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The current weather in Culebra

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Taz and Aquatic Adventures
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Zak (---.columbus.res.rr.com)
Date:   04-20-12 07:07

Before you decide to book Aquatic Adventures, whether it be for a dive or snorkeling or whatever, you should read this - they are the kind of people that will promise you one thing and give you another.

My wife and I recently spent 5 nights in Culebra. The number one thing on our Culebra to-do list was to go to Culebrita. After calling a few water taxi numbers and not getting an answer, we were referred to Taz. I called and talked to Anne, told her that we were looking for a water taxi to Culebrita the next day - she mentioned that there was a high tide warning for the day, but that it should be fine. I specifically asked Anne how long they would be dropping us off, she said they'd drop us off around 11:15, and pick us up around 3-3:30 We booked the trip for $45 each.

So that morning my wife and I prepare for a day on a deserted island - we have shoes on (for hiking), we bring beach chairs, we have a cooler and a large bag full of sunscreen, beach towels, sandals, and snorkeling equipment. I have a cell phone and $90 in cash in my pocket. We meet Taz at the predetermined location, to find that 5 other people were going to join us on the boat - we soon find out that those people are going scuba diving.

As we were standing there waiting, with our beach chairs and cooler and shoulder bags, in our tennis shoes - Taz says that because of the tide we may not make it to Culebrita, but they'd try, and if he couldn't get us there, he'd take us to Luis Pena or take us back to Culebra. Seemed fair. Luis Pena isn't exactly Culebrita, but it would suffice. And sure enough, 15 soaking wet minutes of boating later, we are informed that they can't get to Culebrita, and that we'd be going to Luis Pena. Taz tells us they won't charge us extra and they will feed us lunch (isn't that nice of them? We had brought a cooler full of food!)

We arrive at Luis Pena, and Taz stops and ties off at a dive buoy and starts instructing his divers. At this point it becomes clear that we aren't going to be dropped off at the island... instead we are offered snorkeling equipment (we had brought our own). We are very disappointed, but decided to make the best of it. We hopped in the water and snorkeled... we are beginner snorkelers, and the tide was very strong, so after 20 minutes or so we made our way to the beach and relaxed. While on the beach, another boat arrives, one with a flat bottom, and drops off a couple on the island... it's then that we then realize that Taz's diving boat wasn't even capable of delivering people onto a beach!!!

Afterwards we snorkel our way back to the boat, fighting the tide. We get on the boat, eat the lunch we packed, and wait for the divers to get back. At this point we think that the trip is almost over, and after lunch we'd be returning to Culebra. Again we find out otherwise - we're told that we would be heading to Carlos Rosario (a beach on Culebra, mind you, one that we could have walked to!). Again, we grit our teeth and bear it.... we don't want to make a scene, and want to make the best of the situation. Arriving at Carlos Rosario the waves are very rough, the tide strong, and the reef they tell us to snorkel to is probably 200 feet from the boat. I'm not the strongest swimmer, and my wife can't do much more than float, so we have no choice but to stay in the boat. For an hour we sit there, in the hot sun, waiting for the divers to return, waiting to get back to our vacation.

Finally, after the divers return and rave about the great time they're having (a little extra salt in the wound), we head back to the dock. Again the water soaks us and our belongings... but it's okay, we're soon to be freed. We arrive at the dock, and since we don't want to make a scene, my wife hands Anne the $90, expecting to be offered at least a discount... Anne takes the money without apology, takes it all, and doesn't even offer help us get our cooler, beach chairs, or bags off of the boat.

At the end of the day, we know this much - even though we had asked for a water taxi, Taz's boat wasn't capable of such a service. They were made aware on the phone that we wanted to be dropped off on an island (both by my request for a "water taxi" and by my asking "how long will we be dropped off?"), and they did their best to make us think that we were getting that service. They never had any intention of putting us on a beach.

That day, Taz and Anne saw $90 sitting on the dock waiting to board their boat, $90 standing there in tennis shoes with beach chairs and bags and a cooler... they knew that $90 was going to walk away if they told us what we were in for that day. And they decided that $90 was worth being deceiving and ruining a couple's last day of vacation.

We were swindled. We were misled. That is what you can expect from Taz and Aquatic Adventures.

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Re: Taz and Aquatic Adventures
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Jill P. (---.bstnma.east.verizon.net)
Date:   04-23-12 12:27

wow... i am truly surprised at yout trip with aquatic adventures... we have had nothing but positive experiences with them.. and let me say that no, i am not related to them ,nor did they ask me to reply.. we have been coming to culebra for over 30 years.. ann and taz, are nothing but accomidating to say the least...BUT they are NOT responsible for the weather or tides or waves.. on a boat, its wet, you get wet and thats how it is .. We have gone out to culebrita with them before, waded in carried our stuff over our heads and had a blast..we also have had taz certify one of our kids to dive.. again, very professional.. its culebra, not south beach.. pack light.. low maintennance is how it goes on the island.. If you werent a strong swimmer or snorkler, maybe you both should have forgone the boat trip to the beaches out there and stuck to those on culebra. On the islands you need to just go with the flow and relax...there arent too many high maintennace people here and thats how we like it...

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Re: Taz and Aquatic Adventures
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Frank (67.201.82.---)
Date:   04-25-12 11:56

This post about Taz, Ann and Aquatic Adventures ought to be required reading for every single person that has never been to Culebra and is thinking of visiting. But not for the reason some newcomers to the forum and island might think. Those that have been around awhile (most of them longer than myself) probably already know where I am going with this.

First and foremost ... for all of you that are reading the post and do not know Taz and Ann ... they are quite possibly the nicest people in the world ... not to mention very professional and capable.

Myself and my family have used Taz' "water taxi" service on several occasions and have had no problems whatsoever. Been to Luis Pena. Been to Culebrita. I don't snorkel or scuba so I would certainly remember if he couldn't get me on the damn beach. He did and I have nothing but complete confidence that he will do so in the future too.

But if the surf is rough and it's dangerous to get his boat too close to land, it's the captain of the boat's decision to do what is safe for the people on board. I wasn't there that day, but I have nothing but complete confidence that Taz did what was right.

Here's why the post in question is required reading:

Folks ... listen up. Culebra ain't luxury. Hell, it ain't even normal. In many ways it's like living in a 3rd-world country. But it's a peace of heaven where things unfold at their own pace. Some days things work out. Some days things don't work out. If you can't handle that ... go to St. Thomas and have a cabana boy bring you drinks on the beach while you sit under your umbrella.

The thing that pisses me off is that folks can come on a board like this and basically slander somebody who runs a pretty darn good business. To imply that all Taz and Ann cared about was the $90 and that they never intended to bring you to an island ... well that's just downright false. They don't have a malicious bone in their body. Are they perfect? Never a met a person or business that was. But to imply that they were ought to "swindle" you ... that tells me a lot more about you than it does about them.

I could go on and on but I will stop and end this now with a simple opinion: I think Culebra does a pretty good job weeding out those that expect too much from it.

Taz and Ann will continue to live and work on Culebra and maintain their fantastic reputation, despite posts like the above.

I'll bet you a llama that the response from the poster Zak will now be: "Let me tell you something buddy, I am not high-maintenance. I love the low key pace of life. I loved Culebra. It's my kind of place."

Really? Your post would indicate otherwise. And that's okay. Culebra isn't for most people. Not the reality fo it anyways.

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Re: Taz and Aquatic Adventures
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Zak (108.72.111.---)
Date:   04-25-12 12:50

Frank, I understand where you are coming from... you are protecting one of your own. This is what happens on this forum when a traveler has an issue on Culebra - the traveler is assumed to be the problem, not the Culebritans.

Sometimes when a traveler voices a negative experience, the traveler is in fact expecting more than the island can provide. Culebra can be difficult - any traveler who doesn't know that in advance is not prepared for Culebra. On the other hand, sometimes the traveler was actually prepared - that is our case.

My wife and I have been all over the world, and to every corner of Puerto Rico. When we travel, we spend a great deal of time researching and preparing for our trips. So to assume that our experience with Taz was due to us not knowing what to expect of Culebra, would be incorrect. We knew what to expect of Culebra - our experience with Taz was entirely unrelated to our expectations of Culebra.

I know that you don't know me, and that maybe you do know Taz and Anne, but on that particular day, on that particular boat ride, my wife and I were taken advantage of, and were not treated in a professional manner. If this doesn't mesh with your experience with them, I support you voicing this - I would do the same. But to attack me for voicing my experience, that is not fair.

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Re: Taz and Aquatic Adventures
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Herb (67.65.139.---)
Date:   04-25-12 14:52

Aw Frank, now you done it....messing with the llamas, that ain't nice.

Peace out
Herb

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Re: Taz and Aquatic Adventures
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Frank (67.201.82.---)
Date:   04-25-12 17:36

Zak, I do not have a problem with people expressing negative opinions about Culebra or the people that live and work there. As I stated, nobody is perfect and everybody has a bad day. And in some cases, the criticism is warranted.

What I find objectionable are comments like this:

"They never had any intention of putting us on a beach. That day, Taz and Anne saw $90 sitting on the dock waiting to board their boat, $90 standing there in tennis shoes with beach chairs and bags and a cooler... they knew that $90 was going to walk away if they told us what we were in for that day. And they decided that $90 was worth being deceiving and ruining a couple's last day of vacation. We were swindled. We were misled. That is what you can expect from Taz and Aquatic Adventures."

That sort of language and implication goes way too far. There is a difference between somebody treated you poorly and suggesting they are dishonest. Maybe that is what set me off. It would be a shame for somebody who has never been to Culebra to read your post and think Taz is some sort of crook. He isn't. He runs a boat that offers scuba, snorkeling and delivery to Culebrita. On that day the weather conditions sucked and he made the decision it wasn't safe to go. You may not have agreed with the decision or the way it was handled thereafter, but to state so bluntly that he "swindled" you ... I am sorry but that goes too far.

You may have done your research before visiting Culebra. But many others do not. It is always worth pointing out the good, bad and ugly of Culebra. That way people know what they are getting into. Things don't always go as planned on Culebra. That certainly happened in your case. How one chooses to deal with it is up to them.

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Re: Taz and Aquatic Adventures
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Vicki moore (---.dhcp.jcsn.tn.charter.com)
Date:   04-25-12 23:31

We are long time divers and have visited Culebra several times, the last in June 2011 for two weeks. We have gotten to know first Taz and then Ann, after their marriage. I have never met more honest folks in my life. They are also very safety conscious. We love going out on Razmataz diving with Aquatic Adventures and in all our trips and dives have not had one complaint. In fact, I have never read a single complaint about Taz and Aquatic Adventures. Wish we were going back this year diving with these amazing folks, who are very well respected and loved on Culebra. I will continue to recommend them for trips to Culebrita, snorkeling and diving. I give them FIVE STARS for their service. Zak, I am not putting you down for your post. You stated your opinion and I am just stating mine.

Vicki in Tennessee

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Re: Taz and Aquatic Adventures
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Ann Hoffman (173.243.87.---)
Date:   04-26-12 18:27

We are sorry you did not enjoy your day with us!! Since we were unable to get you to Culebrita due to high surf, we offered to take you on a snorkel tour to which you agreed. If you wanted to go back to the dock, all you had to do was SAY SOMETHING!! We took you to a calm area at Louis Pena and offered you the choice of life jackets or noodles to help you swim. You declined their use. If you were interested in being dropped off at the beach, all you had to do was SAY SOMETHING!! We went to a second spot and you decided not to snorkel, to sit on the boat. If you weren't happy, all you had to do was SAY SOMETHING!! We would have gladly dropped you off at the beach or taken you back to the dock so you would have had a GREAT last day on Culebra! We want to have happy customers!! We can't fix something if we don't know you are unhappy. We would have bent over backwards if we had only known you were so unhappy!! You just had to say something!!!!!!!!

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Re: Taz and Aquatic Adventures
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: NicoleW (---.central.biz.rr.com)
Date:   04-27-12 14:10

Ann, to say that my husband and I agreed to a snorkeling tour would be to say that my husband and I were ASKED if we would like a snorkeling tour. We were never asked and we were never given any options. Instead, I was TOLD by Taz that we were going snorkeling and for you to say differently is completely dishonest. Taz also said that he would not charge any extra for this and that he would feed us lunch. I told him that we had brought our own lunch, to which he replied, “Save it for tomorrow.” I then stated that we were leaving the next day and he said, “Even better.” I was trying, in the most polite way possible, to let him know that we were not on the same page.

In regards to us not SAYING SOMETHING, you knew that we were hiring you as a water taxi to spend the day on an island. When you realized that Culebrita was not an option for this, why didn’t you ask us if we would rather be dropped off at Luis Pena with our cooler, beach chairs, towels, and books? We would have happily agreed to this as we understood that you had no control of the situation with the high surf at Culebrita. Instead, Taz roped the boat off at a location that was conducive for the five scuba divers that were also on our boat. Since there was no offer of getting us closer to the shore of Luis Pena, we assumed that was not even a possible option and tried to make the best of snorkeling at that location.

By your own account – “We went to a second spot and you decided not to snorkel, to sit on the boat.” – I feel like it was very plain that we were not happy with the situation that we found ourselves in and yet you did not make any attempts to address this possibility. Life Jackets and noodles were not even mentioned until an hour later when the divers returned to the boat at the last stop and we were preparing to return to the dock in Culebra. Further, I find it laughable that anyone would think a noodle would provide any security for a person who was uncomfortable in the strong current at Carlos Rosarios that day. As I am not a strong swimmer, a life jacket would not have enabled me to fight the current any more than the dive vest that I was already wearing. My husband and I made a decision not to snorkel, at this location, based on our safety as the conditions were not conducive for our snorkeling abilities.

I do not believe in my heart of hearts that there is any way that you did not know that we were unhappy. You instead chose to ignore the non-verbal signs of our unhappiness and have put the blame on us for not confronting you. We should not have been required to ask you to bend over backwards for us. You are in the business of customer service and the service that we received that day was well below par. It was clear that when Culebrita was no longer an option, your top priority became the five scuba divers. You simply needed a way to appear that you were accommodating us when really you weren’t.

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Re: Taz and Aquatic Adventures
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Frank (---.static.gwi.net)
Date:   04-27-12 14:55

Dear Aquatic Adventures:

I will make myself available to do the mind-reading on the boat for $90 per trip. Plus lunch. But no noodles, I am watching my carbs.

This message brought to you in an effort to lighten the mood.
Remember Rule Number 6 y'all. :-)

Frank

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Re: Taz and Aquatic Adventures
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Geronimo (---.customer.broadstripe.net)
Date:   04-28-12 16:14

First of all when you see the sea white capping and the wind is howling unless you enjoy a rough and wet ride why would you even get on a boat. And plan on taking the boat into the oncoming seas and surf?? Not a good idea to have gone out that day period. You have to plan your boat trips around the wind and sea conditions. Not your schedule or else you wind up with a rough wet boat ride.

The last time we went to Culebrita we waited for the winds to lay down and off we went. Our water taxi got half way there and the boat broke down. Some of the other passengers started panicing and crying. Not to fear, we had a full cooler of beer. I thought we were going to blow onto Pela island with the wind blowing 6 to 8 out of the NE but we didn't move. The current was going stongly the other direction and kept us in the middle. Eventually Willy came out and picked us up and brought us to Culebrita but we had to sit there stranded for several hours but that's how it goes. I should have brought a fishing pole and we would have been all set.

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