[Review] Learning to kiteboard with Baja Kite and Surf in La Ventana, B.C.S., Mexico

Tyson’s been interested in learning how to kiteboard for a few years and finally this fall, we made the trek down to La Ventana, Baja with hopes of learning how to kiteboard. We should mention that we very much think that this is a sport in which lessons by a professional are necessary. It can be dangerous, scary, and there is so much going on at any one given time. After doing a little bit of research online, we reached out to Baja Kite and Surf to see if they would take us on as students. They agreed and we set up lessons and then the arduous packing process began!

We really had no expectations for learning how to kiteboard, or our trip in general, which really helped make this experience amazing. We definitely were nervous when we woke up the morning of our first lesson. We signed up for 3 days of lessons, of which progress at different rates depending on how the student is adapting to the sport. Tyson had very particular goals for the lessons, I just wanted to have fun. The first day we met Norm, his demeanor was promising, safe, and fun. While we were both still pretty nervous, after spending some time with Norm our nervousness transitioned to excitement. In addition to taking safety very seriously, Norm always ensured we knew what to expect from the day of lessons.

Day 1 of lessons included ground school, trainer kite familiarity, and body dragging with Norm. In ground school Norm engrained in us some important safety features, we learned about gear (so overwhelming at first) and the basic goal of the sport. The trainer kite is a small 2-line kite that helped us feel familiar with the basic movements and performance of a kite. It was so exciting when we got in the water later in the afternoon to do some body dragging with Norm! Once again, with safety as a top priority, we each launched (one at a time, Tyson walked the beach while I body dragged with Norm and vice versa) with Norm into the Sea of Cortez for an epic body dragging session!

When we were in a safe position, Norm let us take control of the kite and get familiar with how the kite reacted with our inputs. Norm was connected to us the entire time which was a very nice safety blanket (did I mention we are not ocean people). We body dragged downwind and then took out at a popular launch site called Baja Joe’s. From there, we walked back up to the central beach. We both had fun and were excited for the next day of lessons.

Day 2 was almost as exciting as day one, except I think we were less nervous as we at least knew a little bit more about what we were getting ourselves into. The plan for the day, when the wind was appropriate (over 12mph), was to do a mini downwinder from the next launch spot up the beach. We would each be out with our own gear and we would each have an instructor with us the entire time on a stand-up paddleboard. Insert Jesse, one of Norm’s instructors who would be with Tyson on the SUP. He was equally as great, helpful, and as kind as Norm. This seemed like a huge step – getting out in the ocean attached to the kite alone. I was definitely nervous, Tyson was so excited. We still had our security blankets though, and we were also connected via Bluetooth headsets so we could talk to our instructors the entire time.

Norm and Jesse launched our kites for us, and we safely floated out to sea. When we were in the safe zone, we started with some body dragging. Each instructor had a board with them so once they felt we were ready, we could start practicing some water starts with the board. I started to feel more comfortable with the kite and knew the board would be coming soon. Once the board was added, it brought the sport to a whole new level! Not only were we trying to deal with flying a kite (and not crashing a kite), adapting to the ocean (think big rollers and water constantly trying to flood your face), AND trying to attach a board to your feet but then trying to learn how to use the kite to get you out of water. Overwhelming was an understatement.

After attempting many water starts I would say I never felt like I got a long ride on the board, regardless, I looked at it as progress. People make this sport look easy so it definitely felt a little defeating but we had to continue to remind each other it was only day two. We were both exhausted after our day and Norm offered us hot showers which felt like a big treat! We walked back to the van, made some dinner, and went to bed early!

Day 3 would prove to be a frustrating day yet a very good learning experience. The wind was on the brink of the cutoff but Norm was confident we’d be able to get out and practice some more water starts. We headed north from the main campground and put in at a launch called Fig Tree. Once again, Norm and Jesse launched our kites and we only started kiting when we were in a safe spot. They were with us on paddleboards again (how would I ever do this without them on paddleboards, I continued to question).

The wind was right around 12mph and definitely felt lighter than the previous day which was around 15mph. We learned a very valuable lesson this day, one that would stick with us for a long time! Kiteboarding is SO HARD in light wind. The idea of having more wind can be scary but everything is easier when the wind is blowing. It can be compared to riding a bike in rocky terrain. Speed is your friend, if you try to crawl slowly through the rocks you will fall over. Same concept with kiting except with lower winds it is just more work to get power in your kite to get you out of the water.

All of this learning was occurring and then the wind really died. I was struggling to launch my kite and if I did get it launched, it wouldn’t last long. Luckily, I was able to practice a self-rescue which would teach me how to get back to the beach in an emergency situation (like if a line breaks, your kite rips, etc.). I also practiced launching my kite in low wind and worked to get it upright and flying when all it wanted to do was flop into a pretzel. Overall, it was a frustrating day but the experience we gained in other aspects of the sport were invaluable.

After day three, we were both a little sad our lessons were over. I think the hardest part for us was realizing that we had to get out there alone and just practice what we were taught. This would be the next wall to overcome and it was a big one (especially for me). We’d also never launched or landed our own kites so there again was another step to get comfortable with.

We talked with Norm at the end of the day and he agreed that what we really needed to do was to get out there and practice on our own time. We had planned on this and planned on just renting gear for the remainder of the trip. What we didn’t realize, is that in order to rent gear you have to be an “independent kiter.” What that means is that you have to be able to launch and land from the same beach (which means you must be able to go upwind) along with a couple of other requirements. We felt like we were both far from this point, yet didn’t feel as though we needed to continue paying for lessons. This rule is not one made by Norm or Baja Kite and Surf, but it’s a standard set by insurance companies and all of the schools are consistent in this rental rule.

I’m not sure what we would’ve done had we known about this, but it would’ve been nice to know ahead of time. We literally came down with zero gear for kiteboarding and we weren’t ready to invest a lot of money into a sport we didn’t even know we would enjoy (for everything needed you can spend anywhere from $2000-$12000 depending on many variables, the main point being that it is not cheap). That night we scoured the sale groups in La Ventana looking for any reasonably priced cheap gear. We weren’t really finding much and we were a little bummed!

Through word of mouth and us literally asking everyone and anyone in the campground if they had old gear we could use, we slowely accumulated enough gear to be able to get us out there. One gentleman in the campground, Jim, had a bag of old gear that his son used when he came to visit. He generously let us use everything. While we were so grateful for being lent gear, we only had one set which meant the both of us couldn’t do a downwinder together. We spent the first few days alternating and just taking off from the central beach and landing at Baja Joe’s. We always had eyes on each other and it felt safe.

My first day on my own, it was a bit of a low wind day and so I was grateful for what I had learned in my third day of lessons because I pretzeled my kite and wasn’t able to relaunch it. I basically swam for the entire ride but again, it was a valuable experience. We slowly accumulated extra gear from generous campers and eventually had enough so that both of us could go together. A downwinder is nice because it gave us much more water time to be able to practice. We were lucky enough to have made friends who were very good kiters and volunteered to go with us on downwinders so we had a sense of security.

Overall, we were very pleased with our experience with Baja Kite and Surf. Both Norm and Jesse continued to be valuable resources and they were always willing to answer a question if we had one. They’d give us pointers when we were out kiting or encouragement when we saw them on the beach.

We spent the following 5 weeks after our lessons practicing and learning the ropes of the sport and while it is scary and challenging, kiteboarding is so fun and rewarding. While being in the area for so long, we were able to observe many other lessons and instructors and we were very happy with our choice of Baja Kite and Surf. Stemming mostly from safety and their structure, we knew we were out in the water with some of the area’s best.

If you haven’t checked out our Vlog series from Baja, please do so here. There’s so much to be said about kiteboarding and learning how to kiteboard that it’s hard to fit it all in one space. If you’re interested in learning how to kiteboard, we would highly recommend Baja Kite and Surf. If you think you want to learn how to kiteboard but don’t want to take lessons, please let us know how that goes because we can imagine you will have some very interesting stories.

We also put together a little checklist of some imperative gear for first-time kiteboarders (learned some of these tips the hard way):

• HIGH-QUALITY SUNGLASSES with a high-quality “eyewear retainer.” Many people drill holes into the end temple of their sunglasses and then tie a piece of tight string around the back of their head. High quality and polarized lenses are important when you’re spending a lot of time on the water and in the sun. 
• BOOTIES – these will save you from worrying about where you’re stepping when you’re launching and landing. Particularly in La Ventana, there are some rocky areas. I also was stung by a stingray one morning when I was just swimming and I think if I had my booties on it maybe would’ve helped a little bit. Also, when learning how to kiteboard you are walking the beach A LOT. Unless you have incredibly tough feet, you will be happy to have booties for the walk.
• WETSUIT or a neoprene suit that is very comfortable. For the ladies, I found it very important for the inside of my legs/crotch area to be protected as the seat harness can rub/chaff. I had a tendency to just always wear my wetsuit as I found it to be the most comfortable with the harness.
• SUNSCREEN – even if you’re out in the water for a short session, you will get fried. A lot of people even wear buffs on their face for sun protection. If you are on the beach for ground school, make sure you lather your feet with sunscreen! 
• HELMET/HAT COMBO – starting out, it is highly recommended that you wear a helmet. The ones that the school provided were a bit big and I found myself messing with mine out on the water. Ideally, find a helmet that fits you very well that has a brim on it for a little bit of sun coverage. If you have a nice fitting helmet that doesn’t have a brim, try finding a small and lightweight hat that you can wear under it for a brim. 

And gear you will eventually need to buy for the sport (in addition to the list above):

• PFD or IMPACT VEST
• HARNESS – seat or waist (a seat harness is recommended for beginners)
• KITE(S) – you need appropriately sized kites for your size and the wind speed and many people have 3-4 kites
• BAR – you will need a bar for your kite and depending on sizes, you may need two
• BOARD so that you can have some fun with your kite (this board will also need bindings, a handle, and fins)
• HELMET with visor. This is also listed above but with nearly everything we do, we wear head protection so I think we will continue to wear helmets even when we become proficient riders. 
• A GOOD ATTITUDE – like I said this is a tough sport! Getting frustrated is easy but detrimental. Also, you can’t control the wind or weather 🙃.

We’re so excited about adding kiteboarding into our realm of things we enjoy doing in our off time. Admittedly it is more of an investment sport than we originally anticipated but it is so so worth it and it can take you to some pretty amazing (and warm) places around the world. Stay tuned for our adventures in kiteboarding ahead and perhaps we can even bring you some reviews of kite gear available on the market. 

*Baja Kite and Surf gave us a deal on our lessons in exchange for this review but it is important to note that all thoughts and opinions are our own and honest.