I took a $60 boat ride to Florida's Crab Island. It was a great value, and the BYOB policy made it even better.

Crab Island is quite a scene, although it's not actually an island at all — it's a submerged sandbar.

A watercraft of some kind is required to access this popular spot, where bachelorette parties, families, locals, and tourists bob around the clear waters together with bumping beats blasting from the anchored boats.

Although there are a few different boats available to rent in the area, my friends and I booked our excursion through Tailfins Tiki Tours for just $60 a person. (At the time of writing, the price appears to have increased to $70 a person.)

Visitors can rent private boats, but our group chose a shared excursion since there were just four of us.

On the day of our sailing, we arrived at the meeting point at the Destin Harbor Boardwalk, a sprawling commercialized scene where theme restaurants alternate with boat-rental companies.

We left on time and were able to enjoy great views of Destin as we cruised out of the small but busy harbor.

Our tiki boat was at full capacity, which included two crew members and 14 guests.

Each of us sat on our own ornately designed stool and, because of the rounded design of the boat, all passengers had great views of the surrounding waters.

The boat also seemed thoughtfully designed. It had a small bathroom on board, and the bar area included hooks for hanging bags and built-in cup holders to keep beverages steady.

As we sailed under the Destin Bridge and crept into an open space on Crab Island, we listened to the captain's choice of music through the boat's speakers.

It took us only about 20 minutes of sailing time to reach the sandbar.

Passengers are allowed to bring their own beverages (including alcohol as long as it's not in glass), so we'd packed cold drinks in our backpack cooler.

It was nice to crack them open while enjoying the dazzling emerald waters around us.

After lathering on some sunscreen and moving on to our next round of drinks, we descended the boat's ladder into the chilly waters.

The cool salt water was refreshing in the warm sun, and we spent a bit of time walking around the sandbar.

In the meantime, the crew set up floating tables and a lily pad for guests to use. We brought our own inflatables, and they filled those with air for us, too.

Fortunately, there were also tons of options had we forgotten to bring floaties, food, drinks, or even sunscreen to Crab Island.

We swam past a full floating general store, a whole boat selling barbecue, and vendors on small vehicles selling alcoholic jelly shooters.

Even on a sunny Saturday in shoulder season, we saw hundreds of watercraft anchored to the sandbar or cruising around it. Pontoons with slides, kayaks, Jet Skis, and tiki boats mingled with giant unicorns and flamingo floaties.

After a fast three hours of sipping and people watching in the shallow water, we were shepherded back to our barge.

The captain guided everybody back onto their barstools, and the ship powered back to the pier.

I felt $60 per person was a reasonable price for the transportation and service provided.

We also chose to tip the captain and other staff member in cash, as they'd worked hard to ensure we had a fabulous time.

Overall, this was a great way to spend an afternoon. I'd recommend booking a boat tour to Crab Island if you're looking for a fun and affordable Florida activity.