In my last post I didn’t really explain much about Discovery Cove – it’s a man made oasis of a park with various different beaches and saltwater lakes – one with dolphins, another with Rays, and others for just relaxing. It is beautifully done. They also have a massive aviary you can swim through to see many hundred exotic birds including peacocks and brightly coloured parrots. The aviary could be seen as part of a meandering river that you float through on squashy inflatables, through waterfalls and past lush tropical undergrowth.
It really was stunning and relaxing but after the dolphin interaction, the most impressive element to me was the wetsuits. Now I’ve always been a bit of a water baby and have considerable experience with these things, not least of all as I’m a MAJOR blouse when it comes to cold water. I have worn my fingers out pulling them on and even spent a whole day in Swanage in my suit as it took so long to get on the first time. I’ve tried on many, many suits in my time so I thought that qualified me as pretty knowledgeable. Thanks to this not inconsiderable neoprene-based experience I also believed that, if you are any larger than *ahem* sturdily athletic, you have to get a custom suit made. Or so I thought until Orlando.
Our weekend in Orlando coincided with an unusual cold snap for Florida. That wasn’t too much of a problem once you are in many of the pools as they are heated to bath temperature, but the Dolphin pool was approx 20 degrees and of course the air temperature was pretty nippy to say the least. So on arrival my heart sank to see the wetsuits. After I’d trudged off pessimistically to the changing rooms I was surprised that the one I had slipped right on. OK it was a tiny but big but nothing too bad. Good start.
But the really amazing thing was that they had wesuits that were sized from “stick insect” through “sturdily athletic” right up to “OMG he’s beached, let’s push him back in”. Actually there were a few of the latter being used while we were there. Now I’m not REALLY surprised because this sort of resort has to cater for the clientele they are likely to get. What I can’t understand is HOW ON EARTH do you design an all in one for these sorts of extreme body shape? I have absolutely no idea but kudos to whoever does.