new to aruba and snorkeling

[abbieb]

My husband and I will be taking our very first trip to Aruba in February. (Yay!) We plan to spend the majority of our week lounging on the beach rather than doing a lot of random activities. However, I really want to attempt some snorkeling. Hubby is thrilled at the idea of being in the water, but not UNDER it, so a snorkeling cruise for the two of us seems like a waste of money when he won’t want to participate.


We are thinking of staying at the Seabreeze Apartments, which is near Mangel Halto beach. So here are my main questions for you knowledgeable folk out there:


1) As a first-timer (and just average swimmer), is this an area I can snorkel on my own?
2) If it’s not, would I be able to hire a guide or something at the beach to take me, or do I need to go to a more touristy area to get lessons?
3) If I can manage to snorkel either on my own or with some help at Mangel Halto, will DH have some nice sandy space there to just kick back in a chair and hang for awhile?


I am totally clueless so any advice at all would be helpful!

[Cosmo]

I would not snorkle that area on my own, especially if unfamiliar with the area. I would go with Kent or Stuart (Aruba Bob) they know that area like their own back yard.If you are inclined to snorkle on your own, start out at baby beach. enjoy your vacation.

[jpsphr]

I agree with Cosmo. Go with Aruba Bob.

http://arubabobsnorkeling.com/

If you do decide to venture out on your own, my vote is for Boca Catalina beach. There are lots of coral formations very close to shore and it's easy to park. Just go north from the high rise hotels and stay to your left. If you hit Arashi Beach you've gone too far.

[Andrea J.]

i would recommend practicing in the pool @ seabreeze.

i would also recommend a very easy entry place like baby beach (not on weekends) for nice shallow water snorkeling.

maybe kent (arubabob) or stuart will be able to give you some lessons at an additional charge.

there is a swim school/scuba shop/ snorkel tour place on a road perpendicular to eagle beach Aqua Windies the owner, and i cannot remember her name has a great staff and can give you lessons in their pool.

again, mangel halto is not for a novice/beginner........ go with kent or stuart if you want to snorkel there.

[Andrea J.]

ps
i do not think the beach is quite as nice or as sandy as some of the other places in aruba. i have friends that stayed at seabreeze and although their accommodations were adequate they were very disappointed in the beach .i will ask her to give her review.
(sherry f)

Originally Posted by abbieb

My husband and I will be taking our very first trip to Aruba in February. (Yay!) We plan to spend the majority of our week lounging on the beach rather than doing a lot of random activities. However, I really want to attempt some snorkeling. Hubby is thrilled at the idea of being in the water, but not UNDER it, so a snorkeling cruise for the two of us seems like a waste of money when he won’t want to participate.


We are thinking of staying at the Seabreeze Apartments, which is near Mangel Halto beach. So here are my main questions for you knowledgeable folk out there:


1) As a first-timer (and just average swimmer), is this an area I can snorkel on my own?
2) If it’s not, would I be able to hire a guide or something at the beach to take me, or do I need to go to a more touristy area to get lessons?
3) If I can manage to snorkel either on my own or with some help at Mangel Halto, will DH have some nice sandy space there to just kick back in a chair and hang for awhile?


I am totally clueless so any advice at all would be helpful!

[sherryf]

abbie, we stayed at seabreeze several years ago. honestly, we didn't like it. i know some people like it a lot but we didn't. we also found that there was no place nearby for beginner snorkelers and the only beach we found to walk on lead to extremely shallow waters.

the things we didn't like about the place were, the '100 yards to the beach' and the view in the advertising were somewhat exagerated. the beach was a ladder entry to water with no sand at that time and being old enough to fear ladders, lol, we opted to find another place that we had to drive to. the view was of a building in the next block before the beach. the pool was extremely small, extremely shallow, and somewhere i think we have my husband walking up the steps to it because it is mostly above ground and another picture of him standing in it and most of his body was visible. hopefully, they have improved these things.

our car was broken into and since then the people we rent to have said that they no longer rent to people staying there because we were not the only ones. it isn't the fault of the owners. they are really lovely people. but the wall they have put up as a protection for their residents blocks the view of cars and leaves them open to vandalism.

also, the rooms were minimalist. by that i mean that the bathroom had a shower curtain for a door and no room to walk thru. there was no hot water for the shower. not horrible since the water on the island is relatively warm but it is cooler than body temp and in the morning it is a bit startling. it was great after a day out in the heat but the days we had places to go and started the day with a shower, certainly woke us.

remember that we were there at least 3 or 4 years ago and improvements may have been made. as i said, the owners were lovely people. the clientele is mostly european and honestly, they are so much less snobby and demand so much less than we americans do. europeans look for a place to sleep when they are not out having fun. we look for a place of creature comfort that we can relax in even on a long rainy day (which we honestly have never had in august on aruba).

[Andrea J.]

thanks sherry for posting.
this is probably the information that abbieb needed.

[iamromo]

You could rent a car and drive to Baby Beach...for the most part shallow and calm waters. (The drive will be an adventure in itself.)

We have gone to DePalm(?) Island. It has become fairly commercialised over the years and a bit pricey, but the snorkeling is EXCELLENT. We are of the age that the water park is not something we take part in. We have told them for years that there should be a seperate fee just to snorkle. The price also inludes food and beverages.

On the way to the Lighthouse there is a beach that everyone says has great snorkeling, but I am not sure what else is offered there.

I am not a swimmer, but enjoy snorkeling in the areas above because I can stand up if necessary...

If you are there for Carnival, don't miss the parade!

[abbieb]

Thanks for all the info, guys! Honestly I just have no idea where to start looking to figure out everything I want to know about Aruba, so you all are a treasure trove!!! I will definitely take your suggestions as to looking into kent, stuart, and the school, and avoiding drowning at Mangel Halto

thanks especially for the review of seabreeze, sherryf. we are on a pretty limited budget so I was hoping to find a decent apartment-type place that was within walking distance of a beach. i don't expect it to be perfect for the price range we are looking at, but some sand would at least be nice!

does anyone have any accommodation suggestions that would fit our needs better? (or should I move this to a different thread?

[Andrea J.]

abbie take a look in the timeshare section

many folks rent out their timeshares for approx $125 - $175 per night (but rent by the week)

there are folks here at the renaissance that are checking out tomorrow, (same as us) that rented their unit for the week for $700.

Originally Posted by abbieb

Thanks for all the info, guys! Honestly I just have no idea where to start looking to figure out everything I want to know about Aruba, so you all are a treasure trove!!! I will definitely take your suggestions as to looking into kent, stuart, and the school, and avoiding drowning at Mangel Halto

thanks especially for the review of seabreeze, sherryf. we are on a pretty limited budget so I was hoping to find a decent apartment-type place that was within walking distance of a beach. i don't expect it to be perfect for the price range we are looking at, but some sand would at least be nice!

does anyone have any accommodation suggestions that would fit our needs better? (or should I move this to a different thread?