SUMMER’S over but when you live where other people vacation there’s always a reason to get in the water. Here’s a good one: easy-to-use, high-tech toys that are tonnes of fun!
Launched in October 2019 on the popularity of a board that majestically hovers in the air, Carib-Blue Water Toys Centre has taken water sports to a whole new level in Jamaica. This August they added a physical location at the Pier One marina in Montego Bay.
“We started out as Lift Foil Jamaica, with one brand that just came about with a board which I liked,” the company’s director, Sefton Stewart, told Jamaica Observer’s LetsTravelCaribbean.com.
In the early days they took their equipment to wherever clients needed them to be.
“We found our niche being the only water activity that was able to pack up and move from location to location. We were actually able to serve the villas so we found our niche there,” Stewart added.
Now, in addition to that level of personalised service, patrons can also walk into the Pier One location to get a feel for the equipment and range of activities offered, before they book. Carib-Blue has a boat docked at the marina, ready to go.
“We have our boat cruise, we have the snorkelling with the seabobs, we have the water cycle. For the more advanced [swimmers] we have water skiing, we do eFoil lessons, and we have tubing,” said Stewart.
Carib-Blue prides itself on having something for everyone — from children to adults of all skill levels. One of the easiest toys to use is the seabob: a buoyant, torpedo-shaped object with a built-in propeller that makes it easy for users to glide through the water.
“You just hold on, squeeze the trigger and go. As soon as you let go of the trigger, it stops. It’s fairly easy to use,” said Stewart. “If you put on goggles, you can snorkel; or if you want to dive you just shift your body weight.”
If you can ride a bicycle you can use the Schiller water bike, which is essentially using your own energy to make your way over the sea surface. There are miles and miles of coast to explore! There’s also tubing, where you just sit back and enjoy riding waves churned up by the boat.
The Lift eFoil is on the other end of the spectrum.
“It’s a battery-powered surfboard that’s on a mast that rises up out of the water once it’s been propelled. It’s pretty exciting,” Stewart explained.
After a 15-minute lesson you have 45 minutes to show off your skills. It costs US$150 an hour for the eFoil. If you pair the seabob with a boat cruise and snorkelling, that takes you nose-to-nose with amazing marine life. That will run you about US$165 per person in a vessel that holds six.
The prices have come down from when Carib-Blue just launched, and Stewart said locals can check out Gustazos for even more deals.
Location: Shop 5, Pier One marina, Montego Bay
IG: caribbluewatertoyscenter
