discover cove non swimmer !!

[joj]

ok so we r going on aug and im worried that my mom who is not a swimmer and i mean that she CANNOT SWIM AT ALL!
can she bring a float tube or something that can keep her afloat
i know that they give u a life vest but i dont think thats enough
its not that she just cant swim she is terrified of deep water

[dolphingirl47]

They are pretty strict on what they let into the water, so I think probably not. In the dolphin lagoon it would definitely not be allowed. The life vest will keep her afloat just fine. We had to wear one for the enhanced dolphin encounter when we did the Trainer for a Day programme in 2007 and I was surprised just how buoyant they were. In the resort pool/ tropical river they also have noodles.

Corinna

[joj]

thanx but for some reason those lifejackets does not look like they can hold u up like the regular boat lifejackets

[dolphingirl47]

Having worn both the Discovery Cove life vests and the kind they have on boats when I did a jet ski excursion while on a cruise (and yes, I did fall in), I have to say that the Discovery Cove life vests are far more buoyant.
I wonder if you are looking at the wrong thing. They give you a choice of a vest or a wetsuit, but those vests are just neoprene and for visibility more than anything. They have a little of inbuilt buoyancy, but not a lot.
DH is wearing one of those:

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q51/dolphingirl_album/M111407_00_8950.jpg


I know that the photo is not particularly good, but on the photo below I am wearing one of their life vests:

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q51/dolphingirl_album/M111407_00_6421.jpg

Corinna

[Capt_BJ]

Bash me - Smash me but here I go again on one of my crusades

A person who KNOWS they can not swim should never be in water deeper then their ankles. They should shower and not bath and be careful around full buckets and sinks.

I was, in various capacities a lifeguard from 1971 to 2007, and in some ways still one today (we have a pool). I can not even BEGIN to count the number of folks I've pulled out of the water including immediate family members and one memorable snorkle buddy who I towed over a mile after "no I'm not tired .... no I'm not tired...."

I'm sure that DC's folks are well trained in emergency proceedure. BUT any life jacket is NO substitute for knowing how to swim. Different classes of life jackets get their ratings from their ability to turn the wearer to a face up - out of the water - position. No rubber vest is going to do this.

I'm sorry but if you KNOW you can not swim ... you do NOT belong in any water deeper then your ankles and that includes ANYTHING at DC or AQUATICA.

Dismounting soapbox now...

[joj]

thnx dolphingirl for the pics yes i did think that the vest is the same as the lifejacket its cleared now that theyre not the same:)

but will she still enjoy the shallow areas i mean is it mostly deep water or will she still have fun although she cant swim?

[SandrA9810]

To me, 200$ to spend on one person at a place that they can't enjoy is probably a bit much. I know families like to go to water parks and some times there's some one to sit out, but that's 50$ in comparrison. The whole point of DC is to be in the waters, swimming with fish and interacting with dolphins.

The life vest will hold the wearer above the water. No matter what size. But it's up to the wearer to be able to keep themselves upright.
The life vests are the same ones they use at Aquatica, and I've seen fairly large people float along just fine in the rao river with one on.

It seems more like a risk of your mother's life than anything else. I mean, I can't technically swim... like do the breast stroke or anything, but I definatly can get to the other side of the pool, and I'm comfortable jumping into a 10ft deep pool. But if you're mom won't get out of the shallow end, this just might not be for her.

[hildatk]

You have the option of wearing a wetsuit instead of the vest. And the wetsuit keeps you pretty buoyant. In fact, it was a bit too buoyant for me and I had to readjust my swimming....hard to see the fishes underwater. :)

I think the life jacket on top of a wet suit can keep you floating for the dolphin encounter. You stand in water up to your waist for most part of it. Then you do the dolphin swim, which you have an option for a shallow water version. Someone in our group did that. You just walk out to a shallow ledge and the dolphin pulls you along the side of the pool. Instead of pulling you in from the deep water. That person was a non-swimmer and was perfectly happy and safe.

Of course it depends on the comfort level. You get into trouble when you panic. Having a wetsuit and vest makes it hard for you to go under. And remember the snorkel lagoon and dolphin pools are salt water....extra buoyant.

Hope you'll all have fun on whatever you decide on.

[joj]

ok so money aside will she still enjoy her time there and i 4got to say that she is not doing the dolphin swim
anyone with kids went there?
just think of her as a kid :rotfl:

[dolphingirl47]

Not a kid, but a husband who does not care enough about dolphins to do the dolphin swim any more regularly than about every 3rd visit. The resort pool is fairly shallow and beautifully warm. The aviary is great fun and you can walk in from the beach (this is were DH spends most of his time). The stingray lagoon is only about waist deep. If she feels comfortable in the water using the life vest and maybe a noodle or two, the Tropical River might be an option. Some of it I can walk, but there are sudden changes in depth so she cannot walk all the way round. Apart from this there are small mammal meet and greets at different times during the day, a beautiful beach and as much to eat and drink as she could possibly want.

Corinna

[SandrA9810]

I can't see the snorkeling pool or the lazy river stuff (only going off what i've seen on tv) to be shallow enough to stand up in.

My first guess would to see how well she is about standing in water to her chest. Does she know how to float?? snorkeling is a bit tricky to breathe out of your mouth. But it's fun to do.

And if you go to aquatica... there's no pool that you can't stand up in. Unless you go to the deep end of the wave pool. But i'd avoid the rao river... the water moves fast and you need to be comfortable floating at a fast pace.

[SandrA9810]

Kids are usually more daring and willing to try new things, even if it takes a few tries. Most the times... adults have a way of being set in their ways.

[Northstar]

If she's afraid of the water, a life vest won't tempt her... why choose your vacation time to confront a phobia? Especially in front of a bunch of happily-swimming guests.

It's a lot of money to pay for someone to lie on a lounge chair on the beach. Lie ALONE on a lounge chair, because the rest of you are going to spend most of your time in the water. Does she like birds... would she spend a couple of hours in the aviary? Or are you planning on using the Seaworld part of the Discovery Cove ticket? If not, she might prefer to stay behind or go shopping by herself or something.

[jpeppers]

She will have a blast and shouldn't miss it. The vest will easily hold her up especially if she uses a noodle too in the river which is where my daughter and I spent most of our day. The river has deep sections but you can stand up in the majority of it and there are life guards everywhere. The only place I would see as a possible problem is the tropical fish lagoon because it is deep but she can do the other areas and see how comfortable she is before trying that. The Dolphin swim is a very controlled environment whether you swim or not. The park is an incredible experience and shouldn't be missed. My daughter and I will be repeating our once in a life time experience again in May (I guess it is twice:laughing:). Go and have fun. No one forces you into water you don't want to go in and you could save as much money as you would spend on pictures by having the non swimmers take photos (just a thought).

[joj]

r there shallow parts of the snorkeling area i mean the one with the fishes?

[robinb]

ok so money aside will she still enjoy her time there and i 4got to say that she is not doing the dolphin swim
anyone with kids went there?
just think of her as a kid :rotfl: My 9-year old kid can probably out swim most of the people on these boards :lmao:. I'm with the other people who don't quite understand why anyone who can't swim would even want to go to someplace like Discovery Cove :confused3. Money aside, wouldn't it be boring?

By the way, I find it really, really hard to read your "texting" language and your large font.

[joj]

sorry for the large font and for the texting language i have to say that english is not my first language
ok so to set the picture clear we r a family of 5
me:20 swimmer
sister:17 swimmer
sister:28 not a swimmer
mom:49 not a swimmer
dad: 51 so so swimmer but i dont think he'll have a problem having a good time as long as there ''free beer'' lol
we really want to spend the day together
is the aviary,rays lagoon and the shallow areas of the river enough to keep them busy
and i also saw in the tour tape that people were walking with their snorkels on between the coral reef is it true?
and will they be able to bring the noodels down to the coral reef?

thank you so much all of you guys for helping me make a decision

[jpeppers]

I believe there were shallow parts out in the middle but they were between very deep areas. I don't recall whether anyone were using noodles in that area. The beach where you go in is gradual so you do have a shallow area there where you can see fish and the ray lagoon is shallow. If not doing the Dolphin swim, you still get Breakfast, Lunch plus drinks and snacks all day plus Seaworld or Busch for 14 days.........really makes it a good deal in my opinion since a day at SW would cost you about $70 a day.

[robinb]

sorry for the large font and for the texting language i have to say that english is not my first language
ok so to set the picture clear we r a family of 5
me:20 swimmer
sister:17 swimmer
sister:28 not a swimmer
mom:49 not a swimmer
dad: 51 so so swimmer but i dont think he'll have a problem having a good time as long as there ''free beer'' lol
we really want to spend the day together
is the aviary,rays lagoon and the shallow areas of the river enough to keep them busy
and i also saw in the tour tape that people were walking with their snorkels on between the coral reef is it true?
and will they be able to bring the noodels down to the coral reef?

thank you so much all of you guys for helping me make a decisionYou are only 20 years old and 3 out of 5 of your family doesn't swim or doesn't swim well. It sounds like YOU really, really want to go but I don't see how it really makes any sense to me to spend that kind of money on an experience that only 2 out of 5 family members will really enjoy. I would recommend that you choose something else that EVERYONE will enjoy and be able to experience.

[canadianjovigirl]

I too had this same concern as my husband is a non swimmer and my youngest daughter loves the water, but cannot swim without a life jacket as she is afraid to put her face in the water. Below is the response i received from Discovery Cove when i enquired about the depth of the water. They even responded a second time saying my youngest daughter was welcome to join the rest of the party in the picture with the dolphin if she was to afraid to come out there with us. Hubby is not doing the dolphin swim but the rest of us are and the youngest will not get towed back to shore by the dolphin, but will participate in the other aspects of the dolphin interaction. Hope you enjoy your day there as i know we are excited.


Thank you for contacting Discovery Cove. We always enjoy hearing from our
guests, especially when we can be of assistance in planning their day.

Even for non-swimmers, Discovery Cove has plenty to offer. Not only can you
relax on the white sand beaches or one of our many hammocks, but we have an
Aviary full of exotic birds to hand feed. More importantly, however, we do
provide life jackets so you can enjoy the waterways as well. The devices are
designed to keep you afloat, so you would still be able to snorkel with the fish
in the coral reef or take a journey down our Tropical River. The lifejackets
can even be worn in the dolphin lagoons!

I have included a water depth chart for your review.

Location Length Shallowest Point Deepest Point
River 1,600 feet 3 feet 8 feet
Resort Pool N/A 0 - 1 feet 4 feet
Stingray N/A 0 - 1 feet 3 feet
Reef N/A 0 - 1 feet 12 feet
Dolphin Pools N/A 0 - 1 feet 12 feet

Thank you for your interest in Discovery Cove and we look forward to having you
visit us in the near future. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have
any additional questions.

[SandrA9810]

Do you really think Discovery Cove is going to say that it's probably a bad idea?? You're talking 200$ per person to get into the park. If it was something free, I'm sure they might use some more caution.
I don't think most people are going to understand spending 600$ on some one(s) who is not going to get the most out of the experience of what the park is designed for. In comparison that's like 4 day tickets to Disney per person. I really wish I knew of some thing that is near orlando that would deliever a rexaling and enjoying day for the whole family without putting any one in danger or in uncomfortable situations.

[SharonLowe]

r there shallow parts of the snorkeling area i mean the one with the fishes?

There are shallow areas where she could stand and with a face mask on, look down into the water to see the fish. She will also be fine in the sting ray pool. The aviary is great fun and I'm sure she could spend lots of time in there feeding the birds, seeing the animals, and maybe taking photos. The "lazy" river might be okay but even with noodles and a vest, make sure there is a very strong swimmer with her - it isn't really a lazy river like those at WDW and it gets very deep in places. I've been there and seen non-swimmers panic. That being said, DC is a very relaxing place and if she can handle a camera/camcorder, she could do photos while you are swimming with the dolphins, etc.

[jpeppers]

In no way are you ever in danger at Discovery Cove. There are life guards everywhere plus I would assume you would be with other people in your party. I in no way think someone should venture into water over there head if they can't swim without a life jacket.......the key words to me are life jacket. They are there so wear them. I weigh around 210 lbs and had no problem with the vest keeping me up at Aquatica. If you wear the wet suit it will only be better (I could float with the wet suit). As far as the price, if you book head of time without the Dolphin swim it will come closer to $160 and with that you will get 2 meals and free drinks (Beer included) and snacks for the day plus free admission to Seaworld or Busch for 14 days. A 2 day hopper at Disney will probably cost you more if you can even find somewhere to purchase it. Discovery cove is incredible and I planned to take my daughter once (last year) but we are going back again this year and will probably do it on all our trips. Imagine going to Orlando and not waiting in line........Disney can't give you that. I'll end by saying I love Disney, Discovery cove is just a completely unique experience

[x.laura.x]

Bash me - Smash me but here I go again on one of my crusades

A person who KNOWS they can not swim should never be in water deeper then their ankles. They should shower and not bath and be careful around full buckets and sinks.

I was, in various capacities a lifeguard from 1971 to 2007, and in some ways still one today (we have a pool). I can not even BEGIN to count the number of folks I've pulled out of the water including immediate family members and one memorable snorkle buddy who I towed over a mile after "no I'm not tired .... no I'm not tired...."

I'm sure that DC's folks are well trained in emergency proceedure. BUT any life jacket is NO substitute for knowing how to swim. Different classes of life jackets get their ratings from their ability to turn the wearer to a face up - out of the water - position. No rubber vest is going to do this.

I'm sorry but if you KNOW you can not swim ... you do NOT belong in any water deeper then your ankles and that includes ANYTHING at DC or AQUATICA.

Dismounting soapbox now...

Yeah, i probably should read the whole thread before posting but what the heck. I find this post a bit OTT. I myself am a trained lifeguard and would not say this. My mother cannot swim either but we enjoyed the dolphin swim package together just 2 years ago. They have a system for this, by having the non swimmers in water they can stand in as opposed to the far out deeper water. They only part i would ot reccomend would be the tropical fish area with very deep water. To the OP there are plenty to enjoy without deep water such as the stingray encounter, the lazy river and the bird aviary. Have fun =)

[ms mouse]

I am a non swimmer and we went a couple of years ago and are going back this month. I went, and I am going knowing that there are things I wont be able to do. This is fine with me my husband and teen agers will enjoy themselves and are looking forward to going back. If your mom knows in advance that this is a trip for the swimmers and she is going to enjoy you having fun then you will be fine. I did do the river with a life jacket, but there were parts that were deep and sort of rough to me. The problem is you cant always tell if its over your head or not. I would not have done it without my husband with me in case I got in trouble. I paid for the swim but did not do it when I saw what they were doing.

[Hbabe78]

weather you can swim or not you will love it

infact the whole point of the place to swim with dolphins is a bit of a let down, as its really a short interaction with a dolpin and a photo shoot, but still worth it, if like me you have a life long dream to get up and close with them

this is my memory i was there last september

they have a resort pool a normal chlorinated pool you can walk out in the water as far as you want it starts shallow and gets deeper.

its the same in the coral reefso you can wade up to you knees and have sting ray and fish around your feet

i would not go round the river though you can walk in the aivery and swim to the next part, if your not a good swimmer then i wouldnt do it, i can swim and i struggled as i had my 12 year old daughet and she is not a confident swimmer

the space is lovey you get great meals and drinks and snacks on demand all paid for in the price. i would say if you can affort it go and have fun

i left my dh and 2 smaller children behind i couldnt afford for the other 3 to go to just watch us swim in a few years my youngest will be oldenough to come on the dolphin swim so well go again then, shell be old enough on our next trip but i want to wait untill she can appreciate it