What Should You Bring to Crab Island?
Quick answer: Bring sunscreen, towels, a hat, sunglasses, water shoes, a dry bag for phones, and cash for the floating vendors. Pack your own food and drinks, since nothing is sold on shore once you leave. Alcohol is allowed for guests 21 and older with valid ID, but glass containers are prohibited on every boat in Destin. Crab Island Tiki Tours already provides a cooler with ice and water, a Bluetooth speaker, life jackets, shade under the tiki roof, and a bathroom onboard, so you only pack the personal items.
Key Takeaways
- No glass. Cans, plastic, and pouches only.
- Cash still moves faster than cards at the floating vendors.
- Water shoes beat flip flops, which float away.
- Reef-safe sunscreen plus a hat and sunglasses are non-negotiable.
- Our charters include cooler, ice, water, speaker, shade, and a bathroom.
- Decorations are welcome for birthdays and bachelorette groups.
The Essentials
What should you bring to Crab Island if you only pack six things? Sunscreen, water, a hat, sunglasses, a towel, and shoes that stay on your feet. Everything else is comfort. Sun exposure on open water with reflection off white sand runs harsher than a beach day, and dehydration sneaks up on people who spent the afternoon drinking beer instead of water.
- Reef-safe sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher, plus a stick for faces
- Wide-brim hat and polarized sunglasses
- Beach towels, one per person
- Water shoes or strap sandals
- Swimsuit worn under your clothes, since changing space is limited
- Refillable water bottle
Food and Drinks
Bring what you want to eat. Nothing on the sandbar is guaranteed, and the floating vendors run seasonal hours. Sandwiches, fruit, chips, and anything that survives a cooler all work. Skip anything that melts fast or needs utensils.
Alcohol is legal for guests 21 and older with valid ID. Cans, plastic bottles, and pouches only. Glass is prohibited on the boat, full stop, because broken glass in a shallow sandbar where hundreds of people stand barefoot is a genuine hazard. Our charters include a cooler with ice and water, so you add drinks rather than hauling a full setup.
What the Floating Vendors Sell
Boat-based vendors work the sandbar during the warm months selling ice cream, boiled peanuts, tacos, snow cones, fresh coconuts, and cold non-alcoholic drinks. Some take cards now. Plenty still prefer cash, and cell service at the sandbar gets spotty when a few hundred boats crowd the same towers. Bring small bills.
Fun Extras Worth Packing
- Inflatable floats and rafts, deflated for the ride out
- Waterproof phone pouch or dry bag
- A football, paddleball, or floating card game
- Portable phone charger
- Snorkel mask for the kids
- Decorations, banners, and sashes for a birthday or bachelorette trip
What We Already Provide
| Included on Our Charters | You Bring |
|---|---|
| USCG licensed captain | Food and drinks |
| Cooler with ice and water | Sunscreen and hats |
| Bluetooth speaker | Your playlist |
| Life jackets, adult and child sizes | Towels |
| Shade under the tiki roof | Water shoes |
| Bathroom onboard | Cash for vendors |
| Seating for up to 18 guests | Floats and toys |
Packing Changes With Trip Length
A 4-hour charter and an 8-hour charter are different packing problems. Four hours needs drinks, sunscreen, and towels. Eight hours needs a real meal, a second round of sunscreen, and a plan for the middle of the day when the sun sits directly overhead and shade becomes the most valuable thing on the boat.
On longer trips, split your cooler contents. Keep drinks in one and food in another so the food cooler stays closed and cold through the afternoon. Freeze a few water bottles the night before. They double as ice and thaw into cold drinking water by hour three, which beats hauling extra bags of ice down the dock.
Groups running 6 or 8 hours should also plan a mid-trip change of pace. Our captains routinely stop at waterfront restaurants and bars along the harbor, so bring a cover-up, a shirt, and a card or cash if you want that option. Nobody wants to be the only person in a swimsuit walking into a dockside restaurant.
Sun Protection That Actually Holds Up
Sunburn is the single most common thing that ruins a Crab Island day, and the sandbar makes it worse than a beach. White sand under two feet of clear water reflects light straight back up at you. Even guests sitting under the tiki roof catch reflected sun off the water all day.
Apply sunscreen 20 minutes before you leave the dock, not when you arrive. Reapply every two hours and immediately after swimming, regardless of what the bottle claims about water resistance. Spray sunscreen blows away in wind and covers unevenly, so use lotion for the first coat and save spray for touch-ups.
Cover the spots people forget: tops of feet, ears, the back of the neck, and the part in your hair. A long-sleeve swim shirt outperforms any sunscreen for kids and anyone spending hours in the water. Sunglasses with real UV protection matter too, because glare off the sandbar runs harsh enough to give you a headache by mid-afternoon.
What to Leave Behind
Glass containers of any kind stay on shore. Weapons and illegal substances are prohibited. Skip anything valuable that cannot survive getting wet, because on a boat everything eventually does. Loose flip flops disappear the moment someone steps into the water. Confetti and glitter make a mess nobody wants floating in a sandbar.
A Note on Timing and Parking
Pack the night before. Harbor parking fills by late morning in summer, and check-in at 530 Harbor Blvd Suite #13 takes a few minutes. Arrive 20 to 30 minutes before departure. Showing up late shortens your trip or cancels it, and loading a cooler while your clock runs is a bad way to start the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you bring alcohol to Crab Island?
Yes, for guests 21 and older with valid ID. Crab Island is BYOB and always has been. Cans, plastic bottles, and pouches are all fine. Glass containers are prohibited on the boat and at the sandbar, since broken glass in shallow water where people stand barefoot creates a real injury risk.
Do I need to bring my own cooler?
Not necessarily. Our tours include a cooler stocked with ice and water. If your group wants more capacity for food and drinks, you are welcome to bring an additional cooler. Soft-sided coolers pack easier and stow better on the boat than large hard-shell models.
Is there food available at Crab Island?
Floating vendors sell food and drinks at the sandbar during the warm months, offering things like ice cream, tacos, boiled peanuts, and snow cones. Hours and availability vary by day and season, so bring your own food rather than counting on them for a full meal.
Can I bring decorations for a party?
Yes. Birthdays, bachelorette parties, and reunions decorate our boat regularly. Anything safe that does not damage the boat works fine. Skip confetti, glitter, and anything that blows overboard easily. Let us know when you book so the captain can allow time for setup before departure.
What should kids bring to Crab Island?
Water shoes, a rash guard or swim shirt for sun protection, a properly fitted life jacket if you prefer your own, snacks, and a small float or snorkel mask. We carry child-size life jackets onboard. Bring extra sunscreen for kids, since the reflection off the sandbar burns fast.
Pack Light, We Handle the Rest
Cooler, ice, water, speaker, shade, bathroom, and a licensed captain come standard. Private Crab Island tiki charters for up to 18 guests from $900. Call 850-613-1966 or book online. Planning a celebration? See our bachelorette party charters.
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