My friend and I sent our 17 yo boys with Hector. They were first timers! I felt very safe with them going! They had a blast!!! They would do it again. Hector and his wife were so kind !! read more

I had the honor of Jet Skiing for the first time with my boyfriend on a tour with Hector! I cannot say enough great things about the time we had. Hector is so friendly, welcoming, and hilarious. He made sure we had fun, and that we were safe the entire time. You do NOT want to miss out on a tour with Hector - you'll have so much fun and be with a Tour Guide who truly cares about you and wants to make you laugh and enjoy your time. Thank you Hector for such a great time - we'll never go to another place to Jet Ski!! read more

Went on a jet ski "tour" starting at their South Beach location in June 2010 and have been meaning to write ever since. While it's hard to go wrong with jet ski rentals because they are so much fun, I would definitely recommend going somewhere else. We got the recommendation for Hector's from our hotel the Mondrian. When we got to the dock, the guy in charge (I think it was Hector himself) was making awkward jokes including several calling two of the guys on our tour gay. Haha, right? But, he says, he has a rainbow flag on his card because he'll take their money. Hilarious, isn't it? Also, I wouldn't call what we took a tour. Mainly because the tour "guide" didn't speak a word of English. About halfway through he sped off without us (my husband and I were riding together so we were a little slower than others) and we got stuck in a seagrass bed because the tour guide wasn't there to warn us about it. We spent most of the time stranded in the seagrass trying to pull it out of our motor. Not exactly how I wanted to spend my limited time out in the water! When we got back to the dock and complained about our dude leaving us stranded, Hector said it was our fault. Unrelated, he also got into a fight with another guy on our tour who was late in coming back with the jet ski because he also said he didn't see the tour guide. Overall, a terrible experience. Stay away! read more

Our concierge recommended Hector's and we're really glad we listened. It was very easy to find on Pier A, off the MacArthur Causeway. Just look for the rows of jet-skis in the marina. It was both our first time on waverunners and I'm really glad we had Hector with us. He made us feel very comfortable, going through all the safety stuff and hand signals that we needed to know. I was a lot slower than Hector and my husband but Hector always waited and kept an eye out for me. We also got the optional pictures and higher speed. I recommend getting the higher speed cause it made the waverunner feel more stable. We were also told by our concierge that Hector's prices were the best because you got a personal tour guide for the same price of just a rental at another company. read more

Hector is great ! Our expectations were exceeded. He is professional and creates a super fun time. You will feel comfortable and safe with Hector in charge. Be ready to laugh as he is a natural jokester. Highly recommended. You will have an experience like none other! read more

Hector's was recommended to us by the concierge of our hotel. We had a blast out on the water, but after reading some of the other reviews on here, it's easy to see how our experience could have turned bad if we had been unlucky. The experience between getting picked up by their free shuttle service and getting out on the water didn't exactly inspire confidence. A minivan takes you to a parking lot at the Miami Beach Marina, where you walk a few hundred yards to Hector's location on one of the piers there. There's nothing to indicate that you've reached the right place other than a bunch of WaveRunners lined up. Hector just operates out of a metal cabinet out on the pier. I'm all for eliminating unnecessary overhead, but some accoutrements of a normal business would have made things seem a bit more trustworthy. After some off-color jokes, we were handed a poorly photocopied waiver and informed that the price would be $169, instead of the $115 we were quoted at the hotel. Having researched some other jet ski operators in the area, we kind of expected this, but why not state the true price up front? There was also a $100 charge if you tipped over the jet ski, which Hector said might happen if you're about to fall off and you pull the jet ski down with you. In our experience tipping over was pretty easily avoided, so this wasn't such a big deal. We were also informed to avoid seagrass, since if we hit it, we'd have to stop and untangle ourselves. We did hit some small patches of seagrass on our ride (it's unavoidable when you're going fast), but nothing bad enough to get us into trouble. Next was two different upsell opportunities on photos. First a professional photographer offered to take some photos, and then Hector offered to take photos with a waterproof disposable camera at a lower price. There was no pressure in declining these offers, though the fact that we brought our own waterproof camera might have taken some of the wind out of their sails (no pun intended). We then received a quick lesson on operating the jet ski, and then we were out on the water. Our tour guide wasted no time in getting up to full speed. We went through several different waterways around Miami, and our guide stopped a few times to point out celebrities' houses. He was a bit difficult to understand, but the experience and scenery didn't really need much narration anyway. In some of the more difficult areas of the water (e.g. navigating around boats or under bridges) our guide was careful to see us through, but if we had been thrown off or hit some seagrass, I'm not sure that he would have seen us. After spending an hour speeding around the water, we rode back in. We paid the previously quoted $169 without any issue, tipped our guide, and the minivan took us back to our hotel. Overall, it was a fun experience. It seems like other jet ski operators in the area are either far away from South Beach (leaving you on your own for transportation), only do tours in the morning, or only let you ride around on your own in a small area. I feel like $169 was a reasonable value for what we got. A more reputable pre-ride experience and a more attentive guide would bring this to 5 stars. read more

SCAM - beware!!! We were quoted $109 over the phone with no additional fees. When a rather large group of us arrived (adults and kids), the fee suddenly increased to $169. The upcharge was get cost of gas? Rally??? One jet ski takes $70 worth of gas??? After some very cheesy (and highly inappropriate jokes), we were told that to have pictures taken is another $25 and there's a "go fast" fee of $25. Hats all per person! There was no tour: just following him around the canal. Since we had younger kids in the group we were going slower than him and we're just trying to catch up most of the time. He took a break, got some remotes and started adjusting something on our jetski. When we asked what he was doing. The response was: "don't worry about it". We specifically pointed out hat we don't want to go faster and the response still was: "don't worry about it". Imagine our surprise when after the tour we were up upcharged for extra speed. When we tried to dispute it, he basically blocked the exit and would not let us off the dock until we paid in full. There are other operators in the area. AVOID THIS SCAMMER!! read more

TOTAL SCAM. We ended up paying 800 dollars for TWO people. 1600 total for our group of 4. The price we were quoted originally was no where near this. Also he is very manipulative and will tell you there's a button to "go faster" on the jet ski. Little does he tell you it's like an extra 25-30$ an hour to "go faster." The entire thing was a rip off. We didn't even get to jet ski on our own, we had to follow him on a boat the entire time. Our hotel Miami beach edition, recommended him. Definitely go somewhere else. read more

The two stars is for the jet ski and the scenery, my boyfriend was doing research and came across this tour. I thought it was a good idea because it was $109 for the hour and you get to see Miami at the same time. We booked it for the last day we were in Miami. We were leaving but not until later that night. They took down his card information and they will charge your card if you don't show up. They provide transportation to and from your hotel. This woman came in a car, she worked for hector she may have been his wife I'm not sure but she was very nice. We got in the car and were told there were no lockers so we had to leave our stuff in the car. Luckily everything stayed safe. The first thing they will say is you need to take a test because it's the Florida state law to ride the jet ski and it cost $3.00. It was like a 20 question test but they didn't tell us that over the phone but we knew because my boyfriend did research. When we got there we met another couple they were older but very nice. It takes about 20 minutes to get to the jet skis from the boat, get your life jackets on, and get going. I really hope that wasn't included in our hour but I really think it was because we were not out there long at all. He took our ID"s and we got on the jet ski and followed him. Apparently he is Cuban and so was the other couple. He paid a lot more attention to them than us and we felt he was racist. Whenever we would stop they made us stop really far from the other couple and always let them stop right in front. He would describe to them in full detail about houses and yachts. We could hear him with his back turned to us several times telling them full stories about places and than would come over to us and say "this is Miami Heat" and leave. We thought that was really rude. Next he'll ask you if you want to go faster and let you "try" the extra speed out and if you like it it's an extra $30. Here's the thing. He does something with the remote and says it will go faster but the speedometer isn't going to change. Honestly I call BS. We made him take it off. He stopped to take pictures a lot, yet we only got 9 pictures taken! There was a hand gesture we were supposed to look out for if there was police boats coming by to slow down. Except everytime we saw a police boat he made us stop the jet skis sometimes for over 5 minutes( which is included in the hour) and pretend we were talking. Why would you make us do that if you have a legitimate jet ski company?!? This happened several times and we thought it was really SHADY!! So we hardly get anywhere because he was BSing a lot of the time and than he stops and says the other couple is going for two hours and we can go longer or we can go back with the other guy he brought with him named Alex. We said we were going back. He must of asked like 5 or 6 times he was very pushy and we said we were going back. We started to head back and we reached the dock and I asked Alex what hector did with our ID"s. The woman checked the truck and than called hector and guess what?!? Hector had our ID"s on him! First the woman spoke to him and hung up the phone than she told us hector said he will be out on the water for at least another hour and will drop it off at the hotel tonight. I told her that was unacceptable. We were leaving that day and what the hell were we supposed to do around town without our ID"s?!? Than she told me she couldn't wait because she had to go pick up another customer. That's when I lost it!!! You guys messed up now fix it! I made them call back and hector gave me the run around and it went from an hour to 45 minutes and than 30 minutes. All in 5 Minutes. After arguing with him on the phone and arguing with the lady she starts to drive us back to the hotel. I'm furious. I could not believe what I was hearing and the customer service I was experiencing!! We drove for about 7-10 minutes when hector called the woman and said he could be there in 10 minutes and to come back. She turned around and we got our ID"s after getting the run around. We were leaving that day....and by that time we only had a few hours. The hotel was a good 20 minutes away from where we were. On the way back the woman told us the pictures were going to be free because of what happened. We thanked her and I said before she was a really nice woman. I even apologized for yelling at her and tipped her more because it really wasn't her fault it was hectors, even though she did want to "pick up another customer" instead of waiting for our ID"s which really made me angry, but in the end we got our ID"s....and made it back. It just wasted the last few hours and we had to rush around after that. I wouldn't call it a tour at all, we saw two houses and a yacht, we didn't get the stories the other couple got because we were white and last but not least there is something illegal going on....or why act shady!! Next time I will take a pass on this tour for sure, and you should too read more

Worst experience ever I should have called the police We called hector and asked him how much it would be he said 109 total He hands us all the contracts and then on the contract it says 169 I ask him about it he tell me it should be a zero so the Total would be 109 At the end he tells us it will be 169 I said no that's wrong he freaks out starts yelling getting in our faces DO NOT US THIS FRAUD read more

BEST jet ski trip EVER!!! We were recommended by our hotel (The Dream) and are very happy we booked it. We were picked up from the hotel and brought to the marina at no charge. Hector was incredibly thorough with his explanation of how to operate the jet ski and we felt fully prepared. He personally guided us by jet skiing in front of us, but far enough away where we could drive as fast or slow as we wanted. Hector brought us all over and we got to see yachts, houses and just jet ski all around. It was soooo fun! He took lots of photos for us. He is a super nice guy and funny. He made the one-hour trip so fun. It was one of the best parts of the vacation. Highly recommended!!! read more

Bait and switch. I DID NOT USE THE SERVICE Hector's English is a little difficult to understand but it's not the problem. His attitude towards customers is what turns you off. He tries to make jokes about you and assumes things about you. He gave me a quote over the phone and mumbled something about reservation. When asked about the address to his location he gave me the Miami Beach Marina address, which is 300 Alton Road. I found the address to be familiar because its the same address as other jet-ski-to-rent company. When confronted him over the phone, he stated negatives about other company saying that they are more expensive and they only let you go in circles. Having some time on hand, I went to 300 Alton Road to check the place out. I followed the signs to the jet ski place and there was no signs for Hector's place. After calling Hector, I was informed that I need reservation and I was immediately hanged up. I called him back and told him that I was already at the marina and just wanted to check the place out. He told me to go to the place that had visible signs and tell them that I have reservation with Hector. When inquired at the other company , I was told to wait for Hector because he was out with a customer and that his place is by the umbrella on the other side of the bridge. Then Hector called and said that he was on the way. I know I should have left by then but I had noting to lose already being there. Hector did not arrive until 25 minutes later. Before discussing formalities with him, I observed Hector trying to "bully" his customers by deliberately spraying them with water and making offensive comments. I was trying to get past his behavior because I thought to myself that I will only have to deal with him during the rental process. I asked Hector what happens if there is a thunder and lighting in the marina and he responded that we would go the other way. Before leaving I wanted to confirm price and he quoted me $30 more than over the phone. I said no thanks. read more

Hector and his family are so nice and we had a great time! Very reasonably priced, super patient and funny. Even if you don't know how to drive a jet ski, he'll teach you. 10/10 would recommend! read more

We visited Hector's last July. I rode on back with my Hubby. The guide took us to local celebrities houses. The guide does speed up to give you room to go fast if you'd like. I did like that the guide gave instructions to hand signals so they could communicate from a distance. We were informed of the tipping fee and were also informed as how to avoid tipping. At first we were bummed that we needed a guide but we definitely would have gotten lost or we would have had to stay close to not get lost. My arms and legs were sore from holding on to my Hubby to tightly.... He was trying to scare me lol... They offered pictures at an additional fee which were AWESOME!! We bought both copies :) Hector does joke but he doesn't mean any harm. 1 hr was plenty of time for us! We plan on going in June for my bday. I hope we get a sitter so we can go see Hector again! Worth it! read more

Hector and his wife were great! They were upfront and honest about the fees. $169 gas and taxes included for an hour for 2 people on one jet ski. He has his own and we followed him around the bay. He's very safe and the jet skis are great. We ended up paying an extra $25 for the "go fast" feature which was fine because he was upfront about it. We ended up riding more than an hour but he didn't charge us more. He's fun! Good dude. His wife picks you up in her car, and you'll leave your stuff in her car. They don't have an office but we had a great time. They're very sweet. They were recommended by the 1 hotel. Their address has changed, they're in the south part of south beach, bay side. Call ahead to make a reservation. read more

My sister was in town visiting so we decided to take a jetski tour. We had so much fun out on the water, I love that Hector takes photos during the tour so you are able to capture memories and don't have to worry about your phone of camera falling in the water. The tour was a hour long and we got to see the different islands & gorgeous homes, wayyy better then sitting on a tour bus. read more

Fraud. Booked on the phone - Hector advised that there are 2 jet ski minimum per trip. Arrived on time, guide was late. Another couple arrived and I requested only one jet ski for 2 of us. Hector refused to provide service based on "min policy". Don't recommend. read more

I informed him I was a rookie & all he kept doing was speeding a mile ahead of me making me feel unsafe if I fell he stopped about 6 times to take some terrible with a phone that I saw him talking & texting on & on each stop he kept informing to "Go faster speed is better" I never been on a tour where I was terrified the whole time knowing if I fell I would be floating in the ocean for at least an hour because he was so far ahead of me. Bottom line do at your own risk supervision is horrible read more

We loved our tour and had lots of fun with Hector our guide. He is super funny! We were impressed to see how EVERYONE knows him. From the construction worker at the dock to people in the most luxurious yachts, they all say hi to him. Our tour was relaxed (no pressure) fun, thrilling and informative. At the same time we totally appreciated that he is extremely committed to safety and knows what hes doing. His wife picked us up and dropped us off at the St Regis in Bal Harbour and she is a really nice lady. During our ride we got to know her a little and they have been doing this for a long time. She even made recommendations on other things to do in the area. We felt the entire tour that they were on our time and not the other way around. Hector also made our moment memorable with awesome pictures which he emailed the same day. This is a relaxed family owned business. I read some of the other reviews and I can see how some people might be accustomed to a more "commercial" feel and if you do this might NOT be the tour for you. Yeah...there were no lockers and we were picked up in a private car but what lacked in amenities was definately made up by the personal and genuine interaction. We felt we were out on the water with a couple of buddies. It was never awkward or uncomfortable. Thank you Hector and spouse! read more

Jet Ski tour in May 2011. New jet skis, though some guys in our group said they were less stable than other jet skis they have been on. Hector's been doing this for almost 2 decades, yes, he makes dry jokes, but all in good fun. We had him as the tour guide out to the ocean. He is very responsible keep everyone safe (busy shipping lane, with cruise ships, tankers, cigarrette boats, etc) AND having a fun time. read more

Very annoying owner who seems intent on telling foreigners his political views about Cuba. The machines are so-so and on mine the jacket of the turbine was slipping before we left for the trip. So that means they were weeds from the prior trip. the guy is also very annoying and loud. The excursion is fun overall but short. Which may be a good thing. read more

Had a lot of fun. They did try to charge $20 for a "power boost" and without it, you could not get much speed at all from the jet ski. That part was very frustrating and in sure would have been even worse if we'd had any prior experience on jet skis. Also, the tour was just pointing out a few celebrities houses. read more

Be careful about this business!!! Hector Watersports is a misleading cheat!!! I wanted to experience jet skiing for the first time in Miami so I requested to reserve a jet ski service with the concierge at the Hotel Standard. The concierge referred me to Hector Watersports, where I given a quote of $115 from both the concierge at the Hotel and Hector, the owner. I questioned if the rate of $115 included everything and he enthusiastically stated Yes!!! When I got to the site the story changed drastically. While going over the paperwork with Hector, he handed me a rate of $169, quite different from $115, right? When I questioned him about the rate change, he stated that the rate of $169 includes taxes and fees and that, "Everyone knows that," ...really because I know I asked. Hector stated that he did not precharge and if their was an issue we could discuss it after. I was put in an awkward position since I used their transport and I had limited time to get this activity done. Utimately, I decided to go ahead with the service, (and I do take responsibility for that). After jet sking I attempted again to discuss my displeasure about the rate discrepancy, in turn I was met with irritation and disrespect. In all my travel I have never been so insulted in my life. Please don't let this scenerio befall you. Be sure to do your own research, use services that quote rates on the website so to lesson fraudulent intention. A WORD OF ADVICE; don't always trust that the concierges don't always refer the most reputable companys. Note that Hector's website states, "There must be a reason why many famous athletes, Hollywood stars and all the 5-star hotels in South Beach use us! Come find out why!" Just in case you may not have known, Concierges are inclined to offer the recommendation that gives them the most kickbacks, free rides, commissions, etc. I know, I use to work at a high end hotel and am aware of some of the tactics and procedures that concierges use. Unfortuneately, I assumed in error that this was not one of those times. I am not going to lie I enjoyed the jet ski experience itself but it was tainted by the fact that I was given intentionally misleading information. Save yourself the trouble and use a company that prides itself in being upfront versus a company that states, "that everyone know the rates don't include taxes and fees." read more

Would not recommend this service. Hector is very personable and fun to be around; however, he quoted me $110 on the phone but then tells you about "gas & taxes" once you show up. Most of the first hour is spent letting you zoom around on the jetski and try the "speed upgrade" which is an additional $30. Gimme a break. So during the first hour our "tour of Miami" consisted of seeing 3 celebrities' houses. He then tries to sell you on a 2nd hour for the "tour." I would've much rather spent $80 to go in front of my hotel. read more

Me and my girlfriend were looking to jet ski on our last day in Miami holidaying from Australia and came across Hectors at the pier. He was very friendly and not snobby like many people in the region. He made sure we enjoyed ourselves and did everything to help us along our experience. It's a must if travelling to Miami. Unfortunately my girlfriend did better than me but Hector convinced me it just takes some getting used to at times. I'd be happy to go again and again. Great experience all round! read more

please be aware of false adviertisement. you can find much cheaper. they tell you one price and pay a deposit and then tell you about gas and tax. worst and over priced tour i have ever taken. please look around before going to this company. also when i called back the same day they did not answer nor did they call back. almost a scam but please go somewhere else. overpriced.... and not very good jet skis... read more

My boyfriend and I visited Hector's our last day in Miami. Although there are some things that could be done better my experience wasn't near as bad and most of these. His wife went to pick us up from the hotel and there were 2 other couples in the car. She took us to the marina where I had to take a test for the temporary boating permit because I am not old enough to drive a jet ski without it (anyone born after 1988) and that's a FL state law. It was a 25 multiple choice quiz and it wasn't hard at all. From there Hector picked us up in a speed boat and took us to the jet skis. He informed us of the tipping fee( if the jet ski flips over) and how to avoid it and basic safety and that a little later in the tour he was going to push a button on a remote he has for the jet ski and it was going to make us go faster and that we could try it out for free and if we liked it it was $25 to keep it and if not then we could continue without. We decided to keep it because though I don't think that it effected the speed, I do think it gave us more control. Hector lead the tour in his speed boat which was basically just speeding in circles around the marina and showing us 3 houses. One that was the Viagra advisors, the new Scarface house and one that used to be Enrique Iglesia's. He does speed up so you can go as fast as possible and he takes pictures throughout the tour of each person which you have the option to buy at the end of the trip. He does joke around sometimes harshly and inappropriate though to us it was funny I can see how other people wouldn't like it, but he made it fun. In the end we had to stop because the police came out on the water and apparently it is a no wake zone because of the manatees that are in the water and while we were stopped we witnessed the police stop 3 jet skis that just pulled out of the dock. So it's not that his business is illegal, it's that he doesn't want to get ticketed or fined like anyone else. What he could improve is investing into a camera instead of charging $30 for pictures that he takes with his smartphone and then e-mails to you and it's an outdated smartphone so it's not close to the best quality pictures. He did take a lot though. We got 15 pictures e-mailed to us. An overall okay experience. I had fun and my boyfriend did also. read more