What to bring to Discovery Cove

[jheigl]

We're going next month and I wanted to start making a list of things to pack. This is our first time going to DC, so I'm not quite sure what to take, if anything. I know you can take your underwater camera and your own mask if you prefer. I know you CAN'T take/ wear your own sun tan lotion and such. I know they provide wetsuits/ vests, so obviously you need a bathing suit. I'm sure they have towels for you to use, but should I bring my own anyways? Do I need to bring watershoes, or are the fins for the snorkeling open heeled? I'm a scuba diver, so I prefer to use equipment I am used to, such as open heeled fins and my own mask and such. But I guess my main question is do I need watershoes or will I be ok without them (or do they provide them)? Thanks in advance!

 

[DixieDolphin]

They're fine with you bringing your own towel, although they are provided there too. I usually brought one anyway, though.. just in case I wanted it for the walk back out to the car.

Watershoes or wetsuit booties are a good idea, as the 'Tropical River' is full of rocks and somewhat jagged outcroppings. I scuffed my feet up and cut up my toes on more than one occasion there. I found either neoprene socks with my Tevas or my 5mm booties with tread worked pretty nice.

Fins are out. When they first opened, they let you use fins in the Tropical Reef and river. By 2003 they had prohibited them in the reef all together (apparently it frightens the eagle rays.. perhaps they got kicked by a less-than-skill tourist by accident). And I'm pretty sure they don't even let you use them in the river anymore. So don't bother bringing them.

The snorkels they give you, at least last time I was there, were yours to keep (it would probably be pretty unsanitary to reuse them!). But I always brought my own with me, as it had a nicer dry valve at the top. I still kept the ones they gave me (I have a whole bag full of them at home now.. I use them as backups or gifts, ha!)

The masks they loan you are okay. They /are/ actual scuba/snorkel masks and not some walmart knockoff (by ScubaPro, I believe). But I also prefer my own gear and used my own.

They pretty much won't let you bring any other dive gear in, although I did sneak a small hand light in once. They generally don't like you having anything other than an underwater camera in the reef, though.

I tend think rented / loaner wetsuits are gross, so you might consider wearing a dive skin if you have one and are particularly picky about who's peed-in neoprene you're swimming in. I didn't have one at the time, but I did see other folks wearing them from time to time.

Nice to see another diver! If you're from out of state, I hope you'll be checking out some of our dive sites here in FL while you're here!

=)

 

[Capt_BJ]

We're going next month and I wanted to start making a list of things to pack. This is our first time going to DC, so I'm not quite sure what to take, if anything. I know you can take your underwater camera and your own mask if you prefer. I know you CAN'T take/ wear your own sun tan lotion and such. I know they provide wetsuits/ vests, so obviously you need a bathing suit. I'm sure they have towels for you to use, but should I bring my own anyways? Do I need to bring watershoes, or are the fins for the snorkeling open heeled? I'm a scuba diver, so I prefer to use equipment I am used to, such as open heeled fins and my own mask and such. But I guess my main question is do I need watershoes or will I be ok without them (or do they provide them)? Thanks in advance!

Yes they provide towels and you can get dry on request, we didn't need extras from home... toiletries are provided in the showers but you might prefer your own shampoo. Yes you need your suit to wear under the wetsuit or vest. They provide an animal safe sunscreen.

I took my own mask and snorkel (certified in 1973), but what they had was adequate. You keep the snorkel.

If you look at the recent thread with pictures you'll notice no one is wearing fins....you are going into a glorified swimming pool and they don't allow fins unless things have changed. You don't need 'em. The 'reef' and ray areas are pretty small. And the 'river' is like a standard lazy river with a slow current to push you along (and not much to see u/w). We wore water shoes....I don't like walking on concrete without them, but the bottom is pretty safe....they did not provide but had some for sale there.

Clothes on your back, swim suit, mask maybe, and your ID & MasterCard .... that just about completes the list

 

[jheigl]

Thanks for the replies. So they would allow me to bring my own wetsuit boots eh? Perhaps I will do so. I did not know fins were not used. That's kind of weird, but ok. I will be diving while in FL next month, but only in EPCOT. That's all I have time for. I'm hoping next year to extend my trip, especially now that my brother is getting certified, and staying an extra few days to check out the diving around. I plan on moving down to FL in a few years, one reason is so I am close to water I can dive in just about all year round (being from Buffalo, NY....we have about 2 months of good diving temps, and even they get cold in Lake Erie, but the shipwrecks are worth it). Thanks for the info!

 

[DixieDolphin]

The diving is great down here! We've got it all.. springs, reefs, beach dives, etc. You'll love it! If you ever make it over onto ScubaBoard, the regional "Florida Conch Divers" forum plans all sorts of dive trips every month. =)

 

[DDinGA]

The diving is great down here! We've got it all.. springs, reefs, beach dives, etc. You'll love it! If you ever make it over onto ScubaBoard, the regional "Florida Conch Divers" forum plans all sorts of dive trips every month. =)

Where do you recommend to dive not too far from Discovery Cove? Myself, DD(almost 18), and DS (almost 13) were recently certified. DH has been certified for almost 30 years.

 

[Capt_BJ]

Thanks for the replies. So they would allow me to bring my own wetsuit boots eh? Perhaps I will do so. I did not know fins were not used. That's kind of weird, but ok. I will be diving while in FL next month, but only in EPCOT. That's all I have time for. I'm hoping next year to extend my trip, especially now that my brother is getting certified, and staying an extra few days to check out the diving around. I plan on moving down to FL in a few years, one reason is so I am close to water I can dive in just about all year round (being from Buffalo, NY....we have about 2 months of good diving temps, and even they get cold in Lake Erie, but the shipwrecks are worth it). Thanks for the info!

Doing the Living Seas dive? Got to do it way back; b4 it got to be well known. Still consider it a highlight of my dive log....but I'm a ham at heart so it was just the thing for me!

For DC - I didn't take my boots, but I thought about it....what DC is really really really paranoid about, and EPCOT too for that matter, is the introduction of some bad thing that comes in on your gear.....let's face it, we don't all clean it as well as we might. A little fungus amung us can do VERY bad things fast in their tanks.....a little lurking creature from a dive yesterday and they have a MAJOR problem. Possibly catastrophic.... I decided my well worn boots would be best left behind. $10 bucks bought some cheap water shoes.

 

[DixieDolphin]

what DC is really really really paranoid about, and EPCOT too for that matter, is the introduction of some bad thing that comes in on your gear.....let's face it, we don't all clean it as well as we might. A little fungus amung us can do VERY bad things fast in their tanks.....a little lurking creature from a dive yesterday and they have a MAJOR problem. Possibly catastrophic....

You know, the funny thing about this... and one of the things I never could understand about DC... was how /little/ paranoia there actually was there. I've done dolphin swims at different facilities previously and had to sign a whole stack of paperwork, certifying that I had not participated in a marine mammals stranding, another park's swim program, etc.. for a proscribed period of time before the swim.

DC had none of that. First time I went there, I was shocked! All they had was a basic 'if-the-dolphin-bites-you-don't-sue-us' waiver, but no restrictions like other parks. I've never understood the reasoning behind that lack.

That said, there is no restriction that says you can't bring your own booties. Even when I worked there, I would use my work-issued neoprene socks while snorkeling other places. Course, all my work neoprene got thoroughly washed every day (it got very stinky otherwise!)

Where do you recommend to dive not too far from Discovery Cove? Myself, DD(almost 18), and DS (almost 13) were recently certified. DH has been certified for almost 30 years.

The /closest/ place (other than Disney) to dive would probably be Blue Springs State Park, about 30-40 miles east down I-4 from the parks. It's a freshwater spring open water dive down to 60ft. At 60ft, there's the usual 'Go No Further' sign warning OW divers away from going further. After 60ft, you're headed into cave/cavern territory. It's a $10+tax fee to dive and you must register at the front st. park ranger office.

There's other springs farther out... Ginnie & Devil's Den to the north, near Gainesville. Alexander spring near Ocala. Paradise spring to the west. Etc..

If you're not into springs, there's good fossil hunting on the Gulf coast in Venice Beach (about three hours SW). Alhambra park is a good shore dive.. 15-30ft with lots of fossil shark & stingray teeth. Bring a dive flag and watch out for the jet skiiers who ignore it. =P

3-4 hours SE on the Atlantic coast, there's great drift diving off of W. Palm Beach. I'm actually headed that way on the 27th for a two-tanker on Narcosis Dive Charters.

Sorry for the thread hijacking.

=)

 

[Girlsontour]

Money - lots of the stuff!!

 

[kellymonaghan]

Don't bring sunscreen or put any on before coming.

They issue special dolphin-friendly sunscreen and will ask you to shower if you're wearing your own.