Review of "Christoffer Björkwall" by PDS Storm Tours

• Review by: Christoffer Björkwall
• Tour Operator: PDS Storm Tours
• Tour: Christoffer Björkwall
• Year: 2012
• Validated: This review has been validated.

General review

PDS was, at the time I went with them, a new storm chasing tour company and I was one of their first customers. I rode with Gene and three others and it was more like going with friends or family rather than going with a tour company. On this 5-day tour we were quite unlucky with the weather but Gene really did everything (literally) it took for me to see some storms. We drove from New Mexico to North Dakota and back in those five days. This dedication is something I really, really appreciated! It paid off as well since we got to see a tornado at sunset on the very last day. We came back in the middle of the night on our last day, just so we could follow that last storm. That is why dedication is important! PDS may be small but they compensate this by having really good service. I have been on three different tours and when it comes to service, they are unmatched. This was a great tour but the unconfomfortable truck pulls down the grade a bit. I would recommend PDS, especially in terms of the relatively low cost of the tour (at the time when I went).

Vehicle review:

There were two cars on this tour and I switched between the truck and the SUV but spent most of the time in the truck, since this was were Gene was sitting. The back seat of the truck was not really comfortable but on the other hand, I had it all to myself so I could look out both windows, including the back window. If I wouldn't have been able to switch cars once in a while or if there would have been another person in the back seat I think this might have been a bit of a problem.

Tour guide review:

Gene is a firefighter that started a storm chasing tour company. He has many years of experience of storm chasing. As mentioned before, he is a great guy, explains everything (even after my 956th question) and drives, and drives until you get to the storm. He may not have the same skill or experience as other I have chased with but he knows enough. One single thing I could complain about is that sometimes he could got a bit caught up photographing when, in my opinion, there were more interesting storms ahead. Since PDS run quite small tours it is important to know also that Gene (and his wife Barbara) are not only super friendly, but fun people to hang out with.

Comments on this review