The Florida National High Adventure Sea Base is owned and operated by the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America to offer unique educational aquatic programs to our members. Located in Islamorada and on Summerland Key in the beautiful Florida Keys, as well as Marsh Harbour, Great Abaco Island, Bahamas, the heart of the Florida Keys, the near shore reefs and crystal clear waters offer unparalleled opportunities for long term and short term programs year round. Our Conference facilities are utilized for youth and adult Scouting Conferences and non-Scouting groups when available... write or call for specific program information and costs.

The Sea Base began in the early 1970's as a local program in the Florida Keys called the Florida Gateway to High Adventure under the guidance of Sam Wampler, a professional Scouter from the South Florida Council.  It offered primarily sailing programs using local marinas and chartered boats sailing to the Bahamas and back.  As the idea caught on and grew, it joined the high adventure offerings of the National Council of the BSA along with Philmont Scout Ranch and the Northern Tier High Adventure Base.  In 1979 the Sea Base acquired a permanent facility on Lower Matecumbe Key and when this opened for Scouts in 1980 it was renamed the Florida National High Adventure Sea Base.  As the popularity of this program grew, scuba diving was added and in 1984 the BSA received the gift of Big Munson Island from Homer Formsby.  This undeveloped island offered tremendous program potential as an outpost for primitive camping, Robinson Crusoe style.  During this time period the sailing program concentrated on sailing around the fabulous Florida Keys.  New sailing programs were started that originated and ended in Marsh Harbour in the beautiful Abaco Islands of the Bahamas. 

Sea Base programs continued to excite the imagination of Scouts and Scouters and as attendance grew the need for a second facility was obvious.  Thanks to the generosity of J. Porter Brinton of Greenwich, CT, the Brinton Environmental Center opened in 2001 making the Sea Base even better.  The Sea Base has continued to add and upgrade facilities and programs to meet the needs of Scouts.