Water Activities & Beaches

Fort Lauderdale Beach

One of the World’s Premier Beachfronts

Fort Lauderdale Beach Conditions Hotline: 954-828-4597

The City of Fort Lauderdale boasts more than seven miles of sparkling beaches that offer residents and visitors premier opportunities for recreation, relaxation and enjoyment. The City’s award-winning wavewall and signature beachfront promenade highlight Fort Lauderdale’s world famous coastline, which is punctuated by an array of shops, restaurants, sidewalkcafes and entertainment venues. Beachgoers can participate in a wide range of activities from boating, wind surfing, jet skiing and volleyball to snorkeling, scuba diving, deep-sea fishing and rollerblading. Or, if relaxation is what you desire, simply sit back, unwind and enjoy breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue supervises the two miles of continuous public beach from the South Beach Picnic Area up to and including the beach in front of Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. In the guarded areas of the beach, there are 15 year-round, permanently staffed lifeguard towers spaced between 200 and 400 yards apart. There are also as many as 10 temporary-auxiliary stands that are used during the peak season, special events and holidays.

Beach Events

Fort Lauderdale Beach hosts major events each year, including:

  • Greater Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show
  • 4th of July Family Celebration

For complete tourist information, please visit the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, write gflcvb@broward.org, or call 1-800-22-SUNNY (78669).

Beach History

More than 15 years of successful redevelopment has helped transform Fort Lauderdale Beach from a seasonal tourist spot to a year round, world class family resort destination.

For decades, as portrayed in the movie Where the Boys Are, Fort Lauderdale Beach was known primarily as a place where college students came by the thousands to celebrate Spring Break. In the mid 1980s, the City decided to made a concerted effort to shed its image as a Mecca for college students by passing a strict ordinance prohibiting public drinking.

In 1986, voters approved a $47 million General Obligation Bond which paved the way for several redevelopment projects. Foremost among these was the $26 million renovation of Fort Lauderdale Beach. The renovation included the complete redesign of coastal roadway A1A, the elimination of diagonal beach front parking, the addition of landscaped medians, pullout lanes, bicycle lanes, new traffic signals, brick paved pedestrian crosswalks, expanded sidewalks and a pedestrian beachfront promenade. The most dramatic change was the construction of a beach wavewall – a flowing, swirling beach wall that extends two miles along the central portion of Fort Lauderdale Beach. Since its completion, the wavewall has become the signature attraction for locals and tourists alike.

Fort Lauderdale’s Beach redevelopment project brought national and international recognition, instilled community pride and began to redefine the City as an international center for business, culture, leisure and recreation. The ensuing years have brought even more public and private investment in the area.

Today, Fort Lauderdale Beach features an array of shops, restaurants, sidewalk cafes and entertainment venues. The area is home to the Las Olas Marina and Fort Lauderdale Aquatics Center, as well as numerous major events including the McDonald’s Air and Sea Show, Greater Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, Beachfest, Oceanfest and numerous other festivals and special events. In addition the beach offers a wide range of activities including boating, wind surfing, jet skiing, volleyball, snorkeling, scuba diving, deep-sea fishing and rollerblading.

Through the cooperative efforts of residents, businesses and local government, Fort Lauderdale Beach has been successfully transformed into a beautiful, friendly and exciting destination that families can enjoy year round.

Fishing

When it comes to fun, fishermen know that one of the best places to get a line wet is in Florida, which has some great saltwater fishing. Southern Florida is populated with a number of great sport fishing species that lure many anglers who are seeking the thrill of landing a big trophy fish for a great wall mount, an outdoor photography collection or even just some great memories. The intent of this article is to make you more familiar with some of the saltwater fish in the Southern Florida area.

The Florida Marlin

One of the most beloved of the big game fish is the Florida Marlin, which consists of two species, the Blue Marlin and the White Marlin. Catching one of these prize fish requires a good understanding of how the feed. Unlike other fish that chase after and gobble up a baitfish, the Marlin will stun a small fish to keep it from fighting and getting away, and then it will eat them. Lures are a popular bait for Marlin because they can cover a lot of water in a short period of time. Best times of the year to catch these beauties is the spring through the summer.

The Florida Tuna

There are several types of Tuna species in the Southern Florida saltwaters, including the Yellowfin Tuna, the Blackfin Tuna, and the Bluefin Tuna. The most fun method of catching these is with saltwater spinning rods or saltwater bait casting rods and reels. Various types of lures, rigged baits, and feather rigs have proven to be productive in catching the various types of Tuna throughout the area.

The Florida Sailfish

Much like the Marlin, the Florida Sailfish another highly sought after big game fish available in the coastal waters of Southern Florida. What fisherman doesn’t dream of having that wonderful wall mount of a big Sailfish over the mantle in his den? Sailfish get very big; up to 7 feet long and nearly 200 pounds. These monsters are top-feeders and live bait is the best way to catch them. Winter and fall is the best time of the year to find them.

The Dolphin

The Florida Dolphin is not the Dolphin you’re probably thinking of; like Flipper. These are also called Dorado and Mahi Mahi depending on the region. These colorful, fast fish can get very large and like to feed on everything from flying fish to squid. Basically, any kind of bait will work when trying to lure in Dolphins in the southern Florida coastal waters. The best time to catch them is from May until July.

The Wahoo

No, this is not a search engine. The Florida Wahoo is quite an interesting species of fish that is related to the King Mackerel. It is dark blue and silvery looking, and have been caught as large as 8 feet long and approaching 200 pounds. When a Wahoo decides to catch your hook, they do it with much precision and they rarely put up a fight after they are hooked. They tend to be loners, or run in very small groups and feed primarily on small fish and squid.

If you’re looking for exciting sport fishing and big game fish, the Southern Florida coast is not to be overlooked. It’s one thing to catch saltwater trout and redfish, it’s an entirely different adventure to hook up with a trophy fish, like a Marlin or a Sailfish. You don’t have to be a pro to enjoy this type of saltwater fishing, you just need a good fishing guide. They provide the boat, the equipment, the bait and they know where to take you. For the saltwater fishing experience of a lifetime, book yourself a charter and you may have the thrill of your life.

 

Water Activities

 

Windsurfing Miami

http://www.sailboardsmiami.com/

American Water Sports

http://www.americanwatersports.net/

Aloha Water Sports

http://www.alohawatersports.com/

American Water Sports – Boat Rentals

http://www.americanwatersports.us/

American Water Sports

http://www.jetskiz.com/

Delray Beach Water Sports

http://delraybeachwatersports.com/

Parasail Miami Beach

http://www.miamibeachparasail.com/index.php?s=7

Neptune Parasail

http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Neptune.Parasail.954-588-8588

Waterparks

Adventure Island

Adventure Landing

Aquatica

Big Kahuna’s

Rapids Water Park

Sam’s Surf City

Shipwreck Island

Sun Splash Water Park

Walt Disney World: Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.

Weeki Wachee Spring Waterpark

Wet ‘n Wild

Wild Waters

Boat Rentals

Sailboat Charters in Miami

http://www.miamisailing.net/individual_offer.html

Sailboats Unlimited

http://www.sailboatsunlimited.com/

Captain Sir in Miami

http://www.captainsir.com/

Aquatic Rental Center Miami

http://www.arcmiami.com/

Miami Boat Rentals

http://www.miamiboat.com/

Sailboat Charters of Miami

http://www.sailboat-charters.com/

American Water Sports

http://www.americanwatersports.us/

Tropical Boat Charters

http://www.tropicalboat.com/

Fishing

Boatless Fishing

http://www.boatlessfishing.com/

South Florida Bass Fishing

http://www.southfloridafishing.org/

South Florida Spear Fishing

http://www.spearfishing.org/

Deep Sea Fishing

http://www.shootingstarcharter.com/?gclid=CJDN2bPKlagCFZRd7AodohGKEA

Airboats

http://www.evergladesholidaypark.com/

http://www.evergladestours.com/_index.php

http://www.gatorpark.com/

http://www.evergladessafaripark.com/