We got our Hippocampe Beach Wheelchair to Vallarta

It finally arrived. We've been anxious to see this beach wheelchair in person. We've talked to some people who have used the Hippocampe, but nothing is like seeing it for yourself. At Beach Crossers, we want to have products that meet the needs of every person with mobility limitations. We have a friend who lost his legs in Afghanistan. He is very physically fit. I mean in the Olympic athlete kind of way. We had him in mind when we selected this chair. It has wheels that are wide so that they can go on the beach, but it is still self propelled. It has interchangeable balloon tires if you want to be pushed or pulled along instead. It is low to the ground, for easy transfers to the sand, a kayak, or maybe a jet ski. It also floats. That means he could wheel himself right into the water, swim for a while, and then wheel himself out again. Of course there is a rope on the front so someone else could pull him out as well. It is super cool! I hope he comes to Vallarta soon to try it out. It seems like it will be a great option for children as well. Being low to the ground is a plus. It also packs away into a travel bag that will fit easily into the trunk of a car. Do I sound like an info-mercial?We are happy extremely with our DeBug wheelchairs and find them so easy to push across the sand. For most people, that is going to be just the thing. I think people who end up in a cast right before or during their vacation will like that option best because they are so easy to maneuver. However, it is nice to have an option for those that would rather push them self. We've chatted with a few people who spend their lives in a wheelchair and 100% of them said they would rather push for themselves. We will have to get the new beach wheelchair down to the beautiful Vallarta sand and give it a try. Will be tweeting some pictures!

Our first and favorite customers ... so far!

I decided to write a little about our first customers, Jason and Jennifer Lind because they were and continue to be such a blessing to us. You can read their review on Yelp, if you can find us there. You have to actually search for Beach Crossers, because if you search for beach wheelchairs Vallarta nothing comes up. Maybe in time that will improve. Anyway, they thought they had a beach wheelchair lined up for their son (who has never been mobile) months before their trip. It turns out that their travel agent was wrong. When they thought they arranged a chair there weren't even any beach wheelchairs in Vallarta. During that time when they thought they had a reservation, we started up Beach Crossers. So when they found that they didn't have anything arranged they started looking and came across our website. They were so happy to find us and we were so happy to have someone find us. It worked out perfectly. If the agent hadn't been mistaken, they would have found that there were no chairs in Vallarta and probably would not have looked again at a later date. We delivered their wheelchair to RIU Palace in Nuevo Vallarta and met the nicest family. They used the beach wheelchair every day and were kind enough to send us pictures of their vacation so we could see the smiles on all of their faces. We have a few pictures of the family on our website and I think they posted a couple on Yelp as well. Since heading home, they have sent us information about the company that did their airport transfer, written an awesome review, and kept in touch. They have been actively promoting our business in the Midwest! We are so thankful to have met the Lind family. Sometimes starting a business can be a struggle, but Beach Crossers has built in the intrinsic reward of helping people. That is so rewarding that there is no hesitation to keep jumping hoops. Because, as Mahatma Gandhi said, "A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history." We are going to change lives!

Importing Beach Wheelchairs to Vallarta

So, we've been working to get our wheelchair rental business off the ground and I've shared some of the many obstacles and hoops we've jumped or are still jumping through.  Customs was a hoop we hadn't anticipated. So, the name of our company is Beach Crossers. We have a few wheelchairs that belonged to us before starting the business since both Mom and Grandma used wheelchairs. If you've read previous blogs, you know that traveling with Mom in her wheelchair was the inspiration for us to start this big adventure. We want to help people get to the beach in Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta. That is why we were shocked to pay 36% in customs fees to bring wheelchairs into Mexico. And here is big news to us. You pay that fee on the tax and shipping for your merchandise as well! So, for example, let's round off some numbers and see how this works. We have a shipment of beach wheelchairs coming from DeBug in Florida. Let's say it's invoiced for about $4000.00 USD. Florida tax rate is ??? let's say about 8% so that is added to the invoice as (I'm not the math teacher in the family, but ...) I get $320 in tax. Then you can add the $1200 for shipping and you get a total of $5,520 that you get to pay duty on. At 36% that comes to $1987.20 added to the cost of getting the wheel chairs into Vallarta. I thought it was strange to pay duty on tax and shipping, but the really weird thing is that there doesn't seem to be a formula to tell you how much you will have to pay. It seems to depend completely on what the custom's officer thinks of the chairs. One custom's agent says, "Oh, wheel chairs don't get charged duty" and another says "those are a luxury item". It turns out that you can be charged from 0-140% duty. Maybe there is a formula somewhere, but we can't figure it out. On the other hand, we've been charged about 36 percent on each of our shipments. Needless to say, that significantly reduces the number of chairs that a start-up company can have for starting up!!!  Not surprising, we jumped from the black to the red without blinking. We'd been told that it would happen, but we hoped it wouldn't happen in such a big way. Of course, we ordered chairs based on how much capital we had and even left a little cushion. But, the chairs are arriving and we are finding ways to cover the additional 36%. Our custom's agent tells us that if we have a "medical permission" that we won't have to pay duty. What is that? No one seems to know. My guess is that it is for the patient, but the custom's form says you don't have to pay duty for a personal device anyway, so maybe that's not it. We continue to push forward through the many obstacles because we believe this is a good thing for the people who live in Vallarta and those that visit. We have already helped a few people and it is a huge blessing. Therefore, we carry on.

Renting Wheelchairs in Vallarta

Starting an international business has a lot of hoops, but the satisfaction that we get from renting the chairs makes it more than worth the hassle. Our first rental was to a nice young man named Zach. I hope to have pictures soon. Zach is 19 years old an non-mobile. He used the beach wheelchair every day during his stay at RIU Palace in Nuevo Vallarta. We were so happy to provide that opportunity for Zach and his family, Jason and Jennifer. They were the perfect first customers.  Today we had a phone call from a man who has a family coming to Puerto Vallarta next week. Two family members are non-mobile. He was hoping that the site he found on the Internet was true and that there really were beach wheelchairs here in Puerto Vallarta. We can't wait to make their visit so much better by providing the beach wheelchairs. Today was the best of all. We were in the lobby of Paradise Village after the member's party and there was a nice family from California in the lobby with their mother in a wheelchair. We so wished we could have gotten our Mom to the beach that we had to offer the chair to these lovely people. The chair wasn't rented this evening anyway. When the daughter commented "I might just cry" I told her I thought I was going to cry first. It is so very satisfying. Beach Crossers may just allow us to live in this paradise, help others, and have a secure retirement. What more could a person ask for?

Rentals in Puerto Vallarta

We've been looking for a long term rental in Puerto Vallarta. There are several good sources of information. Craigslist has a good variety of tourist and local rental options. It's a little confusing because you can't tell if the prices are in dollars or pesos, but after opening each page you get that information. There are several rental companies in PV that have a good variety of rentals. We've found some great options at Vistalegre.com.  They seem to have the most long term rentals in the downtown area. The best source for cost efficiency seems to be the mano y mano online classified ads. They have the most rentals and definitely the most outside of the tourist areas. If you're looking for an authentic experience then that is a great option for information. We haven't rented anything yet. So far we have been comparing neighborhoods and amenities. We're looking for a place where we can store our wheelchair, have 2-3 bedrooms, off street parking, walk-ability, and ideally a pool. It's a long list, but we have found several great options. We're going to wait until we get to PV in a couple of weeks and start looking at the properties we've got on our list. I will add that our friends in vallarta have told us a couple of neighborhoods we are not allowed to look in. Top of the list is Ramblases. They didn't say why, but indicated that they wouldn't let friend or family move into that neighborhood.  That's good enough for me. The difference in price between monthly and annual rentals is huge. Usually as much as 1200 monthly is as low as 500 per month annually. Definitely worth looking at a year's lease. However, be prepared to pay for the entire year up front and in cash. I'll add to this post after we actually rent something.

Wheelchairs in Puerto Vallarta and Sayulita

Beach Crossers will be bringing beach wheelchairs

to Sayulita and it is not a moment too soon. Sayulita is difficult by wheelchair. We took Mom and some friends to Sayulita for the day and it was really difficult to get around. We had to go inland a block or two and back to the beach, and inland a block or two and back to the beach, etc. There was no way to get her to the chairs that were on the beach with umbrellas and the restaurant owners didn't want us using a table if we weren't ordering. You can only drink so much before you need to move on and moving on was a big challenge. The beach is beautiful and watching the surfers is a great way to spend the day. We ended up carrying Mom and her chair down to a table that some friends had reserved for the day. Unlike Puerto Vallarta, no one offered to help. Since Mom was small and her chair was light we were able to manage. Also, once the sand was more firm, she was able to walk a little with help. That isn't the case for a lot of visitors. I really love Sayulita and enjoy spending a day there once in a while, but with a wheelchair it is a struggle. Wheelchairs are certainly not part of the young active lifestyle at Sayulita, but we have friends who regardless of having legs or not, would love to spend time experiencing water sports at Sayulita. It's nice to know we will be able to help them accomplish that experience soon.  Here's a picture of our young friends surfing, or more accurately trying to surf. They actually did pretty well for their first try. There are plenty of surf coaches around and reasonably prices too. You can rent boards, teachers, beach chairs, and about anything else you need to make your day enjoyable. Sayulita is a definite must visit if you are in the Vallarta area.

Wheelchairs in Puerto Vallarta

So I've been writing about several of our experiences in Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta, but I thought I would take a little detour and write about our experiences traveling to Banderas Bay with Mom in her #wheelchair. She passed away in January, but was the primary reason we started Beach Crossers in the first place. We spent our much of our lives at the beach and it was heart breaking that Mom could not spend the last part of her life doing the same.

First of all, there is the flight from the states. We fly from a small city in Washington State where your only destination choice is Seattle. From Seattle, of course you can go to anywhere in the world, but you have to get to Seattle first. At our little airport, you have to walk (or wheel) out to the plane and climb about 6 steps to board. Mom had lost use of her hamstring, so one of her legs had limited functionality. She was able to climb a few stairs and going up was easier than coming down so she managed this without assistance. Friends who have less mobility have to get a lift into the plane and a transfer chair once on board. It's not fun, and can be exhausting but with Puerto Vallarta waiting on the other end it is worth the struggle. Once in Seattle, you wait for everyone to leave the plane and reverse the process. We usually fly Alaska Airlines and have been mostly satisfied with the assistance we've received. They usually have someone waiting at the gate to pick Mom up in an airport wheelchair. They escort us to the elevator and to our departure gate. They handle most of Mom's bags, stop by the ladies room, and even #Starbucks if you ask. Usually great service,although the one time she flew by herself she did not get the same quality of service as she got when my sister and I were along to advocate for her.

Boarding in Seattle is much easier as the jetways allow for wheelchair transfer right to the door. Now Mom also used oxygen on the plane. That has been difficult at times, but I'm going to stick with the wheelchair for now.  Getting to the restroom on the plane is difficult. Mom considered wearing a protective undergarment to avoid the problem and would go without any fluids for hours before the flight all to avoid the trip to the restroom. In the interest of her health and comfort I promised to assist her as needed. Timing is key to the success of the bathroom visit. The beverage cart cannot be between you and the bathroom or you will never get there. Mom would slowly make her way down the isle while I carried her oxygen concentrator along behind. The flight crew will let you know when it is a good time to make that trip if you ask them in advance and if your bladder allows you to go when they think it is convenient. Mom's oxygen would drop significantly during this trip and even dipped into the 60s one time. It was very frightening for me. It is hard to take adequate time for recovery when there are people waiting for you to get out of the way.

Once in PV, the experience starts to improve. There is a very helpful man waiting at the gate with a wheelchair that stays with you throughout the entire process. They pick you up, push you to immegration, continue to baggage claim, through customs, and out to your transportation. They help with every step of the process. They don't just push you along, they help you with every part of the process. They speak English fairly well and take courtesy to a level that was lost with Ward Clever sometime around 1950 in the United States.

We always rent a car, so Mom and I waited at the airport while Sheri headed to the car rental to pick up the car. This actually worked out nice and we enjoyed a Starbucks while we waited. There is an advantage to renting a car in that there are actually designated "blue" parking spots around downtown. On the other hand, the way people park right up against your bumper makes it very difficult to get the chair in and out of the trunk at times. People are very helpful though and usually someone will come along and stop traffic or help lift the chair out at an awkward angle.

Getting around downtown is still a bit of a challenge. The Malecon area is completely accessible these days and there are even ramps that go down to the beach. With the beach wheelchairs from www.beachcrossers.com (a little self promotion) you can cross the cobble stone streets and head to the beach without any problems. However, in Mom's transport chair it was definitely a challenge maneuvering downtown.Once you are away from the new Malecon area, the ramps are small, steep, sometimes at awkward angles, and sometimes there is a telephone pole in the middle of the ramp. Even in the Malecon area there are ramps that lead down to the street that align with cobble stone instead of pavement. The pavement is just a little bit to the left, which isn't a big deal if you're walking, but it's a challenge on wheels. Some of the shops are difficult to get around and many of the restaurants have a couple of steps up. If you are willing to accept help, the employees will pick you up, chair and all, and lift you into the restaurant. It's an adventure, but the people are genuine and it is nice that they get the opportunity to help.

We took Mom out on a trip to the Marietas Islands on a Vallarta Adventures excursion. The staff lifted her and her chair onto the vessel and spent the entire day pampering her. When the dancing started she was right in the middle of things.

Once at the Marietas you have the option to head to shore for some beach time. That was not an option for Mom, but they did a great job of pampering her while the more able passengers did some kayaking and snorkeling. I most appreciated that the captain traveled close to the island so Mom could get a look at the Blue footed boobys since she couldn't go on the excursion. The weather didn't allow us to get very close and whether or not she actually saw the blue feet was up for debate, but when we enlarged her pictures there they were on the rocks so she could say she saw them in person and that was worth all of the effort. 

We took a trip to Caletas in the daytime and the young men carried Mom and her chair across the stone walkways, not to the first beach, not to the second beach, but to the third beach because that is where there was a shady spot. Sheri and I went snorkeling and when we came back Mom had a coconut milk at the table. Turns out the guy that cuts the coconuts came up and gave her a lesson on how the whole process works. She also got to meet the parrots up close and personal. What she wanted to do was go up and see the orchids, which was definitely not an option. Sheri and I hiked up the orchid trail and took pictures of the two orchids we saw. I'm glad we didn't try to get Mom up there. 

One of my favorite excursions was the Lluxury Sailing. We were all pampered on that trip and although the bathroom was a challenge for Mom, the rest of the trip was mostly sitting and enjoying the time on the water. It was beautiful. 

Another challenging place was Chicos Paradise. There is no way to get a wheelchair down those steps without being carried. Mom chose to walk down and it was a slow difficult trip. She survived though and had a wonderful lunch watching the rock diving demonstration. 

I never watch. It's way to intense for me. 

Mom's favorite restaurant was Pipis where the chili rellenos are amazing. It's located about 3 blocks up from the Malecon on Calle Pipila. Again, there is a problem with a couple of steps up, but they are so very accommodating and Mom was gracious enough to accept help. Pipis is a favorite of the northern visitors. The portions are huge and the margarita's are not short on tequila. Either plan on some left overs, or share a plate with a friend. The guacamole they make at your table is seriously as fresh as you will find anywhere. They take all of the fresh ingredients and mix them together in a stone bowl as you watch. You decide how much spice to add and then they leave it with some fresh chips. Often times they have brought us a second appetizer "compliments of the house" which have all been uniquely delicious. Not a genuinely Mexican meal, but as far as Tex-mex it would be impossible to beat. However, the tequila is genuine, so don't plan on driving once you leave there if you have a drink. Most of the guests have trouble walking out of there and their conversations are a lot louder than they were when they went in. The baked ice cream is amazing. Definitely one to share with the entire table.  

So many wonderful memories.