Seabase Keys Adventure

[bluestationwagon]

Hope everyone is having a good end of school time, and getting ready for summer. I will be going on my first high adventure with the scouts, doing the Seabase Keys Adventure. As far as I understand it, we sleep indoors all but one night, and sample a wide variety of Seabase activities. There's always a few questions though, and if you can help me with some or all of them, I would be very grateful.

 

I'm very near-sighted (can hardly see without glasses) and don't wear contacts. To get the most out of snorkeling, is there some kind of prescription mask or goggles one can get?

 

I'm exercising for arm-strength for kayaking, but will we do any backpack hiking as well?

 

As a group, should we get matching "fun" shirts as well as the scout uniform ones?

 

Will we sail on any of the larger ships?

 

Anything else you can tell me would be a big help. FYI, I will be the only mom in this group; any special challenges in that?

[Leprechaun]

I can't help with sea base questions but I dive and do know that you can order a corrective lens for your mask. Go to your local dive shop WITH your perscription for your glasses. You can even get different power lens for left and right side of your mask.

[eagle90]

We have done the Keys Adventure twice in the last 3 years. It'a a great trip, a good overview of the Keys and what is available on other Sea Base trips.

 

You do sleep in air conditioned dorms except for one night on Munson Island. There is very little hiking, basically just a walking tour of Munson Island for a few hours. Other than that most of the transport is done by boat.

 

You need uniforms for breakfast and dinner at the base. The quick dry personalized t-shirts the base sells in advance of your trip were excellent.

 

The boats used are dusky's (about 32 ft. I think). No big ships.

 

Don't know about the perscription goggles tho. Sholdn't be a problem with being a mom, as there were separaste dorms and showers for females. If you have any other questions, feel free to private message me.

 

You sill have a great time. We already have reservations for 2010!

 

Dale

 

[mmhardy]

Go to YouTube and search for Florida Sea Base. You can get a glimpse of whats in store.

 

Have Fun!

[bluestationwagon]

Thanks for the answers, everyone; your enthusiasm is helping me. Eagle90, the boys tell me that they're most interested in the kayaking part of the adventure. Do you spend many days kayaking? Can you request more time? Are they one or two-man kayaks, open or closed? And do you go in the ocean, inland, or both?

 

(I'm hoping for two-man kayaks at least some of the time, so my son can paddle me around.)

 

Thanks again!

[eagle90]

We kayaked twice while on the Keys Adventure. We did a Sunset kayak, leaving from the base and kayaked into the Gulf a few miles and watched a gorgeous sunset, the kayaked back. We also kayaked while on Munson Island thru the Mangrove Maze. A neat experience. We did it one year during the day, and last year at Midnight with flashlights. The kayaks were 2 man open kayaks.

 

[bluestationwagon]

My son and I got our prescription snorkeling masks at a local scuba shop and I'm so thrilled - it's the first time I've been able to see while swimming since about second grade. I'm glad we've got time to practice with them, since there is a bit of a claustrophobic feel to wearing them. My hope is when we get to Florida we'll be able to jump right in and enjoy the sights without much adjustment.

 

The boys were excited to hear about the mangrove maze (thanks Eagle90!) and have a few more questions of their own now.

What is the swim test like? We've heard 75m front crawl, 50m on back, and 25m on side, with 5 min each for dead man float and tread water.

 

One boy asked about the meals (naturally) - are we cooking? What do we typically get to eat?

 

Do we wear life jackets a lot?

 

We arrive in Fort Lauderdale the day before our adventure starts, so we're planning to drive down a bit and stay somewhere betweent the two places, doing some sight-seeing. Hope all your summer adventures are coming along successfully! Thanks again.

[eagle90]

Hi!

 

The swim test is the standard BSA Su8mmer Camp swim test (75 yds. and front stroke, 25 yds. resting backstroke, and float for a minute.) And its actually easier since it is salt water!

 

You only cook for the time you are on Munson Island. Dinner (hopefully fresh caught fish!), breakfast, and lunch. Other breakfasts and dinners are at the base, cafeteria style, The food was actually quite good. Lunches are aboard your boat for the day (snorkeling, fishing, or sailing) and are cold cuts.

 

The only time we wore life jackets were while kayaking. While snorkeling you wear a blow up vest which you can inflate or deflate to your liking.

 

Wish we were going this year instead of 2010!

 

[eagle90]

Hi!

 

The swim test is the standard BSA Su8mmer Camp swim test (75 yds. and front stroke, 25 yds. resting backstroke, and float for a minute.) And its actually easier since it is salt water!

 

You only cook for the time you are on Munson Island. Dinner (hopefully fresh caught fish!), breakfast, and lunch. Other breakfasts and dinners are at the base, cafeteria style, The food was actually quite good. Lunches are aboard your boat for the day (snorkeling, fishing, or sailing) and are cold cuts.

 

The only time we wore life jackets were while kayaking. While snorkeling you wear a blow up vest which you can inflate or deflate to your liking.

 

Wish we were going this year instead of 2010!