Re: Boating in Tampa/St Pete?
Having come from the land of 15000 lakes, including boating Lake Michigan, Florida is a wonderful place to boat.
I boat the ICW from St. Pete south to about Venice. I launch in the Manatee River (where the Manatee and Braden river meet). yes a day trip is possible to Ft Myers or Naples, however watch your fuel. you can also hit Sannibel and Captiva. Going to Eggmont Key is always a great time. Plenty of bars and restaurants on the water. Many great places to go snorkeling, swimming, diving, fishing, etc. Not much within the city limits of Tampa to see, except the debauchery of Gasparilla in January.
water skiing will depend on the wind. I ski and tube in palma sola bay because it is sheltered on all sides with only a channel to get there, so it is usually quite calm.
Boating on the gulf requires watching the weather, watching the forecasts and watching the tide charts.
Remember, there are two types of boaters in the area. Those that have run aground, and those that will run aground. most of the time its sand, however there are a few sunken boats as well
keep your charts and GPS's up to date. make sure you have good polarized sun glasses to see the bottom. each channel in the ICW will move. sometimes up to 20' after a storm. Places like new pass have signs that read "local knowledge required, boat at own risk"
General propeller in Bradenton will become your friend. $80 for ding fix, $90 for rehub. If you do not have towing assistance, I do recommend it.