We did a family vacation to South Padre Island in July 2032 and after calling a number of tours…read morethat were booked that day we were able to get a charter with Captain Red Beards. Captain Brandon was easy to communicate with via text and his pricing was very reasonable for two families (6 guests total). While we had a great time and Captain Brandon was highly informative and made sure our two 5 year olds had a blast, i was VERY disappointed in the boat that we had. On the website the photos show a newer boat with "leather" seats and fancy blue lighting. When we got there there were old lawn chairs/patio furniture for seating. This was definitely not my type of accommodations but we had already promised the kids so I tried to keep an open mind. I'm so glad I did because it really was the highlight of the trip as we got to see a few different dolphins and Brandon was kind enough to provide us with restaurant recommendations (which ended up being awesome) and he let the kids drive the boat. Outside of the old boat with the bootlegged seating, I would recommend Captain Red Beards. (Suggestion: update your website photos so people know what they are getting and they can make a fully informed decision prior to booking).

Fantastic dolphin ride! Saw dolphin, sea turtles, and a stingray. My kids had a blast and even went…read moreswimming in the bay. Captain Red beard was a great host!

Dalton was amazing! We booked a dolphin/sunset/fireworks tour at the last minute and was so happy…read morewe did. He is very knowledgeable about everything SPI and was enjoyable to chat with during our cruise. I am so glad we did the smaller boat tour rather than the large boats, we played our own music and were able to chat and enjoy the scenery.

Captain Dalton made our boating trip a blast! He is a local of spi so he was very knowledgeable…read moreabout everything and we had a fun time shelling! We found incredible shells and saw dolphins on our way out during a beautiful sunset. We will book him again to watch the Space X launch that's in perfect view from the water.

This experience was a 10/10 my husband & I did the sunset tour with The Original Dolphin Watch that…read morelasted for about 2 hours. My husband booked, paid & check-in online that was an easy process. We arrived & waited until departure time, the captain & rest of the staff were very professional, we had an amazing time & we got lucky enough to see some dolphins!! If you are visiting the island I would recommend checking The Original Dolphin Watch for a great time. You are able to bring snacks & drinks while you are on board. Overall, our experience was great:)

Best dolphin tour on the island, they had spots available since one night before and we enjoyed our…read moretime there. My mom and daughter loved this and the weather was amazing. A very important note, is that they are very punctual with the times, so don't be like me and arrive late (they were super accommodating) but please make sure you are there at least 15 mins before. Cannot recommend them enough!

The guys are super friendly! We came for parasailing, then returned the next day for the banana…read moreboats. We will be back as we visit SP every year. Thanks for the good time!

The sunset boat ride is 1000% worth it. Great music & knowledgeable tour guides - we were able to…read moresee dolphins, SpaceX, and sunset in 1.5 hours. Such a lovely evening, great drivers/staff. Would HIGHLY recommend!

I live in Brownsville and recently took some 80 CFM tanks to get filled with air upon receiving…read morethem I realized what a ripoff this place is why they are closed and not doing a business mainly because they charge $25 per tank to fill it with regular air I have Dove all over the United States and never paid more than $12 for air fills most places are 8 to 10 I even get nitrox filled for less than that they're never opened hard to get anybody to return your phone call extremely disappointed South Padre has such a potential for diving and this place leaves such a bad taste in everybody's mouth please don't judge Brownsville taste Please Don't Judge South Padre or scuba diving the valley by this place

Loved snorkeling! This was our first time to go with a chartered tour. We were on a family trip…read moreto S. Padre and a few of us decided to book the snorkeling trip. We saw quite a few neat fish and the ride out was smooth. A couple of things I felt could be improved... the equipment provided to some of us was in bad shape. The tube I was given to use was exactly what you can purchase in the pool toys at Walmart and the mouth piece was chewed so badly there was almost nothing left to it. That was pretty disgusting. If I were to go again I'd bring my own. Being our first time we assumed they'd have professional equipment better than we could provide ourselves. While most of the staff were pretty friendly.. the young dark haired guide in charge of providing the instructions and setting the boundaries was just not pleasant at all. He was almost scolding when giving instructions and just very unfriendly to the patrons. Definitely felt like we were a bother to him. I would certainly never book a scuba lesson or tour if he were the instructor. Maybe he was still learning and it was nerves? To end this on a more positive note ... they take safety seriously and they also provide you eco friendly packets of fish food which was really neat!

What can I say, best fishing experience I've ever had! Took my 11 year old and we limited out in 1…read morehour! Very professional and great with kids. Will recommend to everyone. I've chartered a ton of fishing trips, and having a good captain makes all the difference in the world. Can't wait till our next trip!

My Dad and I went out with Captain Mike this past Thursday. The forecast was an ominous one…read moreheading into the morning, but Mike was ready when a window of opportunity opened for us to get out onto the water. We started by fishing for specked trout and were rewarded by staying persistent on a spot that Mike targeted as a "honey hole". Afterwards we worked our way up towards and area parallel to the Arroyo Colorado. Working our way through some vegetation-covered spits that had unseasonally hugh water around them, we were able to start casting for reds. Within about an hour we had three keepers. Next we headed towards Rattlesnake bay. Again due to the unusually high water (rest of the mainland was flooding with torrential rain) we were able to creep in on some sand covered bottoms. We hooked up on our last keeper red and then decided to call it a day. As it turned out we got to Jim's pier, had the fish cleaned and were on the road after parting ways with Mike but just in time before a heavy storm hit the island. Our timing and trip was perfect. Mike was patient, curteous, persitent, and a good teacher. Exactly what we needed after being away from bay fishing for so long and what's needed in a guide. Thanks again, Capt. Mike. Hopefully we go fishing or try hunting in the next few months or so.

What a fun and cute thing to do with your kids. They put on a small show and will have kids partake…read morein the show . The crew members all dress up in full pirate costumes, the one draw back is it feel like a short boat ride . But other than that it's fun and silly fun with your kids.

There are boats that will take you to see dolphins. There are boats that do sunsets cruises. The…read moreBlack Dragon Pirate Ship has pirates, interactive fun, a cannon, music, fun for all ages, sight seeing for dolphins, learning about the island and the sunset. We had so much fun! If you can't handle being picked on, don't go aboard. It's all in good fun. I'd go again. HECK! I'd become a pirate if I lived out there!! If you like pirates, book a trip. It's worth the money.

Took a. Bunch of kids out for a day of fishing. Didn't catch much but all the kids had a ton of…read morefun. Quick fast service clean boat everyone was awesome.

What a wonderful crew. Knew all the hits spots in the bay. Had a blast!!!! Bringing our catches…read moreback to Austin! They filet them for you dockside for only .50 per fish! The pelicans love the stuff that's thrown away I would have given 5 stars, however my son and I were the first ones there. We knew we wanted to get on the back of the boat. The ticket lady suggested it. So we stood first for about 10 min prior to leaving. Then 2 "regulars" and their friends cut in front and went right to the back of the boat before anyone else. Of course they hauled in a ton of fish, but we still had fun and made memories. Maybe next time, just a suggestion, honor those that got there first.