Last Updated on May 12, 2023 by Nikole

Kayaking at Lake Jocassee felt like a tropical vacation in South Carolina. Only this vacation didn’t come with hefty airfare prices and hotel costs. In fact, most places to stay in that area were fairly cheap.

There was so much to do at this beautiful 7,500-acre, man-made lake. Lake Jocassee reaches up to 300 feet deep making it perfect for scuba diving.

Our favorite things to do were kayaking, snorkeling, and swimming at Lake Jocassee.

There are several places you can swim and put in your kayak, let’s check them out below!

Don’t worry about bringing your own water vessel, Lake Jocassee has plenty of places you can rent a kayak or paddle board.

Kayak Access Points at Lake Jocassee

As I said in, “How to Access Lake Jocassee” the only place you can get to the lake is through Devils Fork State Park.

There are several kayak and boating access points to Lake Jocassee through this state park. To make those points easier for you to find check out this map I created for your use.

You won’t be able to find these kayaking points by searching for them on google maps.

Most of these access points you can put in any water vessel, not just kayaks. You can also swim at these points, just be careful of those taking their boats in and out of the water.

Swimming at Lake Jocassee

Swimming areas at Lake Jocassee are easy to find. You only need to drive around Devils Fork State Park and look for a parking spot at any kayak or beach access point.

You don’t even need a kayak to find some great snorkeling spots at Lake Jocassee.

We went swimming off of the boat ramps, and the water was still phenomenal. Sneak into a bay on either side of the boat ramp that way you aren’t in the way of boats or kayaks.

Here are some family-friendly spots to swim where the water is more shallow and easy to navigate.

If you do happen to own a kayak or rent a pontoon you can swim around the waterfalls at Lake Jocassee.

Snorkeling on Lake Jocassee

Yes!! There are many great snorkeling opportunities at Lake Jocassee, even in the family-friendly swimming areas.

However, you may want to swim away from the splashing children so the water isn’t stirred up and foggy.

There really are no “suggested” areas to snorkel, because EVERYWHERE is a great place to snorkel at Lake Jocassee.

In order to find some “caves” just paddle around some of the inlets, they are dotted everywhere along the lake.

If you are in a kayak or paddleboard, stay closer to the edges of the lake. this is where you will find the best rock formations and fish!

Scuba Diving at Lake Jocassee

If you need to purchase some scuba gear, take scuba classes, or go scuba diving check out Lake Jocassee Dive Shop. They have just about everything you need for scuba diving including lessons.

I’ve heard rumors of an old house you can find at the deepest points of Lake Jocassee, that you can scuba dive near.

Kayak and Other Rentals

If you forgot your snorkel gear or your kayaks, check out these places for the gear you need.

Lake Jocassee Dive Shop has mostly scuba gear, but you can find snorkel masks here. They were professional masks so be prepared to spend about $60 or more on just a mask.

Jocassee Outdoor Center has one adult snorkel set and one children’s set. The masks were cheap, however, and ours broke within the first use.

Along with Snorkel gear, the outdoor center also rents out and shuttles kayaks at Lake Jocassee.

Eclectic Sun claimed that they had a snorkel set with a snorkel and a mask for about $20. The best part about this place is they are right on the lake.

Jocassee Lake Tours is more so a tour company than a rental company. There are several types of tours you can take including boat or kayak tours. The tours are great for seeing the waterfalls on the lake.

Lake Jacossee Boat Rentals offer pontoons from $275-$375. This rental company will rent out boats in 4 or 8 hour incraments.