In many states, the kids are starting to collect everything they need for this upcoming school year. This means one thing. It is time to take a vacation for yourself! You and your significant other can load them up on the bus as you load your car and leave the check up list for the babysitter. When you get on your vacation without the kids sometimes you have to wonder what to do with all you free time. The answer is simple. Sit back, relax and enjoy the sea breeze. Head to the beach, reserve a LOUNGE CHAIR for the week and let it all go as our attendants take care of you while you do nothing. When you are ready for an ADVENTURE, you can give us a call or talk with your beach attendant and let them sign you up for a day out on Shell Island, a romantic eco-tour for two or a fast pace jetski tour around our slice of paradise. Regardless of what you choose to do we will be there to help you along the way. Not sure of where to eat while you’re here? Our beach team will help you with that. You may be looking for the best places to eat, things to do and where the nightlife is while you’re visiting us and we will have all the answer for you. So, don’t get back into the swing of things just yet. Let the kids head to school and take one more vacation just for you!
Category: Guides
What to bring on your vacation!
As the summer rolls around and the kids are let out for the summer vacations are being booked and the planning has begun. Many are in such a rush to get to the beach that they forget to pack the essentials for their trip. Here are our suggestions for what you should bring along on your vacation:
The Basics:
- Sleepwear
- Rain Jackets, yes it does rain in paradise as well some days
- Flip Flops!
- T-shirts and tank tops
- A set of nice clothes if you plan to go out in style
- Bathing suit
- Sunglasses
- Cell phone Chargers
- Travel Speakers to sit back and enjoy a good tune while on the beach
- Most importantly SUNSCREEN!
Toiletry Bag Basics:
- Toothbrush and toothbrush
- Hair brush/Comb
- Deodorant
- Shampoo and Conditioner. You don’t always want to use the hotels provided hair care
- Aloe, for skin care and to help with those beach day burns
- Personal Hygiene Products
- Contacts, Contact Solutions and contact cases
- Prescription medication. Don’t forget. Don’t mix prescriptions, drinks and the sun. It can lead to a bad time!
Save space for your trip!:
- Purchase food and drinks for your trip when you get here. The Walmart on vacation isn’t going to be any more expensive than your Walmart at home.
- Pillows and blankets. Most hotels and resorts provide your bedding for you. But don’t forget your favorite pillow from home!
- Kids toys. Most toys are going to be lost in the sand. Leave the kiddos favorites at home and stop by the dollar stores to grab beach toys for them that you don’t mind losing or throwing away at the end of your vacation.
There’s always things that you need to make sure you pack and some things that you can just pick up when you get to your destination. All in all, just have fun and enjoy your vacation!
What are they looking for?
As the summer season come into play, more and more families are visiting the beautiful shores of Panama City Beach. Families are always out having fun while on vacation, going on adventures, eating out at some of our top restaurants and all around enjoying their time together away from the hustle and bustle of home. As the sun sets into the beautiful Gulf of Mexico and the stars come out so does one thing that everyone is always asking about. The flashlights! One of the main questions that we are always getting from customers and visitors are “What are they looking for?”. Sand Crabs are your answer! Sand Crabs are usually only out at night and they are ghostly white and can only be spotted with flashlights. They are quick little creatures as well. Once you spot them, they take off and scurry into their tunnels they have dug into the sand and will stay there until they think the coast is clear. The families find it fun to walk along the shores and look for our salty friends and the only way they can find them is by bringing along their flashlights. So, there’s the answer to your question! Next time you see a family walking along the beach at night with a flashlight and someone ask you that question, give them the answer and hey, grab yourself a light and join them in the search!
Jeep Jam
Hey everybody! Jeep Beach Jam is here and it is a beautiful week in Panama City Beach. As you drive around cruising in your Jeep, make sure you stop by and see us at our marina and do a little cruising on a boat with us! Don’t forget, we are always around to make sure that your vacation is top notch. We are always offering adventures for the whole family and relaxation on the beach as you leave the troubles behind at the office.
Panama City Beach Jet Ski Riding 101
Panama City Beach is the perfect location to enjoy a variety of watersports. The crystal clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico provide ample room to travel fast or slow. One of the best ways to travel across the water and still enjoy a close-up view of the water and its inhabitants is on a jet ski. But before you go onto the water, there are some things you should know.
First, if you were born after January 1, 1988, you’ll need a boating safety education identification card and a photo ID to operate a jet ski in Florida waters. If you need to get your boating safety ID, you can take the safety test at our marina. You’ll also need to be 16 years of age to drive one of Aquatic Adventures’ jet skis.
Next, your jet ski isn’t foolproof. If you are going to go for a jet ski ride, you’ll need to wear a life jacket. You should also know the basics of how to keep your head above water in the event of an emergency. If you aren’t comfortable swimming or treading water, then you may want to choose a different watercraft for your Panama City Beach adventures.
You should also be aware that jet skis aren’t exempt from the laws of physics. The rule that an object in motion will stay in motion is true of these machines just as it is for land crafts. Your jet ski will keep moving even if all power is cut off. But, without power you’ll lose your ability to steer your jet ski. This means that if you lose power while in motion, you craft will keep going in whatever direction it was facing when the engine was turned off. It will take your jet ski some time and distance to come to a full stop. You’ll need to plan for this extra distance when moving toward another vessel or bringing your jet ski in for a shore or dock landing.
Speaking of cutting your jet ski’s engine, you will save yourself a lot of hassles if you always remember to use a lanyard. Your lanyard attaches to you and the jet ski’s key. If you fall off the vehicle the key comes with you, cutting off the engine. Yes, the jet ski will coast for a bit, but having the craft travel a short distance away from you before stopping is far better than having it speed a mile up the coast!
Also, we know speed is fun. Riding a jet ski can be thrilling. But while you’re enjoying your ride remember—gravity hurts. Your ability to control your jet ski ends when it leaves the surface of the water. Don’t try to jump your vehicle using the wake of boats or other devices. Once in the air, your jet ski could tip over and come down on top you or someone else. Trust us; you can have plenty of fun on your jet ski without trying any dangerous stunts.
While riding your jet ski, remember that there are a lot of other people out there. Keep an eye out for other water craft and remember you’ll need time and distance to steer clear of them. A good rule of thumb it to keep at least 100 feet between you and other vessels. Watch out for swimmers and divers, too. Hopefully, anyone who is diving will put out a buoy to warn you of their presence. But watch out for other signs that divers are nearby, just in case. Avoid riding your jet ski close to popular diving spots or diving tour boats.
Finally, be kind to our aquatic friends. Dolphins, rays, sea turtles, and other sea creatures may approach your vessel when you’re stopped or cruising slowly. Or they may be headed at cross directions with you. Try to avoid collisions—neither you nor the sea creature wants to meet by accident! Besides, if you keep a close look out, you’ll have the pleasure of seeing these amazing animals in their natural habitat. How cool is that?
Riding a jet ski can be a fast, exhilarating ride across the water, but it can also be a slow cruise to some amazing places. When you rent a jet ski and chart your own course, you can experience both jet ski adventures. Take some time to enjoy the scenery. Then, speed things up and experience the spray in your face and the wind in your hair. Either way, you’ll love it!
For your convenience, Aquatic Adventures has jet skis available for rent near most of the major resorts along the Panama City Beach gulf coast. Just choose your location and pick up your machine. Don’t forget your boater safety card and photo ID if you’ll be doing the driving. Our jet skis can hold up to 400 lbs. each so you can share the ride. Now, grab your family or friends and plan your jet ski adventure today!
The Best Resources for Fishing Knots
This is an extensive list of fishing knot resources and fishing knot articles available on the internet that have detailed information on the most used and trusted knots for fishing, including fly fishing knots, provided by experienced fishing experts and anglers.
Animated Knots by Grog is an extensive resource for the types of fishing knots that are used by expert fishermen. The fishing knots are to be used with braided fishing line and there is not any need to untie the knots specified. The Arbor, Davy, Australian Braid, and Dopper knots are just a few fishing knots covered in this detailed guide.
Netknots contains every fishing knot imaginable by application, knot name, and category. These knots and instructions also contain descriptions for what each knot is used for.
The Wired 2 Fish Fishing Knot Guide
15 Fishing Knots Every Angler Should Know by Jason Sealock is a description of 15 fishing knots that will help bass fishing enthusiast. They cover more complicated loops and connections to fast knots to get back to fishing after a catch. The 15 fishing knots are composed of the most used and trusted knots of professional anglers and guides.
The TakeMeFishing.org website offers this literature on the knots you need to know in fishing. It covers the basic Clinch knots, Palomar knots, Blood tie knots, and the Non-slip loop knots to tie on lures and rigs. It is a basic starter knot guide.
Berkley FishingBerkley offers an Angler Education section of the website dedicated to the correct use of fishing knots. The content includes instructions for the angler fishing knots along with instructional videos on how to tie the fishing knots. The knots included are the Palomar knot, Uni-knot, Surgeons Knot, Improved Clinch knot, Trilene knot, Berkley Braid knot, and the Nano-fil knot.
Fish4Fun has very clear illustrations of the different fishing knots and lots of them with clear instructions to go along with them. This is an excellent resource for fishing knot illustration images for the beginner. They also offer a “Knot Tying: Fishing Knots” interactive CD for instructional purposes that teaches the more popular fishing knots and ties.
Midcurrent.com has some useful tips and tricks on Fly Fishing knots. The site also covers how to put a loop at the end of a fly fishing line with two nail knots. It gives detailed instructions on davy knots and the perfection loop knot. The information on the site is coming from experienced anglers giving their most valued advice on fly fishing techniques and knots.
Bassresource.com has descriptions and information on some common fishing knots, along with illustrations and instructions on how and when to use which knots. The site covers the all-purpose fishing knots, the improved clinch knot, the uniknot, and the palomar knot that joins fishing line to snaps and lures, using the double wrap makes the line stronger. The arbor knot for anglers and the blood knot are also illustrated.
Orvis Fly Fishing Learning Center
Orvis Fly Fishing Learning Center provides the leading source for fly fishing knot tying. They have the most trusted information in fly fishing knots. They provide animations and video tutorials on tying Clinch knots, Blood knots, Non-slip Mono Loop, Double Surgeons Loop, Perfection Loop, and of course the Orvis knot.