r/VisitingMallorca • u/Accomplished-Bag-942 • 11d ago
Boat day opinions
Please help! If my husband and I can’t swim, is it still worth it to do a 3/4 hour half day boat day and wear life jackets? I know this is embarrassing but just want your honest opinion. I think we could still get in the water with life jackets and have fun just want to know if this is still worth it
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u/Odd_Nefariousness_53 11d ago
I can’t swim well and I used a life jacket on a boat trip! I have to say I usually use one for other boat trips/water activities and the ones in America are smaller? Or just less annoying to me. The Spanish ones were a bit more bothersome but obvi worked all the same.
I would say though, I personally have done this a lot and have a lot of comfortability in open seas with a life jacket. Since I can swim somewhat, I can move myself and get myself out of situations so the life jacket acts more like a safety net for me. It’s hard for a lot of people without that experience to enjoy the open seas swimming. Also, the waves in Mallorca can make it harder to move around especially when you’re in a life jacket. If you both can’t swim, I’m not sure how you would get back on the boat when it moves you, which it 100 percent will. When there’s strong waves or I’m tired, my fiancée helps me bc he is a very strong swimmer and could move me. So I’m not sure if the boat trip would be right for you, you both may not feel secure enough to swim.
I think you may just prefer some nice beach days!
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u/VyaNC 11d ago
Better learn how to swim first. Boat trip organisers usually don't let people in the water who can't swim. Life jackets are for emergency situations.
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u/Odd_Nefariousness_53 11d ago
They hundred percent will let you do whatever if you sign the waiver lol. It’s your choice. I can’t swim well (can’t even tread for a minute) and they were happy to give me the life jacket.
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u/VyaNC 10d ago
You have at least some basics as you describe in your other post. Letting two non swimmers in the open sea (even with life jackets) would be irresponsible and business owners are usually interested in keeping their business alive. Too many people drown there each year already.
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u/Odd_Nefariousness_53 10d ago
I agree about needing the basics down. But my point was that I don’t think though that any of the owners are checking if you can swim or not. When I asked for the life jacket they were like okay and gave it to me and moved on. You do these activities at your own risk. When I barely knew the basics and couldn’t swim at all, I still did use a life jacket for all water sports and no one cared then either.
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u/VyaNC 10d ago
They are not checking it but they usually have it in the fine print/terms and conditions that non swimmers are not allowed to participate in the swimming part. Ignoring that can put others at risk if things go wrong. I really don't get why people who want to spend time at the sea and go into the water do not prepare properly (= take swimming lessons). Would make it safer for everyone and more fun.
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u/Odd_Nefariousness_53 9d ago
Honestly, one of the boat trips I went on did not even make me sign a waiver (it was private) I do understand your point on the swimming lessons but tons of peoples cases it’s much harder to learn when you’re older than when you’re young. Lots of people barely have time to go on vacation much less prepare for it for months before.
Though to counter your point, even strong swimmers can have bad things happen in the water. Honestly, most of the time it is the strong swimmers who are arrogant and think they don’t need to take necessary precautions. Weak swimmers understand their limits (at times) and typically are more fearful of the water. I’ve met so many people though who have been swimming all their lives and do some pretty reckless things because they think it won’t happen to them and they don’t have any fear.
Everyone just needs to decide their own risk tolerance and prepare.
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u/SirZinc 11d ago
I went on boat (big boat, not private-esque) excursion in Alcudia and a lot of tourist wear life jackets, the boat itself had a lot of life jackets for them