Help 10yr old dd afraid to snorkel

[jewelray]

Please I need all the expert help I can get!!! Both me and my dd are afraid of sharks but we both love swimming and had a great time snorkeling in Typhoon Lagoon. I know that snorkeling in the ocean is going to be different but in what way???? When you do the St. John Trunk Bay Snorkel do you snorkel around alot of people and how far from the beach do they take you? My dd said she didn't want to go on the cruise because she's afraid of being in the ocean and I had just talked myself into not being upset that we were canceling going to WDW this April and going on a Halloween cruise instead

My dd is a great swimmer and loves the water but apparently has a newfound fear of the unknown which is fine but how can I alleviate both her fears and mine cause I really wanted to do this excursion and now I'm thinking about really big fish too

 

[DMS_cruisers04]

Let's approach it this way. It isn't unknown if you can see it. And when you have your snorkeling gear on, you can see it, so it's no longer unknown.
Your bill for my services is in the mail.

Seriously, even the big fish you might see aren't going to harm you. And shark sightings are rare. Try and get DD, and yourself, more focused on the different fish, coral or sealife you might see. Try picking up a book ar the library and making a checkoff list and trying to complete it on your trip. A photo contest is a good idea too.

You'll both be fine. Enjoy!

 

[SCOTTOHIOCPA]

A friend of mine just came back from St. John on another cruise line. His pictures had tons of fish in them. You might be a little overwhelmed by this.

However, at castaway cay, you can keep to the shallows and there are not so many fish that you might be overwhelmed.

The great thing about snorkeling in the bahamas and carribean is that the water is very clear and you have good visibility. You can see pretty far, and it is reassuring. Protected bays like castaway cay's provide a sense of protection as well. If there were any large fish in there, they would be easy to see from far away. Large fish wouldn't bother you anyway.

I am taking my daughter (11) snorkeling for the first time in April and I hope she does not get scared.

 

[WMILLER86]

with my DD age 8 this past December on the Fury Catamaran Sail and Snorkel. On the way to the reef to snorkel, she started to get scared. With everyone getting snorkel gear on and all, it can be intimidating. Even to a grown up!
Promise her that you will be right by her side for as long as it takes her to not be afraid. If she has not snorkeled much,like in a pool, and the water is cool, the first few moments she will need to hold on to you for reassurance. Make sure you put some air in your snorkel vest, and just float for a few moments. She can put her face under a little at a time to get used to it.
As soon as my daughter saw how clear the water was, and how many fishies she could see, she forgot all about me, and took off. I had to struggle to keep up with her. ( Yes, I did follow her at a short distance just in case she had a problem.)
The water is so beautiful, you forget to be afraid.

 

[abitjaded]

My husband and I are certified divers and experienced snorkelers. The first DCL cruise we took was when our kids were 6 and 9. The 6yo was an O.K. swimmer and had done a lot of fooling around in a pool with a snorkel, mask and fins. We went to Dawn beach at St Martin for our first off-ship adventure. We put him in the water and a wave instantly washed over him, filled his snorkel, he choked, bailed out of the ocean running and we could not even get him to LOOK at the water for the rest of the day, let alone get him NEAR the waves. The next day we had chartered a boat to take us to Buck Island off Charlotte Amalie, at a great cost. We were dreading a repeat of the Dawn fiasco. Well, the boat pulled up to Buck Island, 30-60 foot water, Then he was off and stayed in the water and snorkeled at every stop for over 3 hours. He had a ball. You just never know. Both of these trips the 9yo had no problems.

I think that snorkeling is a good diversion from fear. Everyone, even those experienced, get a rush of trepidation first getting off a boat or wading from shore. You have cold water that kind of knocks the breath out of you. It is an unknown environment, you cannot see where the "trail" is from land. But you put your face in the water, see the first incredible fish and fear takes a back seat. You think you will only stay a bit. But if your gear fits and works, and you know how to clear your mask, fill and deflate your "BCD", suddenly hours can pass, they are blowing the air horn and you have to come in. And you don't want it to end. Give it a try. That is really the only way to know it is your cup of tea.

All the dive trips and snorkel trips we have taken over the years are well monitored. The companies want you to be safe and have a good time. They will have surf boards or dingies and experienced life guards in the water with you. They won't let anything happen to you. CC has guards everywhere, ready willing and able to bail you out of any situation not to your liking.

Go for it! P.S., in all our years diving (15) we have never seen a shark and only one barracuda (Eluthera) who just kind of shrugged and swam away.

Carla

 

[Skuba2]

I can totally know where she is coming from. I swam on a swim team for 10 years and now love to snorkle and scuba dive. I have dove both in the beautifully clear water of the Carribean and Florida but I have also dove in Long Island Sound where you can see a foot or so in front of you. Crazy as it may sound---I can't stand just swimming in the ocean or anything but a pool. The second something touches me--I freak. I don't think there is any rational for it. I tell people it is because I can see for the most part what is around me when I dive and snorkle. Can't do that when I am just swimming or floating around. And yes, I am nervous until I get into the water. Then it usually works itself out. It does also help that you can see soooooo far out in the distance.
It is a real fear and may not make sense. My advice would be to see if she can try it out and if she doesn't feel comfortable, to get out of the water. If she knows she has an out, she may be ok.

 

[jrabbit]

Here's a tip for once you are in the water. Remember you are floating on your stomach and in order to breath through the snorkel you must either be looking straight down (if you were standing it would be straight ahead) or a litte forward (tilting your head up a little). As soon as you float past something and start to look back (tilting your head down towards your toes) you will fill up your snorkel and have problems.

 

[hydster]

because every time we go on a dive trip (our 60th dive is coming up) I freak out jumping into the ocean from the boat because I have no idea what is below me. Once I can see what's below and around me I am ok but there have been a few times where I started to cry and hyperventilate. It's gotten better as of late but I totally understand her fears. I can tell you that after 58 dives we have NEVER EVER seen even a reef or nurse shark and we've done 2 dive trips specifically to see those sharks and still didnt see them.

I've never done the excursion you are talking about in ST. John but I would assume if it is a bay there would be a sandy area where you would do a "beach" entrance and slowly walk down until you were deep enough to float. If that's the case just go really slow with her. It is also true that those excursions are pretty safe as far as sharks are concerned and they pretty well know where the sharks usually swim around. It would be highly unlikely that they would even think about putting tourists in any kind of setting where they could see a shark as that would be bad PR for their company. If your daughter is truly petrified about doing the snorkel in St. John then like the others have mentioned I would wait for Castaway Cay. They do have a more controlled environment in order to snorkel in.

I would just take it really slow and see how it goes.

Heidi

 

[jewelray]

Thanks to everyone for the great tips and suggestions!!! I think I'm going to push the it's a Bay thing and we'll go at our own speed. I also told her she could watch me from the boat until she feels comfortable enough to get in with me Not like I'm any expert and I'm actually the biggest chicken about that type of thing, but when we did it in Typhoon Lagoon, I just thought the fish were amazing and I want to see more. I can't wait to go now

 

[mickeymo]

thank you for asking this question and sharing your ideas!

I have a dd 6 who is a bit leary of snorkeling we're going to be a team on top of the water while Daddy and big brother (9) go under the water. Which is just fine with me because, I don't really like marine life up close and personal, either. She's going to be our official photographer on our snorkel trips with a disposable underwater camera, so hopefully that will refocus her thoughts and give her more control.

Any advice for mom (me) and the dd who are leary about swimming with the sting rays?

We've talked just about walking with the sting rays in the shallow areas...

Skuba2 - glad to know that I'm not crazy peferring a "cement pond" even as an excellent swimmer and a still-certified lifeguard.

 

[hydster]

Any advice for mom (me) and the dd who are leary about swimming with the sting rays?

When we did the Grand Cayman stingray swim our kids werent with us but there were several children who were with parents. I think the #1 thing to make sure your dd knows is that the rays will NOT hurt her! It was VERY intimidating to me as an adult to get off that boat and bam there were about 20 rays right around my feet. I tend to wig out a little bit however. I hightailed it back on the boat for about 10 min until the rays calmed down a little bit. If I were taking my kids on that excursion I would make sure that you let them know that the rays can FEEL agressive but are not. They are everywhere around you (at least they were when we were there) and if people around you get to feed them squid it makes them even more pronounced. Some of the big rays are huge! My husband had a piece of squid in his hand above the water and a giant ray actually came out of the water and wrapped around my husbands shoulder trying to get that squid. I think if you prepare her however it wont be nearly as scary! I had no idea what to expect and for me it was a tad bit overwhelming at first. I wouldnt hesitate to do it again though! And I wouldnt hesitate taking my kids with me but I would make sure they know what they are getting into beforehand. Also maybe it was because we were on a boat sponsored excursion and didnt do Cpt. Marvins but the sandbar we went to was not that shallow of water. I could barely keep my feet planted and my head above water at the same time and I am 5 ft 6. Also there are usually quite a few people around which makes it seem a little more chaotic or at least it was for us. If she can stay calm and understand they wont hurt her she will probably be much better off.

I'm not posting this to scare you..actually quite the opposite. I just wish I had been prepared getting off that boat for what was coming. They are a little intimidating at first especially if you arent a huge fan of fish and things swimming near you. It was one of the most wonderful excursion we've ever done! I want to go back and do it again with my kids because I think they would love it. Also if you arent booking with a dcl excursion and just by yourselves I would see if they had floatation devices available so she could just float around and see them without worrying about stepping on them or anything.

Heidi

 

[Little Twin Stars]

I am also begging for advice:

My 2 kids and I can't swim. But we really want to try snorkeling.

Questions:
1. How deep is the snokeling trail? Can I (5' 4") stand there?

2. With the vest, can I float?

3. How far is it away from the shore?

 

[mickeymo]

Little Twin Stars,

I can't answer your specific questions because this is our first Disney Cruise, but all of the snorkeling excursions I've been on have had vests available for floatation.

That aside, what age are your kids? We'll be on the same cruise!!! We have a dd (6) and a ds (9).

Getting excited and getting absolutely nothing done as I'm reading the boards daily (dh says hourly) getting great advice!

hydster - thanks for the heads-up on the deeper water- all the promo pix I've seen, it seemed as if the family was in shallow water. We've talked about how the sting rays "bump" - it's just their way of saying "hi" - I also think we'll make sure we're the last ones off the boat and stay away from anyone feeding the stingrays. I'm a bit leary but, know enough to not let my dd catch on my fears - good excuse to be the last off the boat - we'll let dad and brother be the adventurous ones...

 

[Little Twin Stars]

Originally posted by mickeymo
That aside, what age are your kids? We'll be on the same cruise!!! We have a dd (6) and a ds (9).

Hey mickeymo, please come and join us (those who are going for the March 14 4-night Wonder) at the Cruise Meet. My kids are 5 and 7.

I have never snorkeled and really hope someone can answer the other 2 questions:

1. How deep is the snokeling trail? Can I (5' 4") stand there?
2. How far is it away from the shore?

 

[hydster]

LIttle Twin are you talking about snorkeling at Castaway Cay? If so the snorkel area is a beach entry type where you just walk and it starts at your ankles and gradually goes higher and higher as you walk out. You can be as deep or shallow as you dare that way. I am 5 6 and I walk out til I am about waste deep and then put my face in the water and kick around. Ive gotten better but I use to make sure that I could still stand at any point in case I freak out. (dont ask how hubby got me diving but I love that part) but now it's ok. On Castaway Cay they give you inflatable life vests that you HAVE to wear. Honestly you dont have to go too far out from shore in order to be able to snorkel however I would imagine to see anything exciting or resembling a fish or maybe the sunken statues you'd have to go out pretty far but they do give you the life vests so if that makes you more comfortable or helps you go out a little farther it's great. They also have lifeguards out there watching.

I'd just go very slowly and walk out. You could probably even go out just a little ways and sit on your knees and look down to get comfortable with it. Another thing we did is to rent the floats and lay on the floats with just our heads sticking over the front and look down but it was a little uncomfortable that way.

Hope some of that helps!


And to mickeymo...really honestly you could be going to a completely different sand bar than what we went to where you might be able to stand up..in that case most of what I told you will be irrelevant but do know that they can come off as feeling agressive and a little intimidating especially if you arent really keen on doing it in the first place! I'm sure you and your daughter will be just fine doing it...thinking about it is almost more scary than just doing it!

Heidi

 

[lneeley]

We taught our daughter to snorkel when she was four. We bought her the right size snorkel gear and snorkeling vest. My DH then took her in the pool for a day in Hawaii, before we went to the ocean. She learned to breath, spit in mask, relax her teeth and not bite down hard on the mouthpiece, and showed her how the jacket did all the work and she could basically lay on the water. DH then took her hand and they swam side by side in the pool.

First time out DH held her hand. That continued for a couple of years, but now she is 11 and she is a veteran. Get your kids used to the gear before going on cruise. You can pick up inexpensive sets at a Cosco or Sam's Club. They should be on the shelves anytime now, they just got in their swimwear.

Have fun!

 

[AnnMorin]

you have the option of snorkling directly from the boat or being brought to shore via a "dingy" and snorkling out from shore, that was our son's first snorkle experience four years ago and we opted to go from shore, it was non threatening, we saw some beautiful fish, several trips later he is now not afraid at all... in fact a manta ray swam right under our bellies once and he just snapped away pictures.
start from the shore and stay near it the first time and you will gain more confidance

 

[Zuzu03]

I think you are all so brave to be around those stingrays! We see ads on television with people swimming with stingrays and there is NO way I could do that - of course I'm deathly afraid of mice too, so I guess I'm just really cowardly! I asked my daughter if she wanted to try snorkeling on our first cruise next year and she said absolutely not. Dad is a diver and he just laughs at us and shakes his head.

 

[Jiffymom]

Becauses the water is so clear you don't need to go deep, you can snorkel in shallow water where you can touch sand. That might help build confidence. I am not a strong swimmer so I go to the discount store and buy a couple of cheap childrens blow-up rafts. Usually only 2.99 each. I float on those and just stick my head and mask in the water. You can see great and will make you feel safe. Sometimes I just give the raft to local kids and blow up another 2.99 one on other islands. They are usually in small packages so easy to pack two or three and I don't bother trying to save them from one port to the next. I have done this on two different cruises. Hope this helps

 

[pooh luver]

The first time we were on CC and my son saw a fish snorkeling he swam faster than I had ever seen him. He wasn't ready for the fact that the fish would be that close. He then was a bit afraid to go out in the swimming area to the play area. He did so with a lot of encouragement.

The next trip, when DS was eight we did Sting Ray city as well. It took him awhile to get off the boat but once he did he loved it. Then on CC it took him awhile to do the snorkeling but finally did putter around close to shore. The depth of the water changes with the tide. It was much shallower in the afternoon. I liked it when the water was deeper.

My suggestion is to go at their speed. It is a vacation and everyone needs to have fun.