats.

Tomorrow I will go to the Jacksonville Show.

[tuffr2]

Just got back from the much larger Jacksonville Boat/Vendor Show. It was much larger than Daytona. Actually I would describe the show as kinda large. Lots of different size boats from ones I could afford to 4 400hp engines 42' in length center console.

Lots and lots of vendor tents set up trying to sell stuff. Miss Geico was there on display.

They had boats in the water. Maybe 20 or so. I walked on and checked out about 12 of them. 3 sailboats and one sail catamaran. The rest were very nice power boats.

I would give the Jax show 4.5 stars out of 5 for what I am thinking about buying. And what I would but if I won the lottery.

[CaptsWife]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Just got back from the much larger Jacksonville Boat/Vendor Show. It was much larger than Daytona. Actually I would describe the show as kinda large. Lots of different size boats from ones I could afford to 4 400hp engines 42' in length center console.

Lots and lots of vendor tents set up trying to sell stuff. Miss Geico was there on display.

They had boats in the water. Maybe 20 or so. I walked on and checked out about 12 of them. 3 sailboats and one sail catamaran. The rest were very nice power boats.

I would give the Jax show 4.5 stars out of 5 for what I am thinking about buying. And what I would but if I won the lottery.

If you give THIS show 4.5 stars out of 5, WOWZA! You really need to go to the Anapolis boat show. Just sayin'.

[tuffr2]

I have been to the Annapolis sailboat show...agree it is one of the best. I have been in Miami during it's boat show and saw all the big boats from a distance. Tiger Woods had is boat there but next to a Shieks boat it looked kinda small. I think one boat was 125' and one was 175'. I was in Miami on business and did not get a chance to go into the show...bad planning on my part...ugh.

The ugly - both Daytona and Jax boat shows the weather was way too hot and muggy.

Went to a boat show in Daytona right outside the speedway during the winter. It was a great weather day. Sunny, 72 degrees, low humidy.