Any lakes near in/near tampa/st pete you can jump in or jet ski? (Orlando: transplants, condos)

[peglegmedia]

I have some friends in Orlando that have lived on a couple different smaller lakes and they will jump off their docks into the water with their dogs, then jet ski around, i've been told sand bars will form in the middle and people will pull up their boats and hang out there/drink all day.

I was wondering if there were any near here that had affordable homes/condos by them? Does lake seminole or lake tarpon have the same feel? Any where else? I was thinking this since the beach living is probably too expensive.

[KPB]

Are you sure your friends weren't talking about sandbars/islands in the bay that people would party on? Because I can't think of any lakes with sandbars. But there are quite a few small islands throughout Tampa Bay that people party on like this one.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TBDMlyuIZu4

[MortonR]

Any lakes in this area, and for that matter much of Florida, will place you in the food chain should you dive in. That includes places like Lake Tarpon.

RM

[KPB]

Originally Posted by MortonR

Any lakes in this area, and for that matter much of Florida, will place you in the food chain should you dive in. That includes places like Lake Tarpon.

RM

Piranha's ?


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5BlHXMUEies

[Tominftl]

Don't forget about the brain eating amoeba. Yes, you need to be concerned. Use a nose plug and ear plugs before going into warm tropical waters. Not to mention the snakes and alligators that are present in most lakes in Florida...

[Tim Tim Tim]

^^^^ people that didnt grow up on lakes


Pretty much any lake of any decent size will suffice, I have never heard of a sand bar in the middle of a lake though, sounds like they are referring to the gulf/intercostal in that regard.

There are gators in the lakes, issues with them are quite rare. People swim, ski, tube, etc in lakes every day without issues.

In short, any real lake (not a retention pond) will suffice for swimming, boating, etc..

Lake tarpon is huge but there are plenty of others that are good. Finding an affordable house on a lake, thats another story..

[KPB]

I'm 42, lived in FL my entire life. As a kid I've swam in every puddle of water my friends and I could find and none of us got bit by a snake, gator or parasite. I couldn't imagine being so scared to not go swimming unless its in some other country that I'm just not familiar with IDK.
I think the people here that are afraid to go swimming in a lake must not be from and not that familiar with Florida. I couldn't imagine living life so scared of everything.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aH64PSmFwSs

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C1KAvoy5QgU

[Tim Tim Tim]

Originally Posted by KPB

I'm 42, lived in FL my entire life. As a kid I've swam in every puddle of water my friends and I could find and none of us got bit by a snake, gator or parasite. I couldn't imagine being so scared to not go swimming unless its in some other country that I'm just not familiar with IDK.
I think the people here that are afraid to go swimming in a lake must not be from and not that familiar with Florida. I couldn't imagine living life so scared of everything.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aH64PSmFwSs

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C1KAvoy5QgU

didn't even think about those places, there are tons of nice rivers and springs too.

[a person]

I am not a FL native, but I follow the general rule of thumb that most of us transplants follow down here which says if it's fresh water, look, but don't touch. The Gulf and Bay are so close, there's no need to jump in a lake that is potentially teeming with snakes or gators.

[Tim Tim Tim]

Originally Posted by a person

I am not a FL native, but I follow the general rule of thumb that most of us transplants follow down here which says if it's fresh water, look, but don't touch. The Gulf and Bay are so close, there's no need to jump in a lake that is potentially teeming with snakes or gators.

In your mind, the bay or gulf are safer than a lake?????

I'd far rather take my chance near a gator which is naturally scared of humans than swim in the ocean where there are countless animals that can injure or kill you.