Snorkel depth at Castaway

[MomOTwins]

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?

Not true—the snorkel lagoon is walled off from the shore, you have to swim all the way back to the entry area to be able to stand.

I understand your confusion though as this is really all about weather conditions. I’ve snorkeled twice at CC. Once had calm seas and swimming all around and back with my kids was a breeze. We are strong swimmers. The second time however we had a turn in the weather with a storm coming on suddenly while we were out in the lagoon. The lifeguards were trying to get everyone back but there weren’t enough of them to help everyone. The waves were so strong they were actually pulling our kids out back further away from shore faster than they could swim forward so husband and I each took a kid on our back while we swam until we could stand. It did take 20-30 minutes and we got pushed underwater a few times. The weather can be really unpredictable at CC—we’ve gotten caught in a sudden downpour on shore there before but being out in the water in it was another story. Haven’t snorkeled there since and don’t plan to.

 

[coast2coastmickey]

Not true—the snorkel lagoon is walled off from the shore, you have to swim all the way back to the entry area to be able to stand.

I understand your confusion though as this is really all about weather conditions. I’ve snorkeled twice at CC. Once had calm seas and swimming all around and back with my kids was a breeze. We are strong swimmers. The second time however we had a turn in the weather with a storm coming on suddenly while we were out in the lagoon. The lifeguards were trying to get everyone back but there weren’t enough of them to help everyone. The waves were so strong they were actually pulling our kids out back further away from shore faster than they could swim forward so husband and I each took a kid on our back while we swam until we could stand. It did take 20-30 minutes and we got pushed underwater a few times. The weather can be really unpredictable at CC—we’ve gotten caught in a sudden downpour on shore there before but being out in the water in it was another story. Haven’t snorkeled there since and don’t plan to.

I want to echo this person's experience.

I went snorkeling by myself in Nov 2019. Did a CC double dip. One day was nice weather and calm seas, so we did a family beach day. One day was very windy and much colder. I snorkeled on the windy day.

For context, even though I'm a little fluffier, I used to be a varsity swimmer and varsity water polo player. In a normal pool, even after more than a decade, muscle memory kicks in and I can tread water for days, and swim laps for days, at a pretty quick pace.

That windy day at CC was surprisingly tough for snorkeling. I did not have any inflatables or anything to help. I went all the way out to the rock wall and back, which after spending time looking for things to see took me about an hour. By the end I was a little out of breath. I imagine someone with less conditioning/muscle memory would have had a bad time that day. There weren't many snorkelers.

All that to say, be careful, everyone. The ocean is no joke.

 

[loislane]

You've received a good mix of responses here. Ultimately everyone's experience and confidence is different. If you're looking to see the hidden underwater objects, the snorkeling lagoon is the only way to do that. I would only head out there if I was confident in my ability to get back. The entire snorkeling lagoon is about 22 acres - it's not tiny.

If you're looking for a snorkel and see "something" experience, you might want to consider Castaway Ray's Stingray Adventure where I don't think you have to swim out as far to see the stingrays. The stingray lagoon is about 40,000 square feet so much smaller.

 

[brentm77]

Does anyone know if they would allow a person to use one of the below devices in addition to their required vest? I am an experienced swimmer, in pretty good athletic shape, but one of these likely saved my life in some rough waters off the coast of Hawaii once. If Disney allows it, I highly recommend anyone who is in doubt use one as backup if you get exhausted and out of breath. It is on a leash around your waist and you don't even notice it's there until you need it. It does interfere with your ability to dive deep, but I don't think most inexperienced swimmers do that anyway. It is also compact to pack.




I would also add - be very careful taking young children snorkeling without good floatation devices. If they panic, their ability to pull you down, all while you try to juggle keeping your mask on right and not filling with water, is surprising. Things can go bad quickly in that situation. I took some practice to do it right, and Castaway was not a good place to learn due to how far out from shore you go.

 

[lanejudy]

Does anyone know if they would allow a person to use one of the below devices in addition to their required vest?

I believe DCL only allows US Coast Guard approved flotation devices. This doesn't look like it carries that designation.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Agreed- they pretty much only allow you to use their flotation items- floats/noodles, which are not allowed in the snorkel lagoon. Honestly, if you are even questioning your ability to swim that far out and back, it is not worth it. There have been snorkeling accidents that have resulted in fatalities on Castaway. No one wants to end their vacation in that manner. For their own sake or the sake of their families. The Stingray Adventure is a great alternative.

 

[tvguy]

Not true—the snorkel lagoon is walled off from the shore, you have to swim all the way back to the entry area to be able to stand.

I understand your confusion though as this is really all about weather conditions. I’ve snorkeled twice at CC. Once had calm seas and swimming all around and back with my kids was a breeze. We are strong swimmers. The second time however we had a turn in the weather with a storm coming on suddenly while we were out in the lagoon. The lifeguards were trying to get everyone back but there weren’t enough of them to help everyone. The waves were so strong they were actually pulling our kids out back further away from shore faster than they could swim forward so husband and I each took a kid on our back while we swam until we could stand. It did take 20-30 minutes and we got pushed underwater a few times. The weather can be really unpredictable at CC—we’ve gotten caught in a sudden downpour on shore there before but being out in the water in it was another story. Haven’t snorkeled there since and don’t plan to.

Like I said up thread, Castaway Cay is the only protected water way I have snorkeled in It was so much easier a place to snorkel than the open water excursions I have taken in the Caribbean. But like I also said, it is interesting to read others views.