Sea Trek Helmet Dive - weigh in

[weskrisb]

Hello - the Sea Trek Helmet Dive is one of the options our family would like to consider in St Maarten.

 

Two questions if you have done it -

1. Would you recommend the excursion?

2. How strict is the weight limit? We have a 9 year old that is about 65 pounds...will he be allowed to go?

 

Thanks in advance!

[maynard123]

DW and I did this in 2011 and really enjoyed it. I was reminded of the diving scene in the old Disney "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea". The guides do a good job explaining, and make sure you are comfortable. One of the other guests was an older lady that did not swim at all. The guides helped her and were very attentive to make sure she didn't panic. When she surfaced, you should have seen the smile on her face! Sorry I can't speak to the weight question on your son, but the helmets are heavy until you get into the water. They do make sure you are balanced, and the helmets go on when you are on the ladder.

[RoobyDoo]

I can't comment specifically on the St. Maarten activity, but my wife and I did the Sea Trek Helmet Dive at Coral World in St. Thomas about a year ago. I'm pretty sure it's the same company that operates both sites. We enjoyed it very much; I think that's mostly because neither of us can swim, so it afforded us a somewhat special experience.

 

The Helmet Dive IS a unique type of activity, and everyone in our group seemed to enjoy it. But my guess is that if you are an experienced snorkeler or scuba diver, you might not find the Helmet Dive so exciting. However, we were able to see a lot of fish, and the guides passed along a few different sea animals for everyone to hold. But you don't have the flexibility to wander off on your own. The group (of 10) forms a line following the lead guide, and you walk slowly along a looped path, stopping numerous times along the way. Cool thing is that you can wear your eyeglasses during the trek. Although one bad thing about the helmet is that the type of glass provides poor peripheral vision.

 

Our group was in the water for about 30 minutes. You have to allow additional time for the required safety presentation, and then each person in the group slowly goes down into the water individually.

 

Sorry, I don't know if the St. Maarten site enforces a weight limit. At Coral World, they stated a limit of at least 80 lbs. The St. Maarten website states that they have "lift buoys for smaller adults and children", but I don't know what that means.

 

Whatever you decide, have a great time in St. Maarten!

[weskrisb]

Thank you so much for the great info - much appreciated!

[shellster1]

Hello - the Sea Trek Helmet Dive is one of the options our family would like to consider in St Maarten.

 

Two questions if you have done it -

1. Would you recommend the excursion?

2. How strict is the weight limit? We have a 9 year old that is about 65 pounds...will he be allowed to go?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

I'm going to revive this thread! I have a 9-year-old boy, also about 60 pounds. In St. Thomas, Sea Trek requires participants be 8 years old AND at least 80 pounds!! (That's a big 8-year-old.)

However, in St. Martin rules state one must be at least 8 years old, but there's no mention of a weight requirement. Can anyone offer any experience with a weight requirement? My son REALLY wants to do this!!

Thanks in advance.