Castaway Snorkel Question

[cruisinpenguin]

If you have your own snorkel gear....can you use it at Castaway? and do they give you the life jacket or do you need to pay for it?? Thanks for any replies!!
Laurie

 

[AnnMorin]

So I think if you don't have one they will give you one for free. I saw CM's telling a man that he absolutely had to wear one when snorkling.

 

[JLSE50]

Yes you can use your own geer at Castaway Cay.
Yes you need a life vest.
Yes they give it to you free at the place people pick up their rental equipment.
Yes you can squeeze all the air out and close the valve when you wear it.

have a great time!!

Jan

 

[mausmu]

Depending on if you have kids going, you also have the option of snorkeling from the adult beach. Last Sept. we saw many starfish, crabs, colorful fish and even a stingray. It was nice and relaxed. Not a lot of people around you.

 

[mmouse37]

If you have your own gear, you don't have wait in line at the rental shack to pick up a vest. There is a CM right in front of the snorkel area and he has a supply of vests on a chair right there near the water.

MJ

 

[cruisinpenguin]

Thanks all.....that's what I thought. This is our first time with our "OWN" snorkel gear and I knew we needed the life jacket but didn't know if Disney would give us the life vest or not! Thanks again, Laurie

 

[disboo]

I am not an experienced snorkeler, but the two times we were at CC I took my own mask and snorkel (inexpensive from Sports Authority, but they fit well). Disney provided the vest (not required at the adult beach), and I skipped bringing fins because they didn't fit in my luggage. I got around just fine without them - stayed out about 1 - 1 1/2 hours at a time. I loved it, and would like to go snorkeling in other places that have more variety.

 

[trampslady]

Where do you suggest we buy snorkel gear? Should we plan to carry two sets, one for me and one for hubby or just share? Are fins a neccessity? If not, that means mask, tube thingy and that's it?

 

[mmschwaba]

If you go snorkeling on Castaway Cay try to hit it in the morning, by the afternoon the water tends to get murky with sand from so many people snorkeling in the area. It's hard to see things when the sand gets to moving around.

 

[pouncingpluto]

So, the adult beach has its own snorkel course? Can someone tell me about it? I have a feeling we won't be spending much if any time over at the family beach.

 

[JLSE50]

Serenity Bay is the adult beach--
as in 'no children', not as in 'nude'--I have actually had people ask how Disney keeps the children away from the nude beach when I spoke of the adult beach
It does not have a snorkeling "course." You can snorkel there. There are fish, shells, starfish, stingray, metal wreckage that people say is a plane, but does not look like a plane, etc, but there is no set of bouys to mark things that have been put there for you to see like at the snorkeling course near the Family Beach.

We have enjoyed getting off the ship as early as we can comfortably manage with our geer and towels. We get vests from the snorkeling hut (but no one was handing them out in front of the hut, we had to go to a window to get one, but it was not a problem) then dump our towels and hit the snorkeling trail between the hut and the family beach.

After we had seen all of that, we got our towels, took our mugs, got soda refils and headed to Serenity Bay. We had lunch, swam, waded and snorkeled there.

It is nice to have two sets of geer so you can go together and see the same things.
An underwater camera is fun too.

But do not take anything to feed the fish. DCL wants a natural environment and if we feed the fish at the least, we change their environment, and at the worst we can kill them.

Have a great time,
Jan