Captain Spurgeon was everything we asked for yesterday. Amazing day on the water. This operation is legit, safe, family Friendly, and professional. You won’t find a better run private boat company in key largo. Our 4 year old and 10 month old had a blast on our full day trip. this trip is priced right and the captain is very personable and accommodating. The boat is clean, organized and pretty much has everything thing you could ask for unless you are allergic to fun. I wouldn’t hesitate in the least to book this guy !

Captain Spurgeon was top notch. Provided a fun and safe nautical adventure with snorkeling, paddle boarding, and boating.Would recommend to anyone who wants a great family outing. We did the full day private excursion and it was a blast.

We had the BEST time ever! I researched a ton before choosing Nautical Quest and I’m so glad I did. Our day with Captain Spurgeon was perfect! I knew my kids would do best with a charter that had multiple activities. This was exactly what we needed. I felt like we got 5 days worth of activities! We went fishing, snorkeling, sightseeing, paddle boarding, had lunch, played at the sand bar. The best part was that we went to all these amazing locations, but stayed away from the crowds. Our friends had picked a different charter and all of their pictures are crowded with a ton of people and other boats in the background. Captain Spurgeon took us to our own secluded areas of paradise! Clear turquoise water without another person in sight! We are experienced boaters, but wanted a relaxing day to kick back and let someone else do the driving. The seas were a bit choppy but Captain Spurgeon is a great driver and provided us with a smooth ride. Thank you so much for helping our family make some lifelong memories!

We were total novices when we turned up to collect our boat. Spurgeon was so patient with us, and took us all the way back to where we were staying, basically through the narrowest, shallowest waterways. Probably the toughest thing I have done since my driving test in 1990! But he let us loose to have fun for 3 days, Ive never had so much fun! To top it all, when we took the boat back and a manatee came to see us off! Thank you Florida Keys for the best holiday Ive had in years. Stay strong everyone, we will be back as soon as we are able. Mitch & Tim

Most enjoyable day on the ocean with Captain Putnam! Vessel was immaculate, well equipped and comfortable! Captain Putnam was knowledgeable, hospitable, safety conscious, and fun to spend the day with. This was the second time our family has employed Nautical Quest and Captain Putnam, and we’re already looking forward to next time!

My husband and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary in Miami/ Key Largo. We had the best time just relaxing and enjoying Champaign on board. Our captain was friendly, professional, and very knowledgeable. Our tour was customizable and private. We are planning another trip this summer and will for sure be using nautical quest adventures again!!

Beware - captain has anger management issues. We reserved a full day charter for my family of 4. Everything started out fairly normal. Captain Sturgen said he would instead provide a half day tour instead of full day, because of wind, but at a cost higher than posted on his website. I reluctantly agreed. Got on the boat, filled out standard paperwork, safety briefing, and took off. Asked that the sun shade be put up, and his terse reply was if I put it up it has to stay up, dont ask later to take it down. We agreed it should go up, which took less than 5 minutes and we couldnt figure our why this so disturbed him, but things went downhill from here. He spent 25 minutes going through the mangroves at 5 mph, which seemed slow, but I figured things would speed up when we hit open water. When we got past the mangroves into the open bay, he continued at 5 mph, which seemed odd. I figured he was being considerate of my wife and daughter in the bow, and didnt want to any wind or sea spray to hit them. I made the following exact comment to the captain: feel free to speed up if you want. At this, he blew up. He said I am the captain. Dont tell me what to do. This tour is over. I told him the speed was really not a big deal for me, and lets continue on, but he refused and turned the boat around and brought us back to the dock. My son, who overheard the whole exchange, was also totally confused and disappointed because we had been looking forward to the day on the water. My son also could not understand the captains angry reaction to a very mild and polite suggestion. We got off the boat and left, and booked another boat down the street (there are dozens of boats for hire in the area). We had a great experience on the other boat (Anchors Away) and the owner Victor who was easy going and very informative. Captain Sturgon has a nice boat but is emotionally unstable and clearly had issues with dealing with people in a normal business way.

My family of four had a fantastic time with Nautical Quest Adventures! It is absolutely worth it to charter a boat with a knowledgeable captain instead of opting for a large group snorkel trip.

With so many great places to rent a boat in the keys, do yourself a favor and avoid this guy! We had a terrible experience with an aggressive and threatening owner....from people who rent boats often:My husband and I rented a 22ft Bay liner Mercury for a full day from Nautical Quest Adventures and it was a terrible experience:1. We arrived (with warning) at 9:15 and the boat wasn’t in the water yet2. We noticed that the boat was from lake Lanier (fresh water man made lake) in GA but have had great keys boat rental experiences so paid it no mind. This was not an appropriate boat for the open waters of the FL Keys3. The owner was there and explained that the throttle was a little bit funny and you’d have to go full speed then dial it back to find your desired speed. We accepted this but once in the water it was a much different scenario. We followed his advice as experienced boater, but even once setting the throttle the RPM would fluctuate between 3200 and 4800 with absolutely no warning. When we would adjust the throttle to compensate for these changes the engine would react harshly. All of this happened regardless of the trim setting.4. After a few hours of fighting the boat We texted the owner saying we were heading back due to trouble with the the throttle (see above) all he said was he was at least 30 minutes out and we’d have to wait.5. Once he arrived, we greeted him and instead of greeting us back he said in an incredibly aggressive tone “get back in the boat! We’re going for a ride” my husband and I both were stunned at his aggressive nature and said we are not getting in the boat. He looked at my husband and said “we will go with our her. Get in the boat. If you want your money back get in the boat!” At that point, no one in their right mind would get in a boat with an aggressive person like that.6. To be clear, we had never asked for our money back at this point and I said let’s go inside and discuss this. He made said that the boat was his office and he was not affiliated with the Mariana. I said lets discuss this in terms and of a business relationship and not be so emotional. He got more aggressive and i said fine, telling him I’d dispute it with the cc company. He said “just try, my customers do it all the time and never win. Just once out of 51 times.”At that point we felt threatened enough where I told him I’d deal with it and leave a review. Then we left. With so many great places to rent a boat in the keys, do yourself a favor and avoid this guy!

We had a great time snorkeling and captain Spurgeon was really nice. He has a very nice and comfortable boat. We were able to rinse with fresh water after each dive, which was really nice. We chartered the boat so it was just our group of five.We were quite impressed with the reef. It has recovered nicely. We saw dolphins, sea turtles, and a ton of amazing fish. Maybe not quite as nice as Belize, but really not that far off. We ended the tour with a tour of the mangroves. Very nice return trip.We called various places and he had the best price for the tour.We highly recommend!

I loved it here it was i nice calm boat ride !

Can’t say enough good things about this private charter experience! The first day we went out for an awesome day of Scuba diving and Snorkeling. We got to see the Christ of the Abyss and some beautiful reefs. It was amazing! The second day we wanted a day of relaxation. Capt Putnam took us to a beautiful sand bar where we had an awesome lunch and enjoyed some time on the paddle boards. Between the amazing boat and very attentive and knowledgeable Capt, we had a perfect weekend in the Keys. If you’re looking for a great private charter, Nautical Quest Adventures will not disappoint!

We never got around to renting with this company because they are rude and have zero sense for customer service. Upon calling to inquire for a boat rental, there was no answer and a detailed voice message asking to leave a message if you are interested in renting a boat. Rather than leave a message (very common), we decided to send an email instead to the EMAIL listed on their website. Logically to give the company a chance to respond on their time. Someone wrote back saying we need to listen to the voicemail and leave a message. Just to be adamantly clear, your customers, dont need to do ANYTHING, not if you want our money. For the record, we wanted to rent one of the boats that are shown on your website. But its ok, Times are difficult and there is a lot of competition out there. If this is a sign of how you manage your business, then no one should come near you with a 10 foot pole. Particularly because of the nature of your business. You are a walking liability and a lawsuit waiting to happen.

I have gone on an excursion and rented a boat with Nautical Quest Adventures and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience on either occasion. The excursion consisted of some snorkeling with some lunch. A great family activity. The rental boat was one of the cleanest rental boats I’ve ever seen. It was a newer model deck boat that was well maintained. This year I am looking forward to renting the brand new center console Cobia that I was told was just added to the rental fleet. Thanks Captain Spurgeon for helping make our trip to Key Largo so enjoyable.

We only look cool because Captain Spurgeon Putnam taught us.This was one of the best experiences of our lives. We did the Florida Boating course on line. It will never teach you what Spurgeon can.2 Hours training and we were ready to captain. We’ll always rent from these guys. Brilliant.Thanks guys.

Myself and five friends chartered a boat with Capt Putnam last weekend. We fished all day on Friday then went snorkeling, visited the Christ of the Abyss statue, and had lunch on the boat and relaxed in the water at the sand bar on Saturday. A highlight was seeing a family of about two dozen Dolphins swimming with our boat. We were able to get closeup pictures and videos of them swimming all around us. This was an Awesome two days on the ocean in Key Largo. Capt Putnam is Extremely Professional and Knowledgeable .I Highly recommend Nautical Quest Adventures. We will be back soon for the trip to Bimini, Bahamas. 🌴🌴🌴

Simply amazing! We had the great fortune to visit Key Largo with some friends. We had a 2 day private charter with Nautical Quest and it couldn’t have been more perfect. Captain Putnam has literally thought of everything. All you have to do is show up and have fun. You can relax and trust in his knowledge of the area, sites to see, snorkeling, diving, paddle boarding...don’t leave Key Largo with out a day spent with Captain Putnam on Nautical Quest.

What a great time we had. I cannot say how much he exceeded expectations. I took my girlfriend and her two girls out for the day along with my brother and went snorkeling at a few different spots. This outfit is first class all the way, great equipment,knowledge and professionalism. We highly recommend. He made sure we had a great time and took his time with everything with the novice snorkelers. We will use him again in the near future.

Amazing boat rental. We had a blast! Brought 10 people, took the boat out to great local spots and had fun. If you have kids under 50 lbs bring the small kids life jackets but they have every size above that!Would definitely rent again!

My husband and I just recently celebrated my birthday with a private tour on the beautiful water in Key Largo with Spurgeon. He was a great guide, super flexible, and easy going. He took us to the best snorkeling and stand up paddle boarding places, drop off/pickup for dinner on the water, and private viewing of the sunset on the water. The entire day was ours to decide! The boat was in great condition—meticulously maintained and cleaned and perfect for the chartering the Key Largo waterways.

What an amazing experience!!! Captain Spurgeon Putnam delivers top-notch service making sure everyone is having a great time!! Very knowledgeable about the best locations for snorkeling, fishing, sand bars.....whatever you want to do. The rental boats are a plus too for those who want to adventure on their own.Truly an expert in Key Largo that wants his clientele to have the best experience he can deliver.You’d be crazy to go elsewhere.

This was an amazing experience! Captain Spurgeon Putnam was friendly and professional. You can tell he loves the area and is knowledgeable. We had our one year old with us and we felt comfortable and safe the entire time. Wed love to go back when its just us adults to be able to explore more, but no matter what you are looking to do, this is the place to do it! He was easy to tailor our experience to what we needed as a family and we enjoyed the company as well as the views! We will come back every time we are in the area!

Without a doubt, our outing with Captain Spurgeon Putnam was the highlight of our Key Largo vacation! Nautical Quest Adventures promises a lot on their website and boy oh boy, do they deliver!My wife and I were first time snorkelers and didnt feel comfortable being on one of the many crowded snorkeling boat tours being offered throughout Key Largo. We found Nautical Quest with its Your Day Your Way slogan and decided to give it a try. When we arrived at the dock, Captain Putnam was there to greet us and give us a quick tour of the boat. No waiting around - the boat was spic and span and ready to go.The first stops on our outing were to snorkel. Since we were the only people on the charter, Captain Putnams attention was always on us and making sure we were safe and having a good time. Another huge benefit of a private charter is that you can stay at a location as long or as little as you want. When we were tired or had finished snorkeling, we just got back on the boat and off we went - no waiting around for other folks. We finished our outing with an Eco tour that was very interesting. Captain Putnam pointed out loads of different wildlife to us and answered our many questions.In summary, a Nautical Quest charter is a great value as you get to do as much, or as little, as you want. There is no schedule. You tell the Captain what you want to do and he makes it happen. Were looking forward to our next vacation in The Keys and will definitely use Nautical Quest Adventures again.

I wouldnt want to book a trip with anyone else! He was very accommodating to our needs and wanted nothing but the best time for a group, and that is what he gave us. Not for a minute were we bored on our trip! It was a trip that youll wish would never end. Book with Nautical Quest Adventures ASAP! You wont be let down!

A wonderful day on the water with captain Spurgeon Putnam. We went snorkeling at several great spots and also spent some time in the mangroves. Our best snorkel trip ever. We definitely recommend Nautical Quest Adventures. Great for families. Thank you Spurgeon - Regards, the Swiss family

Highly recommend! We made a trip down to Key Largo, and called Spurgeon last minute for a boat rental. He was extremely helpful and we were able to set up a time to meet that same day. Upon arriving to the marina, we checked out the boat and decided we did indeed want to explore the waters on it. Payment was given and we were able to take the boat that same evening. Although he was taking a group to Bimini for the weekend, he arranged his buddy to meet with us when we returned the boat two days later. The boat ran great, Spurgeon was able to navigate us to the Jesus statue like we wanted, and there were no surprise fees that popped up after returning the boat. We will use his services again.

I chose Nautical Quest Adventures because Spurgeon was flexible and let us decide what we wanted to do the entire day. He did not disappoint! He was very knowledgeable about the area and had the perfect equipment and boat needed for the day.

If you want the time of your life and an amazing experience then book your dream trip with captain Spurgeon Putnam of nautical quest adventures. Me and my wife went to Bimini with captain Putnam and it was the best vacation experience of our lives. He took us over on his super clean, comfortable 30 foot boat. Upon our arrival he made going through customs super quick and easy so we could enjoy more time in the Bahamas. Then he keeps the action going by showing you all the sites not just by water but also by land. Whatever you want, he will see to it that its your day your way. Its not just his slogan its his promise. He fulfilled one of me and my wifes dreams of an affordable fun filled vacation in the Bahamas. Hes a true professional and also a great captain and friend. We will be back next year!

Simply amazing. Our trip to Bimini was incredible. Breathtaking views and life altering experiences. We fed the nurse sharks and swam with sting rays, jammed out to our favorite music while floating at the sandbar and watched the sunset from our private yacht - all this with great friends and a great captain.

Nautical Quest Adventures is by far the best experience in the Florida Keys. Whether your on a half day paddle boarding trip through a mangrove island or a weekend trip to Bimini, Capt Putman will cater to your wishes. His boat and equipment are impeccable. He has decades of knowledge of the sea and the safety of those on board stems from a career in public safety. If you want the best Adventure out on the water fishing, diving, snorkeling or a sunset cruise call Captain Putnam.

Amazing experience! Captain seems to enjoy it as much as you do. Makes for a really great time.

I had the pleasure of booking a trip with Nautical Quest Adventures and it was a blast! Capt. Putnam took us fishing, gave us a tour of the surrounding mangroves, and we even had time to snorkel and enjoy a few drinks at the sandbar. Great experience, highly recommended.

Nautical Quest is a great adventure that everyone should experience. He is willing to personalize your trip and do anything to make it the best trip. We had an amazing time with him and have been out with him multiple times. Wouldnt want to use anyone else.

After renting a literal sinking ship from what I thought was a reputable rental company, Capt. Spurgeon was a breath of fresh air! A few of us had a full day of fun on the water which started with snorkeling at the Hen and Chickens and Christ of the Abyss, then anchoring near Rodriguez Key to eat, drink and play with all the water toys. Finally, our trip ended with a cruise through mangroves.As a Florida native, with little knowledge about the waters in the Keys, I highly recommend a chartered boat because you wont have to worry about anything. Our experience was completely stress-free (a stark contrast to how we started our vacation) and isnt that what vacation is all about?!If you want a full and fun day on the water, call Capt. Spurgeon!

We had a wonderful day on the water and would highly recommend this company for a lovely outing in the Keys. Capt. Spurgeon is very experienced and professional and makes sure all guests have a great visit customized to whatever they enjoy doing whether its fishing, hanging in the water at the sandbar, or grilling some delicious food. We will definitely be using Nautical Quest Adventures for our future Keys outings!

Our family rounded out the final day of our Florida family vacation with Captain Putnams VIP treatment! Everyone knows achieving the approval of teenagers is a challenge, and all three of our teenage sons are still raving about their experiences aboard our private charter-- days later back in Pittsburgh! Really, I dont think Id need to offer any further compliment!We had made a pretty last-minute request to change the day of our trip, and Spurgeon happily worked it out. Communicating with him from initial contact through the day of the trip was seamless and prompt. When we arrived, his boat was clean and ready to pull out of harbor-- no waiting around for others in a group charter. Having him and his boat to ourselves allowed us to choose which activities to endeavor and how much time to devote to each. This is clearly a guy who knows his art and territory, and he did an excellent job answering questions from each of us about geography, wildlife, and local economy. He was attentive to our level of experience in the Keys as well as in the water, and most of all was keen to ensure we were having a great time. (Asked for our music requests and kept the reggae coming!)Our son was encouraged to keep his catch, which we later had prepared and served to us at the Buzzards Roost, where Spurgeon had called ahead to and made reservations for us while we were still on the water. After fishing and snorkeling, we headed to the mangroves for lunch that he provided and some paddle boarding. The last leg of the tour was an exhilarating route through mangrove inlets back to harbor.We wouldnt dream of stepping on anyone elses boat in the Keys now, and we cant wait to return!

Had a great afternoon snorkeling at the reefs in Key Largo. Capt Spurgeons boat is awesome and his rum punch is delicious. I cannot wait to go back out with him and paddle board next time.

We have used nautical quest adventures three times now. Two times in the keys and 1 Bimini trip !! All I can say is an adventure of a life time!!!! Captain Spurgeon is so knowledgeable in boating and navigation!!! He also knows how to make you feel so comfortable on his beautiful boat to enjoy some of natures wonders !!! We will be going out again soon to the reefs and then again to Bimini next spring!! I highly recommend Captain Spurgeon!!!

My family and I just got back from Key Largo, and we already miss it so much. We went out with Capt. Spurgeon Putnam and Nautical Quest Adventures twice. He is not only a good friend, but an awesome boat captain and person. He makes sure your day is exactly as you wanted. We had never been to the Keys before and did not know exactly what we wanted to do. He took us through the mangroves and had us paddleboarding through little canals in the mangroves. It was beautiful. We never knew there were places like that in the U.S. Then we did some fishing, snorkeling, and paddleboarding off this little island. We had a blast. My only regret is that I waited so long to do something like this. We actually canceled a cruise to go down there, and after talking with my family, we all agree that this was better than going on the cruise. We will definitely be back and will definitely go out again with Capt. Putnam and Nautical Quest Adventures for our next adventure. Thanks for everything!!

Awesome adventure. I will be going back and I would highly recommend this to anyone looking to go to Key Largo

Fantastic trip for my sons 21st & 24th B-day! Capt Spurgeon was on point with everything. From knowledge of the area, beautiful comfortable boat, lunch and drinksto the SUP in the mangroves. Loved it so much we are making it an annual guys birthday trip!!! U can tell he loves showing people the area. Book him, promise you wont be disappointed!!

Little delayed feedback.. We rented a boat from Cpt. Spurgeon while in Key Largo in June 2018. This guy is amazing! Forget about the huge ads in town for cheap boat rentals, go directly to Nautical Quest and you wont regret it.Unfortunately this place is a little hard to find, its right next to Buzzards Roost and you should call ahead. Boats are very well maintained and have GPS, depthfinder, sound system etc. If youre not local, ask for some good places to go to and youll be helped.Fair prices and great customer service. Thanks for a great time and hope to be back there some day!We havent tried the guided tour with Spurgeon, but he is extremely friendly and I bet his guided tours are amazing.

They rock!