Rare Breed Charters is a private offshore and inshore boat out of Adventure Yacht Harbor in Ponce Inlet, run by Captain Daniel Levesque. The boat is a 31 foot Cape Horn, a capable center console that fishes the nearshore reefs, the offshore wrecks, and the long run to the Gulf Stream, and the operation does something most of the Daytona fleet does not: it posts its full rate card. For a small group that wants a hard working captain and clear pricing up front, it is a solid offshore option.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.7 Rare Breed is a strong choice and the third of the private offshore boats in Daytona, behind Waterproof Charters and On The Hook Charters. Two things stand out: a captain reviewers describe as working hard to put people on fish, and a posted rate card that runs from a $600 nearshore half day to a 12 hour Gulf Stream trip, which makes the value easy to judge. What holds it a step below the boats above it is the record: the review base is positive but shorter and lighter than the decades long histories of Waterproof and On The Hook. For seats by the person, the Sea Spirit head boat is far cheaper. The full field is on the Daytona Beach ranking.
The boat
The Rare Breed is a 31 foot Cape Horn center console, licensed for up to 6 anglers offshore and held to 4 on the nearshore trips for comfort. It is a genuine offshore boat, with the range for the Gulf Stream run and an optional Starlink connection aboard, and reviewers describe it as well kept. As a center console it is open to the weather, so a long run in a chop is a wetter ride than a cabin boat gives, and four is the comfortable number for the nearshore work even though it is licensed for six. For the offshore and Gulf Stream trips it is the right tool.
The fishing and what you target
Rare Breed fishes the full spread off Ponce Inlet. The offshore and Gulf Stream runs produce mahi mahi, wahoo, blackfin tuna, king mackerel, and cobia on the troll, with gag grouper, amberjack, and snapper on the bottom, and the nearshore and inshore trips add redfish, snook, and flounder. The Atlantic seasons shape the bottom fishing: gag grouper is open in summer, black sea bass through much of the year, and red snapper, the prize, has had its 2026 season paused by a court order, so the captain fishes what is open. The 12 hour Gulf Stream trip is the one that reaches the bluewater pelagics in numbers.
Trips and prices
Rare Breed posts its rates in full, which is a real point in its favor in a port where several boats quote only by phone. Nearshore trips run $600 for a half day, $800 for a 6 hour, and $1,000 for a full day, and offshore runs $1,800 for a 6 hour, $2,000 for an 8 hour, $2,300 for a 10 hour, and $2,500 for a 12 hour Gulf Stream trip, with specialty tuna and Gulf Stream expeditions up to $4,000. Gear, licenses, catch cleaning, and water are included, with Starlink a $100 add on. The offshore rates sit a touch above some of the port per hour, so weigh them against the field. Our cost guide and the party boat versus private charter guide help you compare.
The crew
Captain Daniel Levesque is the draw. Reviewers describe him as working extremely hard to put anglers on fish, patient, and good company on the water, with several calling it among the best charters they have taken. The sentiment is clearly positive; what keeps the track record score below the leaders is depth, since the review base is shorter and lighter than the decades of reviews behind Waterproof and On The Hook, not any negative pattern. As an owner run boat, the captain you read about is the one running your trip.
Booking and what to know
Book direct through the site, which posts the rates, or by phone, and book ahead for summer and the Gulf Stream runs. Confirm the target so the plan matches the season, especially with red snapper closed, and decide between the nearshore and the offshore tiers by how far you want to run. Gear, licenses, and cleaning are included, so bring food, drinks, sunscreen, and a cooler for the catch.
How we scored it
Rare Breed scores 7.7: a capable offshore boat with a hard working captain and a transparent, fully posted rate card, held below the long established private boats by a shorter, lighter review record and offshore rates a touch above the port. Captain and crew and trips and access are its strongest factors. See how we scored this boat for the rubric and weighting, and the Daytona Beach ranking for where it lands.