AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Caye Caulker swimming from CC shore to the reef (?)

Quick question!
I do understand the inherent risk associated with attempting to swim from CC beach to the reef, one must be aware of motor boat traffic. However, if I have a partner kayaking beside me as I swim to the reef could it be done safely?, other than boat traffic to contend with, should I worry about anything else? how far is the shortest swim distance to the reef from a point on the CC beach?. I've swam distances of 2 miles in oceanic swells - would this be any more difficult?
Any distance or ocean swimmers out there please feel free to chime in.
Thank you in advance,
JP~
BTW: I'll be wearing swim goggles and fins...

Not too hard to do and not that much boat traffic. It is less than a mile.Water is warm and protected-no rollers.We get more tired swimming back. At one time we did this about three times a week with no kayak along.In an hour of snorkeling most folks swim farther than that.

Thanx Dane, relieving to know that it's something we can do in lieu of getting eaten alive or dragged out to sea by a rogue current. We do plan to rent a kayak daily as a base station (so-to-speak). Tell us something if you might Dane, once we've paddled to the reef via kayak, what the heck are we supposed to anchor the kayak to if we both want to snorkel at the same time? Do we anchor the kayak to a rock with rope? I'm sure as heck not gonna' anchor it to coral. Should we equip ourselves with an anchor and rope before we head out? We don't want to be perceived as "ugly americans" in the cayes, let us know what your list of "do not do" consists of regarding tourists and we'll take them into serious consideration.
Thanx again Dane,
J&C~

BTW: do you live on the Caye???

Yeah for 30 years. I help run the high school by default. It is really de fault of the other Founders. They normally administrate but are both off island right now.We have an excellent principal so I am mostly her errand boy right now.

Back on swimming, try to have some form of flotation device available to you, so you can support yourself if you get tires. It could be carried on the kayak, or you could carry an inflatable one with you and blow it up if you feel the need.

Thanx Peter Jones, we'll most definitely have PFD's with us, we're kayak experienced and will never kayak without personal flotation devices (PFD's).
J&C~

Hey Dane~
Thanx for the reply,
Connie and I would be very interested in meeting. I'm very interested in CC infrastractures (ie; academic provisions, merchant politics, and environmental stewardship commitments.
Maybe we'll cross paths and have a drink and a chat sometime, that would be super!
Connie and Jerry~

Before you set out tie two loops on one end of a length of soft rope and fix the other end to the bow of the kayak. Then when you want to snorkel you can slip one loop over each shoulder (kind of like a backpack) and tow the kayak behind you. My husband and I have done this many, many times and it works great.

I always recommend that people practice getting in and out of the kayak a few times in fairly shallow water, especially if it's a type that you haven't had a lot of experience with. I find the ones where you sit on top a bit of a bugger to get back on because all the surfaces are rounded and I can't get a decent grip on the gunwales.

...or half a cement block on a rope in a sandy pool works too if you want to snorkel an area and come back to the kayak.

Make sure the paddle is secured. I used to rent out kayaks, and at least four or five times people had to be rescued as although they had made sure the kayak was secure they'd lost the paddle.