We rounded out our summer vacations this year with a scalloping trip to Florida’s west coast. It’s something I’ve been doing since I was a kid. I’m 52 now and it’s a fantastic family vacation.

You do need a boat, but if you don’t have one, plenty of captains offer charters to take your family scalloping. Depending on the county, the season generally runs from July through September. Steinhatchee’s opens earlier, on June 15th, and though I’ve never scalloped there myself, I’ve heard great things about it. There are plenty of places to stay along the coast, from Crystal River down to Homosassa.

The past several years, we’ve stayed in Pasco County. The season there is shorter, but so is the run out to the scallop grounds, a fair trade-off. We typically book a waterfront VRBO for a few days so we can keep the boat right behind the house. It’s game on from there.

You don’t need a lot of expensive gear, either. A mask, snorkel, fins, and a mesh bag to hold your catch will do it. Just make sure to keep a 5-gallon bucket on the boat so you can track how much you’ve harvested and stay within the daily limits for your area. Adults will also need a current saltwater fishing license to harvest scallops.

If this sounds like something you’d like to try or want to learn more about, feel free to reach out, I’m happy to share how we typically go about it. It’s a great family experience, and I highly recommend it if you’ve never done it before.