Water temp/sensitive feet St. Martin caves

[bigtoeswim'n]

Hi my fellow CC friends: DH and I will be on RCI Jewel in St. John from 7 am to 5:30 pm, Oct 12, 2010 (Tues). I need help making a decision. I asked the question prior but didn't make myself clear.

 

I'm concerned about the water temp hitting sensitive feet if I managed to get to the caves at low tide. Is it realistic/practical to expect to endure the WATER temp with just tennis shoes or muckers? I'm debating to pursue a private tour bc I don't want to be at the caves stuck behind other tour buses and miss this wonderful opportunity to explore the caves close up. DH and I are in our late 50s, in good shape, but we live here in the Alabama, so I don't want to go thru all the effort to get us to a dream of MINE only to say "forget it" due to the WATER temp. We can plan for air temp with layers, but feet, well that is another matter.

 

Forgot to mention, the low tide will be 09:52 a.m. 1.1(meters) 3.6 (feet).

 

I sure would appreciate some local or prior cruiser answering if I'm chasing a pipe dream. I could always find something else for DH and I to do rather than endure a bus ride and not achieve the goal. So excited about this trip. Thx in advance for any helpers. Have a nice day.

[Acey]

Hi my fellow CC friends: DH and I will be on RCI Jewel in St. John from 7 to 5:30 pm. I need help making a decision. I asked the question prior but didn't make myself clear. I'm concerned about the water temp hitting sensitive feet if I managed to get to the caves at low tide. Is it realistic/practical to expect to endure the WATER temp with just tennis shoes or muckers? I'm debating to pursue a private tour bc I don't want to be at the caves stuck behind other tour buses and miss this wonderful opportunity to explore the caves close up. DH and I are in our late 50s' date=' in good shape, but we live here in the Alabama, so I don't want to go thru all the effort to get us to a dream of MINE only to say "forget it" due to the WATER temp. We can plan for air temp with layers, but feet, well that is another matter.

 

I sure would appreciate some local or prior cruiser answering if I'm chasing a pipe dream. I could always find something else for DH and I to do rather than endure a bus ride and not achieve the goal. So excited about this trip. Thx in advance for any helpers. Have a nice day.[/quote']

 

The average temp of the bay in the summer is 46-53 degrees. Tennis shoes/sneakers are fine - your feet will not touch the water at low tide - you walk over small rocks/pebbles and the water trickles under them.

 

As for tours, you can expect to pay $50 USD per hour for a personal tour guide. Alternatively to a private tour and cruise ship tour, Freedom Tours www.freedomtours.com is known for "getting ahead of the pack" at St. Martin's - they get favorable reviews from fellow travellers.

[bigtoeswim'n]

Acey: Thanks so much for the info. I've been sitting on the fence concerning freedom tours. This cold water hitting toesie-woesies plays on my mind. You helped me a lot. I'll have to make a decision soon. I'll run it by DH soon. thx again.