Tad Hunter purchased Crab Island Water Sports knowing his was acquiring a controversial piece of advertising, but he didn’t realize just how much the community hated his floating sign.
The sign erected by former owner Stan Shipp stood out in Choctawhatchee Bay off Okaloosa Island with its bright yellow backdrop and red words advertising personal watercrafts, parasailing, pontoon boat rentals and dolphin excursions.
On Monday, Hunter disassembled the sign and decided it would be retired.
“Frankly, everywhere we would go people would say they could see the sign and they didn’t like it,” said Hunter, who bought the water sports company in April. “Ultimately, the locals are here year-round and I would hope we could be a business that serves the local community.”
The sign was responsible for about 20 percent of Shipp’s business. But Shipp had warned Hunter the grief it would bring him.
“No one liked the sign,” Hunter said. “I knew that from a newspaper article I read. The thing was, the sign was in compliance. It was a seaworthy vessel in an area where nobody seemed to have authority over it.
“The truth was that it was a real effective way of advertising, but it didn’t look great.”
Hunter is looking for ways to make up for the business the sign brought in. He said he is adding hovercraft rides in hopes that will bring in customers.
“What I’ve decided to do is adhere to the intent of the law,” Hunter said. “We’ve brought it in and removed the eyesore to be good neighbors.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Angel McCurdy at 850-315-4432 or amccurdy@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AngelMnwfdn.
