Meet Our Key West Boat Tour Captains

My mom always said “Leave the place the same way you found it, or better” and that’s how I try to live my life—while I’m having a ball doing what I do, of course. I grew up in Sugarloaf Key which is just a dozen or so miles north of Key West. By the time I was 8 years old I was on a boat as often as I could be. Starting by cleaning fishing boats, then working on fishing boats, then driving fishing boats, you get the picture. These days you’ll find me Captain of Fury’s fantastic state-of-the-art Catamaran, working the Ultimate Adventure by day and Commotion on the Ocean at night. I get a real kick out of helping people from all over the world experience the most thrilling time of their lives, right here in Key West. You can tell by my huge grin that the stress of this job is just killing me. When I’m not sleeping, I’m on a boat. I also spend my vacations on the water—even if it’s frozen (I like snow boarding, too). The reality is; I spend more time on the water than I do off. So come with me, Captain Chuck and we’ll raise a raucous on the crystal blue together.

I’ve sailed the Glass Bottom Boat 12,000 times (probably more) over the last 19 years and as Captain, I invite you to join me as we witness the glorious living coral reef and its spectacular inhabitants.  I’ve been on the water most of my life—got my first boating license in 1972, worked on commercial boats and yachts and then landed in Key West for this remarkable adventure I call my life. I am a lucky man, because there’s nothing in this world I’d rather do, I truly love my job. Each sail aboard the Glass Bottom Boat is different, even though we travel to the same destination. Different people, different questions, different conversations—sometimes we have a celebrity or an infamous character who prefers not to be noticed. I’ve seen it all—but nothing compares to the thrill I got (and every passenger on board) when I spotted a whale shark swimming right up alongside of the boat. Happened only twice in the last 19 years so you can imagine how unusual that is. But every day is exciting, relaxing and beautiful when you’re coasting in the water on our magnificent Glass Bottom Catamaran.

Marius plays an integral role in Fury Water Adventures. Not only is he the senior parasail captain, having worked with Fury for over 13 years, but he is also the operations manager of Fury and of the new Fury Surf Shack. His love for the ocean developed at an early age in the coastal town of Port Edward, South Africa where he grew up surfing as much as possible. Marius' passion for board sports is manifested in the Surf Shack where surfboards, stand-up paddleboards, and skateboards are for sale along with a wide variety of apparel. Marius can be found out on the parasail boat or around the docks almost every day juggling his many responsibilities. When he is able to get away, it is usually on a surfing excursion to such exotic destinations as Fiji or Barbados. Marius has aligned Fury Water Adventures with the non-profit organization 1% For the Planet in which Fury donates 1% of its sales to environmental conservation. This way future generations will have the same opportunity that Marius has had to take advantage of the ocean and all of its recreational pleasures.

Scotty ended up in Key West in 2004 when an attempted sail to Cuba was cut short after the rudder of his boat broke somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Scotty has been in Key West and at Fury ever since and worked his way up from mate to parasail captain. Originally from Mount Vernon, Indiana, Scotty loves his life on the water in Key West and recently completed a course for scuba certification. He's incredibly enterprising and would be happy to clean your boat at the rate of $2 a foot. He has also taken up the hobby of refurbishing sailboats and flipping them for profit. He loves seeing all of the smiling faces come down the dock to board the parasail boat, especially the girls in bikinis and the guys in Speedos! He loves summertime in Key West when his beautiful girlfriend Lisa, who he loves very much, comes down to work on the boats with him.

Westy is from God's Country…Green Bay, Wisconsin where he grew up enjoying ice fishing in the winter and water skiing during the summer on the Great Lakes. He moved to Key West in 2004 where he began work as a mate at Fury. For the last two years, he has enjoyed driving the catamarans. Although it may seem like Westy is charting the same course out to the reef every day, he loves that in actuality conditions are always changing from the weather to the people that board the boat to the variety of marine life there is to see at the reef. He also loves listening to the sweet melodies of reggae music at the helm while sailing south for an afternoon of snorkeling. Westy is an avid stand-up paddle boarder who even competed in a 12-mile race around the island.

Ames has lived in Key West and worked at Fury on and off since 1999. He has recently rejoined the Fury team to drive the catamarans. Ames is a skilled sailor and has worked for a wide variety of schooners and sailing vessels in addition to his experience on catamarans. He has even crewed on a sail from New England to the Caribbean. Originally from south Georgia, Ames enjoys traveling to far off destinations such as Australia and Antigua. Most of all, he loves the eternal summer weather of Key West and enjoys seeing the genuine excitement that his Fury guests demonstrate after interacting with all of the brilliant marine life at the coral reef.

Davey returned to Key West and to Fury a year and a half ago to drive the parasail boats. Since his last stint in Key West, Davey has worked on parasail boats on the South Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, Fort Lauderdale, and Saint Thomas. He began his career on parasail boats in Ocean City, New Jersey where our boats are manufactured. Originally from south Jersey (exit 3 off the New Jersey Turnpike), Davey developed a love for surfing during his time in Hawaii and enjoys taking surfing excursions to destinations such as Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and even as far away as Ireland. On his days off in Key West, Davey enjoys fishing with his dog. At Fury, he loves the feeling of freedom at leaving the marina and getting lost in his own world with nothing but infinite ocean all around him.

Charlie has been in Key West since 1997 and driving the parasail boats at Fury for the last five years. Born in Beaumont, Texas, Charlie grew up in Fort Lauderdale. He enjoys his life on the water in Key West, and on his days off he is never happier than when he takes his own boat out for a full day of wakeboarding. He enjoys spending afternoons at the local skate park. Always at the cutting edge of board sports, Charlie has recently added kite boarding to his repertoire. You are guaranteed a safe flight with Charlie at the helm.

Originally from Illinois, Brian has lived in Florida longer than anywhere else. He moved from the Tampa/Saint Petersburg-area to Key West in 1994. Shortly thereafter, he began driving the Pride of Key West, Fury's glass bottom boat. In his time on the water, Brian has seen some amazing things including a whale shark, a sunfish, a dolphin rescuing another dolphin, and nurse sharks swarming around a lobster trap searching for lunch. He enjoys coming to work and being surrounded by all the great people in Key West every day. Brian has also worked on a ferryboat out to the Dry Tortugas. He is an avid surfer and knows some great spots in Key West when the conditions are just right. He lived on his own sail boat at the anchorage and various marinas for over two years, but is happy with his new philosophy: work on the water, live on land.