Mont Saint Michel: Walking Tours Across the Bay

I haven't done one but am interested in this answer also as we are heading there in April, so thought I'd bump it up to see if there are any takers!

I've been ducking the question for days since I'm anti-guide - - and think the whole idea is a waste of time. Most of those walks go out to a little island (Tomberlaine) a couple of miles north of MSM. I made it out and back (alone) once in less than two hours, I'm sure the tours take longer. It wasn't worth it. There's not much to see except the back side of MSN. Most importantly, it's not like walking on a regular sandy beach - - you're walking in wet sand/muck up to your ankles so it's really tiring to the point you get shin splits. You'll also get wet up to your crotch in some of the tidal streams. What makes a guide a really good idea is that there are spots with quicksand (I didn't come across any that were that bad). Also the area has twenty-foot tides and they hit high twice a day - - you don't want to get caught up in that mess, and if they start coming in, you can't out-run them in the darn muck (plus it's a pretty good distance, depending on where you might be on the treck). I've also seen people walking out at an angle to the causeway from the mainland on the east side of the causeway. I have no idea what that's about. I suggest skipping it. If you decide to do it, there are usually signs for guides/tours either in the parking lot or right as you enter the mount - - I've seen them in both places, I think.