FLIBS 2026 · October 28 - November 1
The largest in-water boat show in the world, in Double G's home port. Dates, venues, and the buyer's strategy that turns five crowded days into a smart purchase.
The Essentials
The 67th edition runs Wednesday October 28 through Sunday November 1, 2026.
FLIBS matters to buyers for one reason: density. Nowhere else can you board this many candidate boats, of this many builders, in one place. The mistake is treating it as a shopping trip - show pricing is full retail, and the best deals of show week are usually not at the show.
The Strategy
How experienced buyers use FLIBS: compare aboard the new boats, then negotiate on the brokerage market the same week.
During show week, every brokerage boat in South Florida is competing with the glittering new inventory at the docks - and motivated sellers know it. The smart play is a shortlist: walk the show to calibrate what you actually want, then see the two or three comparable brokerage boats lying twenty minutes away, often asking hundreds of thousands less than new.
That is how Greg runs FLIBS with clients. Based in Fort Lauderdale, seven years inside Westport, twenty years a captain - he knows which boats to board, what to look past, and which brokerage alternatives to line up the same afternoon. The seller pays the commission, so having him at your side costs you nothing.
Tell him what you are looking for and he builds the show shortlist plus the brokerage alternatives.
Common Questions
The 67th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show runs October 28 to November 1, 2026, across seven venues including Bahia Mar Yachting Center, Las Olas Marina, Pier 66 and the Superyacht Village. Tickets are online only in 2026 - there is no onsite box office.
Yes, with a plan. It is the largest in-water boat show in the world, which means you can board more candidate boats in two days than in months of traveling - but show pricing is full retail and the docks are crowded. Serious buyers walk the show with a shortlist, then negotiate on the brokerage market afterward.
The show is for comparing; the deal usually happens after. Brokerage boats compete with the shiny new inventory during show week, and motivated sellers know it. A buyer's broker can line up private showings of comparable brokerage boats the same week, often at meaningfully lower asking prices.
Yes. Greg Gaus is based in Fort Lauderdale, has worked the show for years including seven years on the Westport side, and walks it with clients every edition: what to board, what to skip, and which brokerage alternatives to see the same week. The seller pays the commission, so his representation costs you nothing.