Kiteboarding in La Ventana

I catch my first glimpse of La Ventana through a forest of 100+ year old cordon cacti. These prickly giants are as iconic to the Baja Californian peninsula in Mexico as the turquoise water I’m headed toward, but I’m not here to visit them. Above the white capped sea, vibrant kites swoop and soar, dancing to the rhythm of the wind.

My heart soars with them. I’m here for three days to learn kiteboarding and I can’t wait.

Back to School

In 2011, Discovery Channel named La Ventana the world’s best kiteboarding destination and it’s not hard to see why. The wind here is a predictable 15-30 knots from November through March, funnelled between the mainland and Cerralvo Island, eight and a half miles offshore. Occasionally the Cova wind will blow, bringing ridable waves to the beaches, but today it’s a textbook 12 knots and there is not a cloud in the sky.

I’ve chosen to learn at Good Life Kiteboarding, a kiteboard school housed in the back corner of Playa Central, an enormous yellow building that was once a shrimp farm. From the office, large double doors frame the view of palm trees and sand leading to the water. Staff here lovingly refer to it as ‘Kite TV’ and students and instructors alike mingle at the doorway mesmerised by the striking scene.

My instructor Petr selects my harness from the overflowing rack. It’s surprisingly comfortable, wide and padded, and provides plenty of support for my lower back. I'm itching to get out of the water but soon discover that the first lesson is all about kite and wind theory. Petr and I walk to the water’s edge and he regards me intently.

“Which direction is the wind coming from?”

I instinctively raise my arm and point to the northwest.

“How can you tell?”

I pause, closing my eyes and allowing my head to turn from side to side. The wind in my ears is the giveaway, I realise. When I feel the breeze on my face and it sounds the same in both ears, I’m directly facing the wind’s origin. Petr nods with a raised eyebrow at my explanation.

“What happens to the wind when it encounters an object?”

“Is the wind stronger or more gentle away from shore?”

“Which wind direction is ideal for this beach?”

“In what direction would you launch?”

Petr is intent on ensuring that I fully understand what I’m getting into. He teaches me how to read the waves, to determine wind speed and what effect the nearby RV park might have on the wind.

It’s only an extreme sport if you do something stupid

“Release!”

I instantly let go of the bar as Petr lunges forward to grab it, expertly guiding my kite out of the power zone I had accidentally entered. I sigh. I thought I had been mimicking his slight finger motions exactly, but I’m obviously moving my hands far too much. It’s lesson #2 and I’m still on dry ground, learning to fly the kite.

Contrary to popular belief, kiteboarding doesn’t involve arm strength. In fact, those who know what they’re doing (unlike me), can pilot their kite with two pinkie fingers barely touching the control bar. Most of the required strength comes from the core, around which the harness is strapped.

We launch again and again. Kiteboarding is 80% kite flying skills and Petr is determined that I master the basics before moving forward.

As I begin to despair about my lack of coordination, I somehow manage to launch the kite correctly, avoiding the power zone, and soon I’m flying it in controlled arcs above my head. Nearby kiteboarders give me wide smiles and thumbs up.

This beach camaraderie has taken me by surprise. Everyone is so genuinely nice. There is little room for ego in this world, and even expert boarders are happy to lend a hand launching a newbie’s kite. More than once I see a Good Life instructor drop everything to rush in and help a struggling beginner on the sand.

At 5pm every afternoon, the beach empties and experts and novices alike congregate at the rooftop bar, where kiting exploits are retold, their drama proportional to the consumption of Playa’s potent 2-for-1 happy hour margaritas. Conversation flows and friendships are made as we watch the sun throw streaks of orange across the water. The pizza tastes fabulous.

How to Swallow Sea Water

It’s day two and I'm paired up with instructor Tülin for a body dragging lesson. The concept is simple enough. You lie on your side and fly the kite, allowing it to pull you through the water at 45°, tacking up-wind. It’s how you reunite with a lost board, or get yourself back to shore if you have lost it completely. That’s the theory, anyway. In practice, things are not so simple.

“Watch the kite!"

Tülin is hanging on to the handle at the back of my harness as I attempt to drag us both through the waves which crash into my face with alarming frequency. I take large gasping breaths, trying to control panic as I spit out the sea water that I'm ingesting. I strain to catch a glimpse of oncoming waves through the corner of my eye.

“Watch the kite!” she yells again.

Crap. I've let it fall into the water. Again.

Eventually we try body dragging on the other side. I squint in the sun, but there are no waves stealing my breath so I’m able to concentrate more on correct body placement. My heart rate lowers and I allow myself to marvel at the magnificent coastline around me.

Close to the shore, the water is light turquoise, and impossibly clear. As the water deepens, so does its colour, until it achieves a deep indigo. I’m told there are whales out here, and occasionally dolphins come to play. The shape of the La Ventana Bay is perfect for beginners. While experienced kiteboarders can launch and return to the same spot, beginners end up downwind. This beach sweeps around like a catcher’s mitt, and has a wide sandy beach on which to walk back to the launch point.

Back at the Playa Central bar, talk centres around the wind. Always the wind. Kites and boards and lessons can be bought, but the wind is the key ingredient that only mother nature can provide. Today, it seems, she's in a good mood.

Tomorrow would be a different story.

The Glassy Sea

My third and final day in La Ventana dawns crisp and bright. I watch the sunrise reflect over the glassy water. There is not a breath of wind in the air. I’m told that La Ventana usually gets 26 good kiteboarding days each month. Today is not one of them. Dejected kiteboarders mull around, unsure of what to do. La Ventana is a forgotten corner of Mexico, and its lack of development is part of its appeal. There are no high-rise resorts, no shopping malls, no tourist traps.

On such days, Playa Central becomes the coveted hangout. Kiteboarders challenge each other to a game of table tennis. Others try shuffle board. Or curl up in the scattered couches with a book from the converted-fridge library. Above us, decorative umbrellas hang motionless from the high ceiling, despite the open doors around the building.

I take the opportunity to walk along the shore and listen to the gentle lapping of the water. I write in my journal. I read. I cuddle a puppy. I doze. And I realise that this is the idyllic life.

US culture tells us that life is not worth living unless you’re going a million miles an hour. There is always somewhere to go and work to be done. Hustle. Hustle.

Although I’m disappointed to not have a lesson on my final day in paradise, La Ventana has taught me that it’s OK. An occasional day to do absolutely nothing apart from listening to the waves is good for the soul.

I discuss my revelation with Suzan, who has escaped Europe’s winter months to kiteboard in La Ventana. She laughs as she pushes her dreadlocks back from her deeply tanned face. “I used to be in the corporate world,” she says. “Perfectly manicured with pencil skirts and high heels. But then I discovered this.” She waves her arm out to the open sea.

“This is what life is really about.”

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Getting there

La Ventana is located 1 hour from La Paz and 2 hours from Los Cabos, both of which are serviced by Alaska Airlines. Private shuttle transport from either airport can be arranged by Playa Central.

Staying there

There are a wide variety of boutique hotels, RV and camping parks, and holiday lets. Playa Central can help with accommodation arrangements if required.

Getting around

There is no public transport in La Ventana, so it’s best to stay somewhere within walking distance to the school and beach.

Lessons

www.playacentralkiteboarding.com

Lessons from $150, but $650 will get you 8 hours of personal instruction designed to get you from absolute beginner to riding solo.