How deep is the snorkeling area @ Castaway Cay?

catyanna

Mouseketeer
Joined
Dec 1, 2009
Can anyone tell me approximately how deep is the water in the snorkeling area at Castaway Cay? My ds4 wants to try it but I am not sure if it will be too deep for him. Also, how deep is it by the slides that drop into the ocean?
 
It's pretty deep in both places. Well over the head of a 4-year old. By the slides, I think it's something like 10-12 feet deep. It's probably about that deep in most of the snorkel area too.
 
It's pretty deep in both places. Well over the head of a 4-year old. By the slides, I think it's something like 10-12 feet deep. It's probably about that deep in most of the snorkel area too.

Yeah, if not a little more in spots. :thumbsup2
 
I didn't measure, but I'd say where the sunken "treasures" are it's closer to about 20 feet to the bottom. Going out to there it's not nearly that deep and there are a lot of areas where a kid could stand but there's really not a lot to see there in terms of fish. He will have a vest on, so that can keep him safe, but to get out to Mickey and the subs, etc., that's a pretty big swim for a 4 year old.
 


Inflatable vests are required for EVERYONE who snorkels.

They have regular flotation vests at the slides that are required for kids under a certain height.
 
Average is about 10-12 feet in the snorkel area, however it can vary with the tide. Less in a lot of places. Otherwise, most of the artifacts that are out there, would be out of reach of the average person. Theres plenty of sandbars to stand on if you need to. We just came back last sat. The 20k sub for example is in about 8 feet.
 
Inflatable vests are required for EVERYONE who snorkels.

They have regular flotation vests at the slides that are required for kids under a certain height.

Any idea what the height guidelines are? I have been trying to find this kind of information w/ little success.
TIA
 


The really good snorkel areas are too far out for a 4 year old. Swimming out isn't hard, but to get back to shore you have to swim pretty strong using your flippers. I never could have made it back without the flippers.

They let you use the snorkel gear anywhere in the water now, so he could put on the mask to see the tiny, little fish close to shore. He won't see anything really cool (unless maybe you are first on the beach). Too much sand in the water.
 
Any idea what the height guidelines are? I have been trying to find this kind of information w/ little success.
TIA

I don't remember the exact height requirement, but they had a measuring stick to check. My 7 year old is about 52 inches, and he didn't have to wear one, but he must have looked like he was pretty close because they made a point of measuring him against the stick.
 
Its a very long snorkel for a kid, especially when the wind is up. I'm a big strong dude and it took me a fairly long and tiresome swim to get out and back. It went along long enough that I got some pretty impressive blisters from fins that didn't fit that well.

If they just want to snorkel to see what its like, there is a long stretch that is never more than a couple of feet deep, but there is nothing to see but kelp. All the cool stuff is pretty far out and was over my head except for the sand bars and some of the bigger sunken objects.
 
:)

I would say no way for a 4 yr old. We unfortunately had a really windy day. My goal was to see mickey under the water and that was it. He of course is the farthest white ball in the water. Swimming out wasn't bad because there is spots that are very shallow and we all could take a break (ds10, dd 12, ds 15, dh old). The 2 oldest kids gave up 1/2 way out there, leaky masks, the wind and the salt water and the distance. DS10 was a real trooper but finally gave up just about 10 strokes to mickey. He had had enough and went back. I kept going right to mickey and it took me about 1/2 hr to get back to shore. with the wind and the salt water in the eyes, it was really tough. I'm not that bad of a swimmer either. We unfortunately will never do snorkeling again. This was the 2nd time for our family and the 1st was swimming with the manatees in north Florida, screaming people who don't listen ruined that experience. My kids were the youngest and no one heard anything from them:)
So I would really recommend holding off the snorkeling until your child is a lot older. JMO
 
:)

I would say no way for a 4 yr old. We unfortunately had a really windy day. My goal was to see mickey under the water and that was it. He of course is the farthest white ball in the water. Swimming out wasn't bad because there is spots that are very shallow and we all could take a break (ds10, dd 12, ds 15, dh old). The 2 oldest kids gave up 1/2 way out there, leaky masks, the wind and the salt water and the distance. DS10 was a real trooper but finally gave up just about 10 strokes to mickey. He had had enough and went back. I kept going right to mickey and it took me about 1/2 hr to get back to shore. with the wind and the salt water in the eyes, it was really tough. I'm not that bad of a swimmer either. We unfortunately will never do snorkeling again. This was the 2nd time for our family and the 1st was swimming with the manatees in north Florida, screaming people who don't listen ruined that experience. My kids were the youngest and no one heard anything from them:)
So I would really recommend holding off the snorkeling until your child is a lot older. JMO

Kids differ. Last time we were there, my oldest daughter was 6 and she loved it. Made it all the way out and saw pretty much everything there was to see. That wound up being her favorite thing from the whole trip.

Of course she also swims like a fish and spends practically her entire summer break in the pool.

4 is probably a little young, but I wouldn't say that a child has to be a lot older than that to enjoy snorkeling at CC.
 

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