Although we windsurfed in La Ventana, the following information would be useful to kiteboarders as well.

We flew to La Ventana in Baja California on Christmas Day. We were staying at Captain Kirks bed and breakfast in La Paz.

The windsurfing was on the other side of the peninsula. It took about an hour to drive there everyday. We would arrive in the early afternoon so the wind was already blowing by the time we showed up. The gear hut was great and there was a huge deck above that was a good place to eat and relax.

We showed up just as the El Nortes began to blow. The wind was blowing 40 mph and the swells were 7-8 feet tall. We were still beginners and I had a bad back flair up just before we left. Always having more daring than brains, I figured at least I could uphaul. Kirk told me to sail out about two miles before jibing because it would be easier there. I went out about two miles tried to turn and promptly fell in.

The swells and the high winds ensured that I wasnÕt going to waterstart, although I tried to for about an hour. I finally gave up, got up on the board and reached for the uphaul. Much to my dismay, I didnÕt have one. I spent another hour swimming the rig over urchin beds and finally landed about a mile down the beach. Jane didn't do much better. The next day was about the same. Due to my back, I finally decided to, drink beer and enjoy the view.

The food in Baja was fantastic We had excellent fresh fish tacos everyday on the way to the windsurfing location. We love the food in Baja and you canÕt beat the price.

This was again one of our first trips and a learning experience. I learned to check my rig personally before sailing two miles from shore. We were just in over our heads. If we had been able to start earlier in the morning, before the big winds came up, I think we would have had a better time. I understand that now Kirk has good accommodations at the rental spot which eliminates the long drives to and from La Paz. Check it out for yourself.