myTobago – your questions, review and comment about Tobago

This will make your heart melt ...

A UK family (who have just left) were the proud owners of a large rubber dinghy.

On their last day they allowed a couple of young Castara boys to borrow it.

The boys went off paddling away and playing in the waves.

After a couple of hours there were 10 children on the dinghy ... this combined with a rather large wave and the dinghy went over and 'poooof', exploded leaving 10 little bodies scattered around.

Shortly afterwards, one of the two boys arrived near the accomodation where the dinghy used to be kept,with a rather doe-eyed expression on his face.

He left a 5tt note and some small change (probably his life savings) and ran off.

What a little star !!

Regards

PS ... he got his money back !!

Makes being at home nearly bearable when I can imagine that very dinghy from last week - glad all the kids were OK, those waves can be deceptive - found one day last week that I just couldn't make it out of the sea and ended up churning around under the incoming waves - made for interesting shower later - brought more pebbles and sand home on the inside of the cossie that on the towels!!!

Glad your're having fun Paul and obviously it's tough keeping an eye on everying going on on the beach - have they had any good catches this week?

Hi Paul

What a lovely story - and just so Tobago. I just hope the poor lad's parents did hear about it - he probably wouldn't be able to sit down for a month.

I know what you mean, Emma, about those waves. It was relatively calm while we were there in January, but we returned for a barbeque with Steve & Sue (Castara Retreats), Porridge, Jeanelle and Duck a couple of weeks ago and everyone went swimming during the afternoon. The waves were pretty awesome then. In fact, with each telling Jill describes them as higher. They are now of Tsunami level (not that I mean to joke about such matters).

Funnily enough, that same afternoon, Steve's young daughter, Lorna - a slip of a girl - had a swimming race with the local lifeguard - and trashed him. He was not a happy bunny and demanded a re-race for the next day (he's not the only one - it takes me a full day to do it again) - but she had to decline on the grounds that she was flying home. So, if you see him, Paul, ask him about his race with Lorna three Sunday's ago.

Hi Emma

No significant catches this week ... there is a chap repairing nets.

Steve ... the waves are back to 'BIG' ... 2 - 3 metre pounders ... I can feel the ground shake during the night ... the kids love it but it does not help my snorkelling aspirations !!

I will have a word with the lifeguard, of course ... he does not look like the sort of chap that could possibly be beaten !!

Cheers everyone from blisteringly hot and sunny Castara ... barbecue tonite !!

Hi Paul,

Glad to hear you are all having a great time...... but just looked at the present weather conditions in Tobago and it says 'foggy.'

Is it already 1st April or has the 1950's streets of London scene descended upon downtown Scarborough??

Foggy?

It is hazy but I guess that is part of the increasing humidity which increased very quickly.

It appears the weather is coming more from the south than the east and I see rainclouds to the south and west.

Very little wind but the moon is pulling up some strong swells.

Cheers from sultry Castara.

We are flying out on Sat and staying at Castara Retreats. Are the waves big on that beach? I have 3 kids (aged 4, 9 and 11) who would not cope with big waves. Where is the best beach for us to go for calmer water? Will the weather be good at the weekend?!
Thanks
Tara

Hi Tara

The waves vary from day to day, so it is totally impossible to predict what the sea (or weather) will be like tomorrow or this weekend.

The sea conditions on Tobago are so changeable that you can never tell what will be a good beach and what will be bad. Often different ends of the same beach can offer totally different conditions. Sadly, at Castara you are a little too far away from the nearest to guaranteed calm conditions - Canoe Bay and Pigeon Point (to a lesser degree).

Don't worry - I'm sure you will have a wonderful time even if swimming isn't possible every day.

Here is the good news Tara ...

The moon has entered another cycle and the waves are reducing, getting calmer with just the occasional pounder.

I reckon it will be nice and calm by the time you arrive but, as Steve says, you cannot rely on this for the duration of your holiday.

I hope it will get calmer because you have to swim a mile out to get any good snorkelling when it is rough ... it is tiring me out.

Your children will love Castara ... there are lots of children here and they play football and play in the waves all the time.

The first 'significant' rain fell last night ... well, a 10 minute downpour which spoiled the sunset but, my word, you should have seen the 'purple haze' that the sunset created over Castara when the rain fell.

Regards from humid Castara.