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Capt. Trip & His Personal Boating Adventures: Florida Springs

Weekly BoatTEST Captain Showcase

Here at BoatTEST, we review thousands of hulls, technical architectures, and performance data points—but at the end of the day, boating is all about the pure passion for the water and the stories we build out there. That is exactly why we fell in love with Captain Trip Smith's channel, and why we just had to ask him to join our team.

3 Days Truck Camping to Florida's Beautiful Springs

In this video release, Capt. Trip Smith takes viewers along on a three-day, multi-stop overland truck camping expedition across Central Florida to explore the state’s world-renowned freshwater springs and scenic waterways. Traveling solo in his short-bed pickup truck fitted with a custom DIY diagonal sleeping platform, gear storage drawers, and an electric cooler, Trip demonstrates an accessible, self-contained approach to stealth camping and boondocking.

Throughout the journey, Trip navigates through several top freshwater destinations. He visits Alexander Springs in the Ocala National Forest for deep-water free diving, launches a paddleboard at Weeki Wachee to journey upstream against the current, and wraps up the voyage exploring the historical depths of Wakulla Springs. Along the way, he navigates back-road logistics, sets up camp at Hopkins Prairie Campground, cooks open-air meals over a camp stove, and makes an unexpected pit stop at Three Rivers Marine in Crystal River to inspect a new C-Dory Tomcat aluminum powerboat.

Combining practical overlanding tips, underwater footage of Florida's pristine aquatic ecosystems, and insights into modular truck setup design, this video offers a real-world look at combining coastal land exploration with freshwater paddle sports and free diving.