will they really make me wear a vest?

There is a catamaran tour to St Johns (Princess) that sounds good only it says a vest will be provided and must be worn. I'm a scuba diver and an avid snorkeler who likes to free dive and I would rather stay dry then wear a stupid vest. Are they really militant about it or have people experienced it treated more on a case by case basis? Thanks

I won't do ship excursions because of this rule....the last time I tied the strap to my ankle....you would have to tie concrete blocks to my ankles to get me to sink.....I understand the liability issue but it ruins it for me...find a private excursion....I find them safety concious but a little more flexible.....

Any excursion I've been on (even a private one) where a vest is required - we had to wear it. However, just make sure its not inflated and you'll be good. DH and I have snorkeled all over, and we just suck it up. Guess I'm the opposite - I'll tolerate the vest so I don't miss the snorkeling. :)

My husband almost blew a gasket about this too... he was told by the snorkeling op that by regulation of their insurance company, everyone wears it entering the water but you do NOT need to inflate it at all. My husband only snorkels so he can free dive, so he was fine once he heard this.

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I think that a vest is a sign of a quality excursion that has safety as a great concern. On our last trip with snorkeling, one excursion had no vests only one "Guide" and they came real close to loosing a person when the swimmer got a cramp and then could not get back to ground by himself. Thankfully someone taking pictures noticed the man struggling because the guide surely could not see him. Even good snorkelers can have bad luck. Vests allow others to spot you in the water. It does not say you are a beginner--it says you want the best chance of survival.

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I think that a vest is a sign of a quality excursion that has safety as a great concern. It does not say you are a beginner--it says you want the best chance of survival.

A "quality excursion" should have them available, so if you need a vest you can wear one... but, requiring one is an entirely different story. To me, those vests ruin the experience and I will not go on excursions which require them.

Fortunately, these silly "survival" requirements are usually confined to cruise line excursions. (Not known to divers as being "quality excursions"!) I've never had a private operator require them. :cool:

I have a different perspective. My wife and I snorkel enough that we have good equipment, including vests that we always wear. We took an SSI snorkeling class and learned a couple of things. Most significant, using the vest makes snorkeling easier and more fun. Put some air in it when you are on the surface, and let it out when you want to surface dive. Then put air back in when you come up. Repeat. The vest is invaluable when you need it and is no impediment to diving at all.

When we SCUBA we have a BC (inflatable vest) which is standard gear. But when Snorkeling, DW and I prefer not to wear a vest and this is not an issue since we avoid cruise line excursions like the plague. That being said, a decent vest is a good safety device.

Hank

We took an SSI snorkeling class and learned a couple of things. Most significant, using the vest makes snorkeling easier and more fun.

:rolleyes: Maybe I'd feel the same way if someone taught me those opinions.

Or perhaps you would feel that way if someone told you the vest made it easier, and you skeptically tried it and found out he was right. I thought he was nuts, until I tried it.

different perspective here..

i'm new to snorkeling and only have done it a few times. I wasn't required to wear a life vest... but... it was recommended of course.

my problem is... i'm a big girl.. with a Bigger chest... the biggest vests they had wouldnt have done up around my chest... ( 42 KK ) ... so.. what to do there?

i'm practically unsinkable.. cant actually DIVE down without weights at all anyways....

for safety though.. would my own vest be a good investment and accepted by the cruise people as an option ?

If they require one, they will let you use your own. It should be less than $50.

Put some air in it when you are on the surface, and let it out when you want to surface dive. Then put air back in when you come up. Repeat.

Honestly, spending the day inflating and deflating your safety device would be exhausting to me. It would be more like work and totally ruin my fun.

You and I must skin dive very differently. I spend half my time underwater looking for critters hiding inside and underneath formations. I only go back to the surface long enough to catch my breath... before going right back down. I don't have any time to spend messing around with your "easy" and "fun" device. If I was uncomfortable in the water, or simply a beginning snorkeler, a vest may be both of those things. But, quite frankly, the only time a vest makes things easier or more fun, is if you're planning to spend most of your time on the surface looking down... or if you're a businessman avoiding tourist-borne lawsuits! ;)