No matter how many individuals appear in the pages of each edition of Keys Weekly, there are always so many more of our community members who deserve to be recognized. In an effort to shine a spotlight on more of the incredible individuals who live and work in these islands, Keys Weekly is proud to present our Neighbor of the Week feature, dedicated to celebrating a community member with each issue.
Our neighbor of the week is Larry Garrison. He is a USCG master captain and has a charter business called Living Like Larry Charters that takes people on fishing, diving, snorkeling, sandbar and sunset trips. He offers full- and half-day experiences out to the various aquatic areas in Marathon.
LARRY GARRISON
Living Like Larry Charters
How long have you been in the Keys and what brought you here? I’ve been in the Keys for seven years now. Originally I came here for incredible diving.
What do you do for fun in the Keys and why do you love living here? I’m always out on the water because I love it. I still continue to dive, but I spend most of my time fishing and tanning at the sandbar. I enjoy taking people out to the sandbars on my boat. We have such a blast.
What is your go-to karaoke song? My go-to karaoke song is, “My Neck, My Back.” It’s definitely a crowd pleaser, but I have to make sure there are no kids around!
T-shirt, tank top or no shirt? No shirt, no tan lines!
If you were to write an autobiography, what would the title be and why? “The Luckiest Man Alive,” because I had a rough start and I was never expected to make it this far.
Give us your best joke: What’s a captain called who likes to fish? Quite the “catch!”
Tell us about your most embarrassing moment. I was on a ladder at work putting something on a shelf and my shorts fell down. A coworker pulled them up, thank goodness. And yes, I was wearing underwear.
What did you want to do with your life when you were 10 years old? When I was 10 I wanted to be an astronaut and ride dinosaurs. I still want to do both!
What do you think about when you are alone on your boat? When alone on my boat, I usually just think about how lucky I have been to make it this far.
If you could eliminate one illness, which one would it be and why? I would eliminate cancer. It’s such a terrible disease and has affected almost everyone I know in some way or another.
What’s one thing people don’t know about you? I used to drag-race motorcycles. I built a motorcycle in my garage that went up to 150 mph.
Know someone who would be a good “Neighbor of the Week?”
Email keysweeklyjen@gmail.com.
