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First time to snorkle
- Thread starter kimrn87
- Start date
Disneyfalcon
Well-Known Member
I agree! Castaway Cay is great for beginners. 
EOD K9
Well-Known Member
Agree with all of the above. There are plenty of lifeguards, there is no major current to worry about, and you can underwater sightsee. They have a sunken sub from the old 20,000 leagues ride, a small boat, and a statue of Mickey. My wife and I did it twice and really enjoyed it.
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
@EOD K9 , did y'all see Minnie, too?
I concur on CC for snorkeling. It's protected water so currents, chop, & waves aren't a problem. Also, the further out you get the less stirred-up the bottom is so you can see better. I also really like that the different things to see are marked by buoys. That helps! We've swam up to the lifeguard stands and asked which buoy for what we wanted to see specifically. You gotta work to see Mickey. He's way out there.
I concur on CC for snorkeling. It's protected water so currents, chop, & waves aren't a problem. Also, the further out you get the less stirred-up the bottom is so you can see better. I also really like that the different things to see are marked by buoys. That helps! We've swam up to the lifeguard stands and asked which buoy for what we wanted to see specifically. You gotta work to see Mickey. He's way out there.
EOD K9
Well-Known Member
@sweetpee_1993 Never got around to see her actually. I sometimes like to leave things for the next time. While I don't ever see myself getting bored at CC, I always want to try to experience something new on every trip.
GenerationX
Well-Known Member
I agree with everyone above. Snorkeling at Castaway Cay is not only easy for beginners (they give you all of the equipment, including life jackets), but not to be missed. The further out you go, the more fish you see and the more Disney stuff you see. I was out there for quite awhile and saw everything. The entire swimming area at Castaway Cay is nearly enclosed by land, so the waves are tame.
tissandtully
Well-Known Member
Is this something that has to be reserved or is it just the equipment? Can we bring our own snorkle? I like the idea of under water sightseeing like @EOD K9 said, but, I know there was some Castaway Cay snorkeling thing that was booked up
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
We like to bring our own gear. You don't have to reserve if. I want to say the rental gear goes for like $20 or $25 each. If you bring your own gear you'll still be required to wear the inflatable snorkel vest to snorkel the lagoon. They won't charge you to use just a vest, tho. Just go to the gear rental shack, tell them you brought your own/only need a vest, and they'll hand you one. No problem!Is this something that has to be reserved or is it just the equipment? Can we bring our own snorkle? I like the idea of under water sightseeing like @EOD K9 said, but, I know there was some Castaway Cay snorkeling thing that was booked up
tissandtully
Well-Known Member
Do you have any recs for gear? Does the CC gear include fins? Looks like a decent set is around $45 on Amazon, so may def be worth it.
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
Really, the best thing to make sure you get the right thing is to go to a local dive shop. You can try on the masks. Not only will you find the best fit for your face size/shape, you'll learn how to properly secure it & care for it. I have a Scuba Pro that I paid roughly $80 or so for. Its perfect for me, tho. Our snorkels are pretty standard, not sure of brand. They cost around $35 each. Maybe a little more? We haven't yet purchased fins. Just haven't gotten around to it. We can survive CC's lagoon without them because the water is sooooo calm. When we've snorkeled elsewhere it was with a group or setting where loaner fins were available. Even with an investment of $120 each for what we have, we've not rented snorkel gear on any of our trips to CC. If we had rented each time we'd have already spent more than what we paid for our own gear that hasn't been in other peoples' mouths and we know aren't leaky.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Is this something that has to be reserved or is it just the equipment? Can we bring our own snorkle? I like the idea of under water sightseeing like @EOD K9 said, but, I know there was some Castaway Cay snorkeling thing that was booked up
There is a catamaran snorkeling excursion at CC that you may be referring to. That goes to another location. The regular snorkel rental is right there in the protected lagoon and is available as a walk-up rental or as part of a pre-paid rental or bundle.
There really is no reason to buy your own gear and deal with that hassle of packing/carrying/keeping it. The rental gear is more than adequate and includes everything you need for CC. A better venting snorkel would probably be nice... but a rookie wouldn't know the difference anyways
Disneyfalcon
Well-Known Member
Yes, Flynnibus is correct. I've never seen the snorkel gear sell out on the island. They are stocked.
It's funny that we're discussing this, because on a What Not to Pack blog I wrote last week, some readers were not happy that I suggested leaving your snorkel gear at home! I'm with you @flynnibus. Their gear works just fine for me and saves a ton of room in our suitcase.
It's funny that we're discussing this, because on a What Not to Pack blog I wrote last week, some readers were not happy that I suggested leaving your snorkel gear at home! I'm with you @flynnibus. Their gear works just fine for me and saves a ton of room in our suitcase.
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
That's another reason I haven't been in a hurry to buy fins. Packing space. The masks & snorkels don't take too much room, tho.
flynnibus
Premium Member
If someone were doing a more bold snorkeling adventure in one of the ports... I'd be more open to the suggestion of bringing your own stuff. But at Castaway Cay? You can't top the convenience, and honestly it's not some high end snorkeling adventure
And you aren't going to save any money buying your own gear as a first or two time cruiser.For a first timer, for non-active people I'd recommend the sting ray activity. For those more active, I'd recommend the sting ray AND snorkeling. For the 'I am up too early and want m0ar!' - I'd recommend looking into the 5k
Disneyfalcon
Well-Known Member
Agreed! If you are going to have to rent gear in several ports, it's worth it to bring your own. And Kelly has a good point about not bringing the fins. Thats the real bulk.
EOD K9
Well-Known Member
Next trip I am bringing my own snorkel and mask. I believe TREK (not the bike brand) makes smaller fins that will fit in your suitcase and makes packing easier. If you're active, get the bike, tube, snorkel package. As @flynnibus said, look into the 5k. Between the run, snorkel, and bike, the wife and I ended up doing a mini triathlon.
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
I prefer to have my own gear & haul it because I've had a bad experience in the past (not at CC) where I used provided gear and it leaked like a sieve. I totally hated that experience. Couldn't enjoy it at all. Bringing my own I know I won't be fighting ill-fitting or worm gear. Not that what they use at CC is bad, I really don't know. I looked at it like I'd rather have my own & enjoy then chance not having it & being miserable. Plus, the more times I use my gear the more quarter's worth I get.If someone were doing a more bold snorkeling adventure in one of the ports... I'd be more open to the suggestion of bringing your own stuff. But at Castaway Cay? You can't top the convenience, and honestly it's not some high end snorkeling adventure
For a first timer, for non-active people I'd recommend the sting ray activity. For those more active, I'd recommend the sting ray AND snorkeling. For the 'I am up too early and want m0ar!' - I'd recommend looking into the 5k
I suppose it also makes it worthwhile since we live near the coast & all. LOL!
tissandtully
Well-Known Member
Looks like I reserved a bike and some tubes, probably cheaper to do all three, haha. Just asked the wife if she wanted to run the 5k and she laughed even though we run every week. I can't imagine the 5k is too popular, but it does sound like a cool way to check out the island.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Its very popular! The big thing is the early start... and people complain about the heat (hence why they start so early.. and of course for minimizing disruption on the island). The RunDisney stuff can be addicting for people when they blend Disney into things...
Our first time we did the everything bundle... kids loved everything except the bikes. This time around they nosed up at the bikes and we just did adhoc rentals vs the bundle for everyone.