904-860-8361Sign inRegister
Advanced camper holding a cobia on the boat offshoreFour advanced campers holding a kingfish on the charter boatAdvanced campers with the day's catch laid out on the boatTwo advanced campers holding a sailfish on the boat offshoreTwo advanced campers holding a cobiaCleaning table full of red snapper after an advanced camp tripAdvanced campers on the boat each holding a fishThree advanced campers with triggerfish and snapper on the dockA cooler full of kingfish going homeAdvanced camper holding a red snapper
← All camps

Advanced Camp

Four long days on the water — two 6-hour and two 8-hour charters, built to be spent offshore. For campers who are comfortable on a boat — no fishing experience needed. And this is the week they keep the fish.

Ages 9–16Mon–Thu · 7:00 AM – 3:30/4:00 PMBeach Marine · Jacksonville Beach4 long days · 6- & 8-hr chartersCampers keep their catchShirt included
$1,5994 days · $400 deposit holds the spot
See 2027 sessionsWhat a day looks like ↓

A day at advanced camp

Boats leave on time. That's the whole point.

This is an 8-hour day. On the 6-hour days the boats are back two hours earlier and campers fish the dock until pick-up at 3:30–4:00.

7:00AM
Beach Marine
7:00 drop-off4:00 pick-up
Check-in on the Kokomo7:00

Check-in on the Kokomo

Earlier than the other camps because the boats run further. Check in aboard the Kokomo, gear check, seasickness meds already taken, and the captain's plan: which spot, which bait.

Boats don't wait. Be here at 7.

7:30

Run offshore

On the offshore days it's a real run — up to 30 miles when the weather allows, out to the reefs and wrecks for mahi, amberjack, triggerfish, kingfish and b-liners. If the seas won't allow it, the captains switch to advanced inshore fishing: tarpon, redfish, flounder and trout.

Unit 4 · Navigation & tides

8:30

Fish

Six or eight hours on the water. Bottom fishing, trolling, live-baiting, sight-casting to tarpon on the inshore days. Four campers, a licensed captain and a counselor per boat.

The part they'll talk about all year.

1:30

Lunch on the boat

Big lunch, extra snacks, water. We eat between spots and keep fishing. On 6-hour days we're heading in about now.

Pack more food than you think.

Back at the dock · cleaning table3:00

Back at the dock · cleaning table

Catch on the table. Campers learn to fillet, and the day's keepers are filleted and split between everyone on the boat — bring a cooler in the car.

Unit 3 · Fish biology & conservation

3:30

Dock fishing · pick-up

Dock fishing if there's daylight left, then pick-up between 3:30 and 4:00 depending on the charter. The recap and the photos land in your parent account that evening.

No fish fry this week — the fish go home with them.

The week

Four long days, built for offshore.

Every day is a 6- or 8-hour charter, compared to the 4-hour trips at our other camps. The week is built to be spent offshore; if the seas won't allow it, the captains switch to more advanced inshore fishing instead — tarpon, bull reds, flounder and trout.

Advanced camper holding a cobia offshore

Monday

6-hour · offshore

Out the inlet to the reefs and wrecks. Kingfish, cobia, triggerfish and b-liners. Too rough? Tarpon along the beach and bull reds on the channels instead.

KingfishCobiaTriggerfish
Advanced camper holding an amberjack offshore

Tuesday

8-hour · offshore

The first long run offshore. Amberjack, triggerfish, b-liners, mahi when they're around, kingfish on the way in.

AmberjackTriggerfishMahi
Advanced campers and counselor holding a tarpon

Wednesday

6-hour · offshore

Back out for cobia, kings and whatever the wrecks are holding. If the seas say no, it's an advanced inshore day on the tarpon. The captains call it at 7.

CobiaKingfishTarpon
Two advanced campers holding a sailfish offshore

Thursday

8-hour · offshore

The second long run. Red snapper in season, amberjack, and a real shot at a sailfish. Coolers go home full.

Red snapperAmberjackSailfish

Weather decides the order — two 6-hour and two 8-hour charters over the four days, however the windows fall. Too rough offshore and we fish inshore that day; if a whole day can't run, it's made up or prorated.

Who this is for

Comfortable on a boat. That's the only requirement.

9–16

Ages

The only camp that goes to 16. Most are returning campers, but plenty come straight in.

0

Experience required

No fishing experience needed — the captains and counselors teach on the boat. What matters is being okay on open water for eight hours.

1:4

Counselor to campers

Our standard boat: a U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain and a CPR-certified counselor, same as every camp.

?

Not sure about seasickness

If you don't know how your camper handles open water, do a week of day camp first and work up. We'll tell you honestly if they're ready.

Advanced camper with a doormat flounder

What happens to the fish

This is the week they keep it.

Every keeper is filleted at the cleaning table and divided between the campers on that boat. Slot and bag limits still apply, and they learn to fillet their own.

No Friday fish fry at Advanced Camp — the fish go home in your cooler every afternoon.

The details

What's included, what to bring, how the days run.

Included

  • Two 6-hour and two 8-hour charters · boats, captains, fuel
  • Everything fishing: rods, reels, tackle, live bait, ice
  • Camp shirt
  • Filleting instruction · your camper's share of every day's catch
  • Daily photos and an evening recap in your parent account

Bring each day

  • Everything on the day-camp list, plus:
  • A second long-sleeve sun shirt
  • Big lunch and extra snacks — it's a long day
  • Sea-sickness meds taken before you arrive on offshore days
  • A cooler in the car for the day's catch
  • Any medication, labeled — handed to a director at drop-off

Drop-off & pick-up

  • Drop-off 7:00 AM at Beach Marine, 2315 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville Beach — boats leave on time
  • Pick-up 3:30–4:00 PM depending on the charter · sign-out with a counselor
  • Mon–Thu · four days, no Friday

Late pick-up: $30/day until 6 PM. Add it in your parent account any time.

2027 sessions

Two sessions. Sixteen spots each.

$400 deposit holds a spot; the balance is due 30 days before camp. Full refund up to 30 days out — inside that, a refund if your spot fills, otherwise a credit good for any available camp in the next 12 months.

Session 1

July 19–22, 2027

Mon–Thu · 7:00–4:00 · Beach MarineSpots openAdd to cart · $400 deposit
Session 2

July 26–29, 2027

Mon–Thu · 7:00–4:00 · Beach MarineSpots openAdd to cart · $400 deposit

See every camp on the full calendar →

Your side of the week

You'll know how the day went by bedtime.

  • Evening recap. A note from the counselor each night: how far out, what they caught, what's in the cooler.
  • Photos, every day. The day's pictures land in your account that evening. Save them all with one tap.
  • Where the boat went. The captain logs the trip — inshore or offshore, 6 or 8 hours — and you can see it.
  • Weather calls, straight to you. If a long day gets moved for weather, you get the text before 7 AM.
  • Thursday. Bring the big cooler.
Luke's week · Advanced CampTuesday · 7:10 PM recap
Where we fishedOffshore with Capt. Joe Curtis, 24 miles out. 8-hour day, seas 1–2 ft.
What Luke caughtTwo triggerfish, an amberjack he fought for 15 minutes, and a b-liner. 6 lb of fillets in the cooler.
Tomorrow6-hour offshore if the seas lay down, tarpon inshore if not. Boats leave at 7:30 sharp.

Advanced camp questions

The ones parents ask.

Does my camper need to be an experienced angler?

No. Advanced means longer days and bigger water, not a skills test. The captains teach on the boat. The real question is whether they're comfortable on open water for six to eight hours.

How do I know if they'll get seasick?

If they've been offshore before and were fine, they're fine. If you don't know, a week of day camp first is the honest answer — the beach days there are a good preview. Meds taken the night before and at breakfast help most kids.

Is it really four days?

Yes — Monday to Thursday, no Friday and no fish fry. All four are long days: two 6-hour and two 8-hour charters, compared to the 4-hour trips at our other camps.

Do they keep the fish?

Yes. Every keeper is filleted at the dock and split between the campers on that boat. Bring a cooler in the car each day.

How far offshore do they go?

Up to about 30 miles when the weather allows — further than day camp or overnight camp go, which is why the days are 6 and 8 hours. Bottom fishing on the reefs and wrecks, trolling on the way out and back.

What if the weather kills an offshore day?

The camp is built to be spent offshore, so the captains pick the calmest windows and the order shifts during the week. If it's too rough to go out, we fish inshore that day with more advanced fishing — tarpon, bull reds and more. A day that can't run at all is made up on a weekend morning or prorated.

Can they do Advanced and Day Camp the same summer?

Lots do — a day-camp week in June and Advanced in July is the most common combination. Sibling discount applies across weeks.

What's the cancellation policy?

Full refund up to 30 days before camp. Inside 30 days, a refund if your spot fills; otherwise your payment becomes a credit for any available camp in the next 12 months, transferable to a sibling.

Not sure which camp?

Three ways to spend your week.

Day camp

Summer Day Camp

Ages 7–15 · Mon–Fri 7:30–3:00 · $1,099

Inshore, and offshore on the calm days. Home every night. The place to start.

Explore day camp →

Sleep-away

Overnight Camp

Ages 9–15 · Sun–Fri · $2,499

Dorms at Jacksonville University, the 55-foot head boat, a dedicated offshore day.

Explore overnight →

You're here

Advanced Camp

Ages 9–16 · Mon–Thu · $1,599

Two 6-hour and two 8-hour charters. Campers keep their fish.

Summer 2027

Two sessions. Sixteen spots each.

Registration is open. Every week has filled the last few summers — grab yours early.

See the sessions
Contact JoeSee sessions