snorkel from the beach

[2wheelin]

Are there places along 7 mile that rent snorkel gear and/or have boats to take you off shore to snorkel? Where would be a good place along the beach to relax, drink, and snorkel?

[Capt_BJ]

snork' from 7 mile beach is kinda ugh ...... all you'll see is sand and maybe a few fish. For this reason you don't see many places trying to rent gear on 7 mile .....

 

shore snork' on the other hand IS GREAT on the other side of the port/tender landings.  Leaving the tender area and turn LEFT and you are heading to 7 mile area.  Turn RIGHT and you will encounter several great snorkel spots ...a couple with attached dive shops for rental gear ... but alas the first two have no beach . . .

 

https://edenrockdivingcenter.com/

 

I prefer https://www.sunsethouse.com/the-shore-dive

 

and there's Smith's Cove a lil past Sunset but no rentals there . . . 

[2wheelin]

On 10/4/2022 at 6:23 PM, Capt_BJ said:

snork' from 7 mile beach is kinda ugh ...... all you'll see is sand and maybe a few fish. For this reason you don't see many places trying to rent gear on 7 mile .....

 

shore snork' on the other hand IS GREAT on the other side of the port/tender landings.  Leaving the tender area and turn LEFT and you are heading to 7 mile area.  Turn RIGHT and you will encounter several great snorkel spots ...a couple with attached dive shops for rental gear ... but alas the first two have no beach . . .

 

https://edenrockdivingcenter.com/

 

I prefer https://www.sunsethouse.com/the-shore-dive

 

and there's Smith's Cove a lil past Sunset but no rentals there . . . 

Thanks for these. I found a dive shop along Church st which rents gear to take to other places. Is Smith’s Cove Bacadere Beach? That was suggested by the Sunset House but they don’t let their gear leave the premises. Still trying to decide if it is worth the cost to take Carnival’s snorkel tour or if shore side is sufficient.

[D_boogie]

I have bought snorkel gear relatively inexpensively from Leisurepro now Scuba.com.  Just a good mask and snorkel can work a lot of places if you don't want to pack fins.  I have liked a beach swim better than getting kicked by a boatload of other people when there is at least something to see.  Heading to Grand Cayman with family at Thanksgiving so also trying to figure out where to go with beach and some fish or something.

[bookbabe]

17 hours ago, D_boogie said:

I have bought snorkel gear relatively inexpensively from Leisurepro now Scuba.com.  Just a good mask and snorkel can work a lot of places if you don't want to pack fins.  I have liked a beach swim better than getting kicked by a boatload of other people when there is at least something to see.  Heading to Grand Cayman with family at Thanksgiving so also trying to figure out where to go with beach and some fish or something.

Close-ish to the cruise port your best option with okay beach and okay snorkeling would be Smith Cove Barcadere.  There’s restrooms but no other facilities.  I’d take a taxi there, and make arrangements for them to return for you at a set time.  It’s not an easy walk.

 

I would not try snorkeling at the Eden Rock or Sunset House areas without fins and a life vest unless you are a very experienced snorkeler and strong swimmer.  

 

As noted above, the best beaches tend to have the crappiest snorkeling, and vice versa.  

Edited October 13, 2022 by bookbabe

[Capt_BJ]

Smith C' is about 1.5 miles from the tender landings . . .

 

 

[Capt_BJ]

editorial for a person who was a 'water safety' professional for 45+ years .... lifeguard then Coast Guard Officer working on deep water cutters . . . 

 

As mentioned snork' at Eden or Sunset should be considered 'big boy/girl' snorkeling ..... this is NOT 4 feet of water and put your feet down anytime ya want. Water will be too deep for standing ...... on the other hand you'll be snork'ing above divers in most cases and real REEF and not some clusters of rocks and the occasional fish.

 

WRT recommendation for fins and a safety vest is getting wet at Eden or Sunset ..... if you go snorkeling anywhere other than you bath tub or home pool I HIGHLY recommend use of safety equipment which includes FINS. To snork' with out a vest is like riding a motorcycle without a helmet. PLENTY of folks do it ... is it smart? Any 'excursion' is gonna require you wear a vest .... Castaway Cay (Disney) CocoCay (RCL) they require a vest in their snorkel areas. And to me fins are included in safety equipment ...... they reduce the risk of getting too far away and not enuf strength to swim back in .... yes they could potentially allow you to swim too far out in the first place but I've experienced much less of that. <p.s. the vest is inflatable and uninflated really does not get in the way ..... but if you NEED to inflate it you're glad its there . . IF you only feel safe snorkeling with the vest INFLATED you no longer have a safety device and you are in over your head IMO>

 

dismounting soap box now ......

[verb0979]

Capt_BJ knows what he is talking about!  Get off the ship’s tender boat, turn right, walk 2 minutes, rent gear INCLUDING VEST AND FINS from the dive shop right there.

The snorkeling there is excellent!  Better than any cruise excursion.

Even when I spend the day elsewhere on the island, I reserve a little time to go snorkel at Eden Rock before getting back on the ship!

 

 

[elaine5]

we are experienced snorkelers with fins and vest. We have swam to a reef from shore and back, etc.  Is there a swift current at Eden Rock that makes it more dangerous, or just deeper water as opposed to puttering around DCL/RCI swimming area?

[Capt_BJ]

EDEN seldom has any significant current. Certain times in winter and spring when the wind and waves are out of the west there can be surge into the area - which is also the ship anchorage off Georgetown. If the swell is too much they can't tender safely and the port is cancelled. SOME times a ship or two can use the alternate anchorage on the south side of the island but the surge would make the water entry at EDEN (seawall with ladder) dangerous and typically the staff at the dive shop will close the  entry point. Similar situation down the road at Sunset House.

 

this picture was taken from Sunset looking north to the main anchorage, the small boat you see is a dive boat at Eden Rock.  This picture was taken about 1 hour later .... 'the weather started getting rough' ... ships were scrambling to get their pax back via tenders . . .

p.s. it was March . . 

Edited December 15, 2022 by Capt_BJ

[bookbabe]

However, as you can see in the Captain’s pictures, that area is deep.  You cannot easily stop and take a break like you can at most cruise line private islands, so the vest is essential, and many people find themselves further from shore than they’d planned much more quickly than they’d expected.  DH has had to tow overtired cruise ship visitors back to shore a couple of times when snorkeling there.

[Capt_BJ]

.... like I said in #7 . . . snork' at Eden or Sunset should be considered 'big boy/girl' snorkeling ..... this is NOT 4 feet of water and put your feet down anytime ya want. Water will be too deep for standing ......

Edited December 15, 2022 by Capt_BJ

[clackey]

On 10/13/2022 at 4:12 PM, Capt_BJ said:

Smith C' is about 1.5 miles from the tender landings . . .

 

 

We snorkeled Cemetary Beach on our first visit.  Nice beach but the snorkeling isn't much.   Second trip we booked a trip to Stingray City with Captain Marvin.  It was a good trip.  We snorkeled a reef, played with stingrays and then went to Rum Point for lunch.  I could live at Rum Point.  Then we tried hit Eden Rock on our third visit.  Saw some tarpon at the restaurant where we got into the water.  The wind was bad and we never made it to Eden Rock.  Last trip we took a taxi to Smith Cove.  Not much in the way of fish.  Taxi was to pick us up at 2:00 and was a no show.  We walked back to the pier with a stop for lunch at the Sunset House.   

 

I have heard that there is a ship, the Kittiwake at Cheeseburger Reef.  It is to the left of the tender pier near McDonalds.  That should be a neat snorkel.

Edited December 16, 2022 by clackey

[Capt_BJ]

Kitti' is a 'special attraction' and boats pay a special fee to go there -  it is not reachable as a shore dive <approx 1/2 mile off the beach>  - IOW you need a boat trip and it will cost more than average. BTW this is primarily a SCUBA attraction altho they DO take snorkelers. The wreck is sits in about 65' of water and the top of the wreck is still about 20' below the surface .... IOW the closest a typical snork' is gonna get is 20 feet. This is deep open water snorkeling.

 

 https://www.thingstodocayman.net/kittiwake/

Edited December 17, 2022 by Capt_BJ

[Jldevlin]

7 hours ago, Capt_BJ said:

Kitti' is a 'special attraction' and boats pay a special fee to go there -  it is not reachable as a shore dive <approx 1/2 mile off the beach>  - IOW you need a boat trip and it will cost more than average. BTW this is primarily a SCUBA attraction altho they DO take snorkelers. The wreck is sits in about 65' of water and the top of the wreck is still about 20' below the surface .... IOW the closest a typical snork' is gonna get is 20 feet. This is deep open water snorkeling.

 

 https://www.thingstodocayman.net/kittiwake/

Thank you so much for all your advise. We have done the boat snorkel and stingray tour a few times and we will be there in February and looking to do something right in town.  We are stronger swimmers but our friends are not so I think Eden will be out. For just a beach day without snorkel being the main thing what beach do you recommend???  We can walk pretty far so I was thinking seven mile beach maybe???