Snorkeling newbies- opinions, please!

[il-gander]

My family has never snorkeled before, and we're a little concerned about snorkeling on the cruise (OK, I think we'll be fine, but DH is convinced that the kids are not strong enough swimmers and will drown somehow). We were looking at one of the Stingray City excursions for our Western cruise next October. DH & I are fine in the water, DD10 swims pretty well but has never swam in the ocean... DD6 is the problem. She is not a strong swimmer at all, will put her face in the water and go under water briefly, but that's about it other than bouncing around and generally having fun. We do have another summer's worth of swimming lesson opportunity (or could even take indoor swim lessons over the winter) prior to sailing, and her older sister really discovered swimming was fun about this age.

Should we attempt the Stingray City excursion or wait to try it at Castaway Cay? I don't mind paying the excursion money if we can handle it, but I'd hate for us to get there and have somebody be terrified. There is a place near us where we can take snorkeling lessons relatively cheap. What experiences do you all have snorkeling with younger kids that aren't great swimmers? What would you cruise vets recommend?

Carla

 

[starmouse]

Both Stingray City and Castaway Cay are good options for first time snorkellers. If I remember correctly, Stingray City is in fairly shallow water where you can stand, adults anyway...not sure about kids. (Don't have any so I rarely think about things like that)

On castaway cay, you can try your hand at snorkeling while in the shallows - you just walk out from the beach to snorkel and go out as far as you want. You won't see that much right off shore, because the water will be churned up with sand, but you can get the hang of breathing in the snorkel. Other snorkeling excursions (like Palancar Reef off Cozumel) boat you out and drop you off in very deep water, and its' a bit scary at first.

All snorkeling excursions give you floatation vests, so your kids aren't going to drown, no matter where you go.

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

Good morning Carla.

We were looking at one of the Stingray City excursions for our Western cruise next October. DH & I are fine in the water, DD10 swims pretty well but has never swam in the ocean... DD6 is the problem. She is not a strong swimmer at all, will put her face in the water and go under water briefly, but that's about it other than bouncing around and generally having fun.

This past August my DS10 and I took the Captain Marvin's Snorkeling and Stingray City Tour. Our boat first stopped in a pristine Caribbean location where the water was approximately 25-feet deep. We had never snorkled before. After a brief set of instructions from the crew, we were off into the water and having a blast. 'Buckaroo" and I both wore inflated life vests so the only way we would drown would be if the laws of physics suddenly changed and air became heavier than water. lol.

At our second stop, Stingray City, the water is not so deep since it's situated on a sandbar. The boat anchors at 4' to 5' but the "City" becomes as shallow as 2'.

Go and have fun. The kids will love it...

 

[jrabbit]

I don't know about Sting Ray city, but at Castaway Cay the water is very calm. That is best for just learning, even though with the buoyancy compensators you stay on the surface of the water. When the water is rough you can get water in your snorkel easier, but it has to be pretty rough for that to happen.

 

[mobetsy]

The hardest part of snorkeling in many ways is simply trusting that the snorkel will work and learning to breathe steadily through it. For that, the bathtub and swimming pool work fine! That's how my ds8 has mostly learned, and this summer in protected ocean waters he did great. He's not a strong swimmer, just paddles around comfortably.

 

[mrsfuzzmo]

My sisters (4 of us girls) and I all learned to snorkel at an early age (4,6,8,10) at one time. And it happened to be in the Cayman Islands where my parents took us for a 2 week vacation. THAT was almost 30 yrs ago. And none of us have stopped LOVING snorkeling. We are now all certified divers as well, but still love the snorkeling no matter where we go. The ease and simplicity of snorkeling makes it great for young children. Even if they are not strong swimmers, the life vests will make them feel secure enough to put thier faces in the water. Make sure the Dad or Mom is there holding their hands on the first few tries and they will soon love it as well.

Stingray City was not in existence yet when we were small and there for the first time, but I've been there a few times since and it is wonderful. Even if your youngest cannot swim or snorkel, the water for the most part is only about waist deep and your daughter can wear a vest if she likes. She will LOVE it! It is well worth going. If anyone gets scared, they are welcome to sit on the boat and watch everything from the safety of a hull! The water is swimming pool clear and you can see everything. Be sure to take your underwater cameras.

A suggestion would be to do the Rum Point Beach/Stingray city excursion where you spend a couple hours on Rum Point (where she can try out her gear in shallow water and get used to it) before going off to SC. Just a thought!

Mrsfuzzmo

 

[abitjaded]

Hi Carla from Carla,

My boys learned to snorkel when they were about six. Get them a good mask and snorkel that FIT WELL. Get fins that fit, don't cramp their feet and provide a good kick. A dive shop can help, and it worth the money to have good masks that don't leak, scrub them to make sure they do not fog. Take every opportunity for practice, as another poster said, even the bathtub. Fill it up, bubbles or bath tabs to color the water then toss small stuff in that they have to snorkel to see. And do not forget that it is much easier to float in salt water than fresh. My kids are not happy now unless they can snorkel, even in the pool. Teach them to hang motionless in the pool, with a vest if necessary, and clear their masks and snorkels, and just rest, make them understand you don't have to constantly kick or paddle. If a kid can dog paddle, can clear their mask and snorkel and can relax in the water, you will not have a problem. Usually we surprise ourselves at how long we stay out, just because you can get so wound up in what you see, you forget the time.

We went to Dawn Beach on our cruise and the six year old had a melt down because the waves topped his snorkel and he got a snootful of ocean. We could not get him back in the water that day. We were terrified he would refuse to snorkel the next day when we had paid a fortune for a boat to go to Buck Island. Well, no problem, he happily snorkeled for a couple of hours in 50 foot deep water. Why? No waves to flood the snorkel and no surge to deal with. CC is the same, it does get deep, but no waves, and if they can just stay motionless in a spot over the fish they can have a good time. Don't spend all your time swimming like crazy, that is just a recipe for fatigue.

Carla

 

[musicgirl]

This past June, my sister and her family came with us on the Wonder. It was their first experience with snorkeling (sister, BIL,niece-12 and nephew-6). We did a catamaran sail and snorkel at Nassau. Loved it!

What I liked about it was that we stepped right off and immediately saw beautiful fish. One of my favorite memories of the cruise is hearing my niece squealing through the snorkel! It was so easy to just float around and look.

My ds-12 had been snorkeling before, but was very hesitant on the last trip. He was a little hesitant at first on the excursion, but once he was in he had a great time.

My nephew was not having a great day, so it was hard to tell with him. He got in for about 15 min. and was done.

With CC, it does take quite a bit of work to get out to where the fish are. You actually have to swim and it can really tire you out-even the adults thought so.

Just some thoughts..... Have fun

 

[il-gander]

Thanks so much for the great info! This is a relief, as I have yet to read a bad review of Stingray City and I'm sure it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for my girls! I would hate to miss it and regret it later.

I'd love to hear any more experiences others care to share. I can always use more ammunition to convince DH, who is playing the role of overprotective mother here! LOL

Carla

 

[Karel]

I'd be more worry about fear of stingrays then of swimming/snorkling.

 

[Masonpips]

It was all we could do to drag my 3.5 old DD back into the boat at Stingray City. One of us carried her the entire time (she did have a blow-up life jacket on) and she LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it. She still talks about it.

Before we got there (we did the Captain Marvin's 3 hour tour) we stopped and both of my kids (son was 5) snorkeled for the first time. They LOVED it as well, but once they tasted the salt-water they didn't like it as much (the waves were a bit high and water got down their tubes, not enough to choke on, but just the taste was too intense for them).

One bit of advice, if anyone is a little fearful of the stingrays, hang back a few minutes before getting in - once the initial rush is over (they swarm the boat looking for food), it's not so overwhelming. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. There is nothing like having them swim over your feet. They are HUGE (one that the guide picked up was about 60 pounds) and they could probably knock you over if they tried, but they gently glide over your feet. It is the COOLEST!

I had always wanted to go to Stingray City and that's why we chose the Western for our first cruise. It's a memory I'll treasure forever and I can't wait to go back (next year!)

 

[mrsfuzzmo]

abitjaded has a VERY good point! Get your kids masks that fit well! A leaky mask can ruin a day of snorkeling. A childrens mask & snorkel (buy it at a dive shop, not Walmart) that is fitted buy a professional, will last them a few years (depending on their size). It will probably run you about $30-$50.
It is well worth the investment! It will make their snorkeling experience so much more enjoyable. (Not to mention using a snorkel that has been chewed on by umteen other people). You can easily pack them and that will also cut down on expenses in CC (rentals). You can forever just walk out to a beach put on your gear and snorkel your little hearts out. No waiting in rental lines and filling out paperwork!

One other extra point about snorkeling is to wear a really good waterproof sunscreen! We've had a number of experience in my family where we snorkeled for a few hours (because it was so wonderful), when it is hot and sunny, the water is very pleasant and you can forget that your backs and legs are still exposed to the sun. You don't feel the heat because of the water and it can really provide some serious sunburn. Once my Dad snorkeled in St. Thomas for over 3 hours and he got a sunburn even through his swimsuit (it was blue and white patterened and where it was white, he burned - in the same pattern!) We still have the pictures of his patterend backside!

mrsfuzzmo

 

[starmouse]

I still have a "sunscreen-handprint" on my back from where I failed to apply the lotion evenly! It's at least a year old!!

Always have a sunscreen partner!

Overcast days are worse, the UV rays are intensified by the cloud cover- and you don't think about it because it's cloudy.

Sunburn is almost a guarantee on a cruise, but you should try to lessen your pain if you can!

 

[abitjaded]

We always take old, crummy t-shirts to snorkel in. It will help prevent toasting your back. Our routine is to smear down EVERYWHERE with sunscreen first, then put on our suits. That way you cover every inch of your body. The time lag gives the sunscreen time to "soak in". Don't forget to reapply on spots such as the shoulder you carried your gear over. Be aware some places that have high snorkel use and poor water flow (such as Xel Ha south of Can Cun) do not allow the use of sunscreen, it can create an oil slick and is toxic to the sea life.

Mrsfuzzmo, was it at least a nice pattern? Something with trees to cover the two bare hills?

Carla

 

[mrsfuzzmo]

Carla,

Hee....Cute... But unfortunately his prints made him look like a poor man's ZORO! Poor Guy, has to live with 5 women (4 daughters and mom) and then he's got to try to live through that!

Maureen