Sea Love is the deep sea fishing name most St Augustine visitors already know, and it earns its place in the ranking as the value and access pick. Running out of Cat’s Paw Marina since 1980, it is the longest established charter operation in the port and the only true party boat here, a pair of large head boats led by a 70 footer that sell seats by the person and put a day of bottom fishing within almost any budget. For a first trip, a family, or anyone who does not want to book a whole boat, it is the most accessible way onto the deep water in St Augustine.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.4 Sea Love is a strong choice and the top party boat in St Augustine, the value and access pick rather than the top of the field. It suits a family, a first timer, or anyone who wants to fish the deep water without booking a private boat. Where it sits behind the private boats is the day to day experience: a head boat fills its rail, runs two fixed trip lengths, and on a busy boat you fish shoulder to shoulder, so the day depends on the crowd and the crew you draw. For a private boat with a named captain, the six packs MisStress Sportfishing, Rod Bender, and Game On are the step up, and for the most capable offshore boats, Knot Tied Down and Endless Summer lead the field. The full ranking is on the St Augustine page.
The boats
Sea Love runs two large head boats. The Sea Love II is 70 feet, carries up to 61 passengers, and runs twin 800 horsepower Caterpillar diesels, and the Sea Love III is 50 feet, carries up to 30, and has a single head with running water. They are wide, stable platforms that carry a big crowd, the affordable, sociable way onto the Gulf Stream reefs. The size is a real comfort on the long run offshore. The honest caveat is the one every head boat carries: when a boat is full, the deck is tight, lines tangle, and a slow bite is felt by everyone aboard, so the experience is more variable than a private boat with a handful of anglers.
The fishing and what you target
The trips work the Atlantic deep water reefs off St Augustine for the bread and butter species: snapper, grouper in its open season, amberjack, black sea bass, and vermilion snapper, with king mackerel and cobia on the troll and a shot at wahoo on the longer Gulf Stream runs. The full day is the trip that reaches the better bottom, since the good ground off St Augustine is a long run. Black sea bass carry the bottom much of the year. Atlantic red snapper are abundant here but the federal season is very short and was closed by a court order for 2026, so do not book expecting to keep them, and confirm the status with NOAA Fisheries. Shallow water grouper, including gag and red, are closed January 1 to April 30 each year.
Trips and prices
This is where Sea Love earns its place: the fare is posted and cheap. Trips are sold per person, walk on, in two lengths. The 6 hour super half day is $115 for adults and $90 for kids 6 to 14, and the 8 hour full day is $135 for adults and $110 for kids, with cheaper fares for military, first responders, and nurses. The fare includes the rod, reel, bait, and tackle, which is most of what you need. Private whole boat charters are also available for a group that wants the boat to itself. For how the per person head boat math compares with booking a six pack, our cost guide and the party boat versus private charter guide work it through.
The crew
A head boat runs on rotating licensed captains rather than one owner operator, so you will not always know who is at the helm, and the deck crew is the part that makes or breaks the day. The sentiment is mixed in the way every high volume head boat is: many reviewers describe mates who bait hooks, clear tangles, and get first timers onto fish, and a genuine strand report a crowded boat, a slow day, or a flat trip on a packed weekend. That spread is normal for a walk on boat and is what holds the captain and crew and track record scores below the private boats, even with the operation’s long history. Read recent reviews before you pick a date.
Booking and what to know
Book by phone or through the operator site, and arrive 30 to 45 minutes early to park, check in, and find a spot at the rail. Trips leave on a fixed daily schedule from Cat’s Paw Marina off Nix Boat Yard Road, with the start time shifting a little with the season. Bring sunscreen, a hat, a soft cooler for your fillets, food and drinks, and motion sickness medication if you are unsure of your stomach, since a 6 or 8 hour day in the Atlantic chop is a long one. No license is needed and the crew handles the bait and tackle.
How we scored it
Sea Love scores 7.4: a long established party boat operation with posted, low fares, two big head boats, and the cheapest access to the deep water in St Augustine, marked down on the crowding, the two fixed trip lengths, and the uneven day to day experience that come with a high volume walk on rail. Value and transparency is its strongest factor. See how we scored this boat and the St Augustine ranking for the field.