Departure will be from the Scout Hut in Ballentine, SC on June 6, 2000. We will arrive at the "Island Base" located 34 miles North of Key West around 2:00 p.m. on June 7, 2000. The Island Base is a local, scout weekend camp that the National High Adventure Division utilizes as an outfitting station for the island program. Our first afternoon of check-in is quite busy. Initially, our Island mate will give us a tour of the facility and we will jump into bathing suits for our swim check. At this point, we will be issued a mask, fins and snorkel and a Sea Base dive bag that we will have for the week of your adventure. This will be followed by a snorkel instruction lesson so you are comfortable with your gear. If you have your own snorkeling equipment, you may prefer to bring it because masks and mouth pieces sometimes give you a better fit if they are your personal equipment. Our first evening, there will be a welcome dinner to meet the staff and the Director, we will discuss our itinerary for the upcoming week and then there will be a slide show describing those underwater creatures to both enjoy and to avoid. The next two and a half days will offer flexible programming at the Island Base including the utilization of ocean kayaks, snorkeling, fishing. On the Island Base we will be housed in wall tents with cots, and on Big Munson Island 
- these are directly on the ground, so a sleeping pad comes in handy. There is more than adequate showering facilities at Island Base, but don't expect hot water...that's a luxury reserved for the Sea Base upon our return.
On our third day at the Island Base, we will pack all of your food and program equipment and wade it out to one of our 25' Dusky powerboats to transport your gear to the island. We will then challenge the seas for a six mile journey to Big Munson Island in our two man ocean kayak. It is made up of high hardwood hammocks and low mangrove swamp areas. If you are expecting a South Sea Island with sparking white sandy beaches and native girls...this definitely is not the place. Depending on the wind, weather and tide, we will have to wade all of your food, water and equipment ashore. This wading trip can be as short as 50' or as long as 300 yards... sometimes through floating sea grass. Once we arrive on this pristine island... it will all be worth it. Your camp is completely set up when we arrive with hand hewn picnic tables, propane stoves and all of the cooking equipment we'll need for your three days on the island. Food is either fresh or frozen i.e. hamburgers, steak, spaghetti, fish for dinner, sandwiches for lunch and eggs, cereal, and pancakes for breakfast. There is no need for dehydrated food...plus water is an absolute premium.
Again, program flexibility is the key to a worthwhile experience on the Island Program. On the island itself, we will have a host of equipment to utilize including your kayaks, and the Dusky power boat which brought your gear. At least one day we will plan on spending all day in the Dusky fishing and snorkeling in the Looe Key area. Other days, will be spent kayaking through the mangroves and exploring the island and its unique wildlife. The crew can elect to schedule a trip to Key West or not. We suggest to crews that if they wish to go to Key West, but not during their program, plan to do so before or after their adventure.
Fishing is an integral part of the program both at the Island Base and the Island. Our dusky powerboat will be supplied with heavy tackle for those big ones out deep and some light weight rods and reels. We would, however, suggest you bring a few medium weight fresh water rigs if you are a gungho fisherman...there are plenty of opportunities from shore, kayaks and at night for you to catch fish around Big Munson...although we don't guarantee it, most crews are able to add some fresh fish or possibly lobster to the menu during their stay on Big Munson Island.
On our seventh day, you will kayak back to the Island Base where you will repack your equipment and head up to Sea Base for your evening closing ceremony, patch presentation and Closing Seafood Luau. We will depart the Sea Base facility by 11:00 a.m. so that we can travel to Orlando Florida to the Island of Adventures Theme Park.
SCENE - The Florida Sea Base is the first scouting facility in the world to be designated as a SCENE (Scouting Center of Excellence for Nature and the Environment). In recognition of this, all participants in our programs will be eligible to earn their SCENE segment for their Sea Base participant patch at no cost.
Theoretically, the Florida Sea Base supplies everything that would be needed for the adventure with the exception of a fishing license if someone is 16 years or older a fishing license will cost $6.50 to $17.00 depending on the type of the license. $50.00 is adequate spending money unless you want to buy a lot of souvenirs.
BEING PHYSICALLY FIT: Every participant in the Florida Sea Base High Adventure program needs to be physically fit for the strenuous demands that will be placed on their body. Get in shape! Stay in shape! You will be in the water a great deal, so go swimming with your crew at your local pool often. Do some light exercises to increase your stamina. You will be lifting your body in and out of the water often to boats and docks.
PARENTS: Do not send mail. Sea Base offers programs to hundreds of scouts on the sea, on the land, on the island. We will not deliver mail from home to scouts unless it is mail of urgency, i.e. glasses, medicine, etc. left at home.
In case of an extreme emergency, contact can be made with the following numbers:
305-852-9510 Day or Night (Island Base)
305-664-4173 Day & Night (Sea Base)
305-852-2385 (Choice One)
305-664-2991 (Choice Two)