Electric Wavewalk 700 in Key Largo snorkeling tour

By Captain Larry Jarboe

W700 shuttle to the reef –

Wavewalking is not just about fishing.

Yesterday, in Key Largo, the wind was ripping about 20-25 kts. out of the East. We had a friend from NYC who was facing her last vacation day in the Keys. My wife had promised her a snorkel trip on the reef and it was my job to make it happen.

Despite the gusty wind and skirting a large squall, I knew the conditions would afford a calm pocket of water behind Grecian Rocks on dead low tide.

After a rather tumultuous ride offshore, we tied to one of the mooring balls behind the reef. Due to shifting wind, the mooring lines have to be far away enough from the coral rocks to allow boats to swing 360 degrees and not hit the shallow reef. This means snorkelers have to swim the distance of about half a football field of grass and sand to get to the edge of the reef where most of the fish reside.

This is a long way for many people to swim against the wind surge but it beats trying to snorkel in 4-5 foot seas which was the norm everywhere else..

I launched my W700 with a bow mounted Minnkota Rip Tide electric trolling motor from the mother ship. A line tied to a ring buoy trailed as a stern line to tow my two masked grand matrons to snorkeling nirvana. Of course, I waited at the edge of the reef to provide a place of rest and a leisurely ride home.

In addition to fishing, duck hunting, exploring, stand up joystick water skimming or laid back paddle yakking, the W700 makes a fine yacht tender as well as a snorkeler shuttle service to the reef.

Saddled aboard his trusty Wavewalk steed, indeed, Larry, The Stable Guy, got ‘er done.

Again…

More fishing adventures with Capn’ Larry »

11 thoughts on “Electric Wavewalk 700 in Key Largo snorkeling tour”

  1. Awesome!

    Remember that bucket periscope with large-size onboard display that we talked about as the show? 🙂

    Yoav

  2. Yoav,

    Yes, will be looking for a square plastic deep bucket while I am outfitting with an outboard in the stern and an underwater light and a crossbow cocking station in the bow.

    Time to deck out the W700 for solo bowfishing at night.

    Got to “get ‘er done”.

    Larry J.

  3. Pyt Rotary says:

    Hi Larry,
    What model is your Riptide?
    It is a 12 or a 24V motor?
    How much thrust (Lb)?
    Regards,
    Pete
    Canada

  4. Pete,

    The Minnkota motor in that video is a 12 volt Riptide 45 lb. thrust marine motor.

    You will be very happy with a 12 volt freshwater Minnkota Endura 30 lb. thrust motor for 1/3 the price of the Riptide. But, you may have to reduce the height of the O/B motor bracket to get the electric motor beneath the twin hulls as the shaft length is shorter than many other trolling motors.

    As soon as I get proper registration, I will be posting pics of a W500 rigged as an electric sea sled to use for recreational lobstering, hog dogging, and spearfishing. My commercially registered W700 will have both a gas outboard and a bow mounted trolling motor for working baitfish traps in the no IC motor zones and night bowfishing expeditions at the edge of the Glades.

    Too much fun…

    Larry J.

  5. Night fishing expeditions at the edge of the glades?
    Alligators come to mind…

  6. Please, Google: [python eats alligator].

    The alligators are not near as scary as the pythons…

    Larry J.

  7. OK, but you can shoot the python with your bow!
    If you have enough time 😀

  8. Since having a python swim past that was longer than my 16′ Smokercraft, a small belt holstered .357 revolver has become standard equipment on my solo night fishing adventures.

    Just need one arm free…

    Larry J.

  9. I hope you know what you’re doing 🙂

  10. If I knew what I was doing, I probably would not be doing it.

    Larry J.

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