Snorkel depth at Castaway

[Princesca]

Can you snorkel at Castaway if you are out of shape/not a great swimmer? Or do you have to swim very far out to see stuff?

How strenuous is it?

TIA!

 

[dcassetta]

Because snorkeling is off the beach at CC anyone can snorkel. However, the sunken items that Disney has put into their snorkel lagoon are quite a distance from the beach. Depending on the time of day you decide to go snorkeling, there may be a challenge swimming against the tide. The nice thing about off-beach snorkeling is if you find yourself getting out a little ways and starting to feel tired, you can just turn right around and head back in.

I am concerned about your statement “not a great swimmer”. You are required to wear a snorkeling vest while in the snorkel lagoon. And that snorkeling vest is able to be inflated. But, if you are not able to swim on your own, without a flotation device, I’m not sure I can recommend snorkeling as an activity.

 

[Marc D]

It can be very tiring, even for experienced swimmers like us, to get to the sunken items and then come back. They are far away. I’ve had to help my son, who has been swimming since forever, a couple of times because the tide and the wind were against us and we had been swimming for 30-45 minutes. With the description you give, I would not take a chance.

 

[kateandy08096]

My husband was a swim coach in his collage years and let's just say he was tired snorkeling but not as bad as one would expect. Pace yourself and you should be ok.

 

[Princesca]

Thanks! While we swim well enough to not drown in a pool/lake, we are not what I would call great swimmers, so we will probably pass.

 

[tvguy]

Wow, interesting posts. I didn't find it strenuous at all, and at the time I was a 46 year old, out of shape, overweight guy and my kids weren't particularly strong swimmers. But all my other snorkeling adventures were in open waters. At Castaway Cay if you get tired you can just move a little closer to shore where you can stand up.
Anyone else have opinions?

 

[TXDCLfan]

As a licensed scuba diver and avid snorkeler I have had to pull 4 persons that either did not know how to swim or were poor swimmers Infact the last guy I pulled off the ocean floor 15 feet down admitted he did not know how to swim and that he had walked out to the sandbar and had no idea what low/high tide was. Please take swim lessons for your sake and your loved ones.

 

[Geomom]

DD22 and I snorkeled at Castaway in June. I hadn't snorkeled in 23 years, she had never snorkeled. It took a long time for us to get our masks tight enough, keep water out of the breathing tube, etc, and 1 of the vests kept leaking air when swimming (we traded vests so I took that one and I was able to reinflate it with the tube). DD isn't a great swimmer, but I'm pretty good. I ended up holding her hand/pulling her after a while. We made it to the first 2 markers on the right and decided the next one was too far so we went back to shore. I do think we'd do better the next time. There is a bit of a learning curve if you haven't snorkeled. (Or if it's been 23 yrs!) Also, there are plenty of points when you can't touch the ground. We didn't go out too far and I'd guess it was 10-15 feet deep in places? I wouldn't go into it planning to do the whole snorkeling trail. Pay attention to how everyone is feeling and be willing to return to shore. Don't wear yourself out going TO the markers, you do need to swim back. (And apparently tides might make that more difficult.)

 

[TXDCLfan]

Wow, interesting posts. I didn't find it strenuous at all, and at the time I was a 46 year old, out of shape, overweight guy and my kids weren't particularly strong swimmers. But all my other snorkeling adventures were in open waters. At Castaway Cay if you get tired you can just move a little closer to shore where you can stand up.
Anyone else have opinions?

A lot of people panic when they get tired and that is when bad things happen.

 

[Marc D]

At Castaway Cay if you get tired you can just move a little closer to shore where you can stand up.

If you swam buoy to buoy and ended up at the far side of the lagoon, the shallow part of it can be 5-10 minutes away, if you are constantly swimming. That‘s a long way if you are exhausted and not experienced.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

I am a swimmer and regularly swim several miles a week. I have snorkeled at Castaway many times. If I did not know how to swim or could not swim 300 yrds without needing to stand up or hold on to something (like side of pool-another person) I would not swim out to the statues. The snorkeling vest is not a flotation deice. If you decide to try anyway, I would practice with the snorkel and mask in shallow water to see what is like to have your face in the water with water maybe leaking into your mask and mouth-which happens. And swim with a friend that can alert life guards if you are struggling. I always swim out with my husband or daughter and we stay close and check in with each other regularly. We always have fun. Maybe try some swim lessons. You may find a passion!

 

[Princesca]

As a licensed scuba diver and avid snorkeler I have had to pull 4 persons that either did not know how to swim or were poor swimmers Infact the last guy I pulled off the ocean floor 15 feet down admitted he did not know how to swim and that he had walked out to the sandbar and had no idea what low/high tide was. Please take swim lessons for your sake and your loved ones.

I've had years of swim lessons, but live in a landlocked state and don't trust my abilities in the ocean.

 

[auntlynne]

 

[Geomom]

I've had years of swim lessons, but live in a landlocked state and don't trust my abilities in the ocean.

I didn't find it as bad as swimming in the ocean. With the breakers Disney installed, you don't get the wave action of an ocean. (We've done some boogie boarding in Maine.) Tides still go in/out so you could have a current. My issues were more with getting used to the snorkel equipment and breathing through the tube, that's really what wore me out more than the swimming part.

 

[loves to dive]

If you have never been snorkeling rent some fins, mask and snorkel and head to a local pool or lake first and practice. I'm a master diver,cavern and stress and rescue certified and snorkeling is harder for me. Don't try to swim, you should keep your arms down by your side and use your legs with long slow strokes. Unless you are diving down to see something on the the bottom you are basically floating. Getting used to a mask, fins and breathing with your mouth is the hardest part.

 

[Princesca]

If you have never been snorkeling rent some fins, mask and snorkel and head to a local pool or lake first and practice. I'm a master diver,cavern and stress and rescue certified and snorkeling is harder for me. Don't try to swim, you should keep your arms down by your side and use your legs with long slow strokes. Unless you are diving down to see something on the the bottom you are basically floating. Getting used to a mask, fins and breathing with your mouth is the hardest part.

I wonder if I would be a natural at snorkeling because most of the time if I'm swimming in a pool I tend to only use my legs anyway. Also, I have natural buoyancy.

 

[loves to dive]

I wonder if I would be a natural at snorkeling because most of the time if I'm swimming in a pool I tend to only use my legs anyway. Also, I have natural buoyancy.

Yep, me too on the buoyancy thing. I have to use more weights when I dive then someone my size should cause I'm too buoyant. I can float on my back all day without having to move my arms or legs. You will probably do ok snorkeling, I think the issue for most people is they try to swim using their arms and they try too hard. Just relax and it's easier. You will have to occasionally steer with your arms but I just do slow sort of passes with my hands under water like I do when I'm diving.

 

[onesam319]

I have tried snorkeling every time I've been to CC. Only once was I able to see two statues and a sunken boat. They were all very far out. I am near sighted and it's a major disadvantage when trying to locate the buoys that mark the statues. I also have had trouble with water getting into my mask. I wonder if putting some Vaseline on it might help it seal better. You will always get water in your snorkel. Just learn how to clear it before going out very deep. I use the foam vests instead of the blow-up vests. That way I don't have to worry about losing air. If you find the boat, depending on how tall you are, you may be able to stand on its roof to rest. I am 5'7" and was able to stand with my head above water. If you get tired, don't panic and trust your vest to keep you afloat.

 

[Disney mac]

I have tried snorkeling every time I've been to CC. Only once was I able to see two statues and a sunken boat. They were all very far out. I am near sighted and it's a major disadvantage when trying to locate the buoys that mark the statues. I also have had trouble with water getting into my mask. I wonder if putting some Vaseline on it might help it seal better. You will always get water in your snorkel. Just learn how to clear it before going out very deep. I use the foam vests instead of the blow-up vests. That way I don't have to worry about losing air. If you find the boat, depending on how tall you are, you may be able to stand on its roof to rest. I am 5'7" and was able to stand with my head above water. If you get tired, don't panic and trust your vest to keep you afloat.

I'd also add take long slow kicks with your fins. If you get tired, are you comfortable with floating on your back and kicking? Just don't try to go to fast and it's not too bad.

 

[Weedy]

Mask tips:
Before putting on your mask spit in it and rub it around the glass then rinse off in the ocean water. Gross I know but it works. Disney sanitizes all the masks between uses.
If you want to see if the mask is a good fit put it against your face without the strap and breathe in through your nose. It should stay on
Get your hair wet and push it all back so no hair is in the edges of the mask where it seals around your nose and eyes.
Fins: when you get in water walk backwards!! It keeps you from tripping over the fins. Once you are in waist deep water then you can flip and swim