Anyone brought their child to the Bermuda swim?

Hi! I have done the St. Croix swim 2x, and the Bermuda swim this past 2007. Loved them both as well! I have 3 children, and the Grotto Bay has a very fine beach for a 7 year old. If you feel comfortable driving a moped scooter around (which is great fun !!), your son will love riding along holding on to you. That way you can go to some other beaches on Bermuda island as an option.

I did Bermuda in 2007--nice little hotel. Would be good for a 7 year old kid. Getting around is a bit challenging on the island but very friendly people and nice place to visit. You would probably have to make your own arrangements to have your kid watched while you swam. The 10k starts and finishes at the same place but while my wife was happy waiting there for me(or was willing to put up with it for a few days in Bermuda, I wouldn't want to leave my kid there. St. Croix seems more kid friendly to me. I hope you enjoy wherever you end up swimming then.

Hey! you should bring your kid to Bermuda, there is plenty for him/her to do. If they swim there are plenty of distances to compete in, including the 800 meter. Think the youngest swimmer I have seen is 5. As far as leaving your child at the Aquarium or at the Palmetto while you swim, that should be fine, the organizers probably would put him/her to work at the finish area doing something or other while you are toiling out on the course, everyone that is affiliated with the swim is a parent & are first & foremost there to encourage the local children to swim the course & have a good time, so that said your child will be very safe thereabouts; the swim is actually a local aquathon that is run every year to raise $ for anything from an ambulance, to funding for a reading clinic, Habitiat for Humanity, etc. Have been going to the swim since 2000, this coming year will be 8 times, I think. Took one of my kids 2 years ago, he swam & he had a blast! Think he came away with some hardware. The main thing I can offer you as advise is to book your flight in June to save $. Second, the Grotto is fine for children, you will never know you are close to the airport as there isn't that much traffic in & out. If you really want to go on the cheap, check out Brightside cottages, or a couple of guest houses in Hamilton for very reasonable rates, but you will not be with the main group & not waterside, etc. Travel is pretty easy in Bermuda, if you don't want to do the scooter thing with your child, there are always taxis, which are always about, especially at The Grotto or any other hotel. Bermuda can be VERY expensive, that is true, but the way that the organizer, Randy Nutt, has things setup with the locals it is pretty reasonable for what you get! The 10K swim is probably one of the most challenging venues currently available, worldwide, as it is a true navigational type course that will challenge even highly experienced open water competitors during the circumnavigation of Harrington Sound. This is not a point to point similar to St. Croix, it is a swim all the way around an almost completely enclosed flooded caldera. What else do you need to know?

Thanks for all of the Bermuda swim advice. Ultimately, we've decided that we're going back to St. Croix this year. Bermuda looked really fun, but we feel like our guy is a little young for riding on the back of a scooter. I'd love to do the trip if it was just my husband and I--although I'm not confident about my own scooter abilities! In terms of the "resort" question--I guess I would really only go to St. Croix for an organized swim event. Don't get me wrong--we've loved our experiences there, but I think St. John's might have more of that Caribbean feeling you are seeking. We have friends who rent a place at St. John's every year and absolutely LOVE it. St. Croix is fine, but has a very different feel from many of the islands we've visited. We're HUGE fans of Anguilla. Amazing beaches, incredible restaurants, and wonderful people. It's not cheap, but it's so worth it. Sounds like whatever you do, however, it will be great fun! Sydne

Hopper, Wow. Your swim vacation looks fabulous. I have about half the folks from our groups who want to swim poolside and half who'd prefer this kind of open water trip. Any chance you'd be able to combine something? Maybe some stops to train in a pool too? One place we looked at on St. Croix was the Buccaneer. Other than that we were looking at condos, etc. Our group (about 12 people) really wants to find a place to travel that will have food and fun at our fingertips without having to do much work. Love to talk more. We HAVE to leave Wisconsin this year for a getaway. Freestyle Freestyle, I'd recommend staying at one of Maho bay camps on St. John. Your swimming options from there are great, and when you get bored with the immediate surroundings, you can take a day sail to the BVI. I've done this probably six times in the past 10 years. Another option: if you have a group of 8 or more swimmers, we put together custom trips aboard a 65' yacht at SwimVacation. Whatever you decide to do, it's tough to go really wrong with swimming trips to the Virgin Islands.

Freestyle, I'd recommend staying at one of Maho bay camps on St. John. Your swimming options from there are great, and when you get bored with the immediate surroundings, you can take a day sail to the BVI. I've done this probably six times in the past 10 years. Another option: if you have a group of 8 or more swimmers, we put together custom trips aboard a 65' yacht at SwimVacation. Whatever you decide to do, it's tough to go really wrong with swimming trips to the Virgin Islands.

We stay at the Buccaneer every time we go to St. Croix. It's nice, if you make sure you get out of there to eat every once in a while. (I recommend Savant--and make sure you eat outside.) We stay in one of the family rooms, which are great because there's quite a bit more space. We've also stayed in the main building. Overall, we've had good experiences there, especially since when we got, it's for the 5-miler, and there are many swimmers staying there. Definitely good for a group. Sydne

Hey all you St. Croix/Bermuda fans. I am getting insight from your discussion and want to ask a question which is a little redirected... Maybe you can help... Our masters team is thinking about taking a travel trip to St. Croix for training in Jan/Feb. Any recommendations for places to stay? Some of our folks really want a resort type place, but I have heard that St. Croix is not a resort island as others might be. What is your take on the resort atmosphere? Thanks