Discovering the Freedom of Bay Kiteboarding

Captain John’s Kite the Bay wasn’t my first experience with kiteboarding. On a whim, I had taken a kiteboarding lesson last year on a vacation in Mexico. I thought it was an intriguing sport, but the instructor in Mexico was somewhat inattentive, and at the end of a few days I didn’t feel comfortable with kite control and wasn’t convinced the sport was right for me.

Over the course of the summer, however, I had friends pick up the sport who loved it. They made me rethink my initial conclusion, and this May I saw an advertisement for Captain John’s Kite the Bay. I liked the idea of taking lessons at a convenient location like Treasure Island. I was also attracted to starting the lessons in the water right away; during my Mexican vacation lessons I felt panicky as I bounced around on land with a powerful kite.

My first lesson with John gracefully eased me into the sport. He could sense that I was a little uneasy about safety, so he gave me the opportunity to fly the kite off of the back of the boat first. This way, I wasn’t connected to the kite and I could focus on controlling its responsive and agile characteristics without getting spooked by its power.

As additional training, John wanted me to feel what it was like to ride a board without the responsibility of flying the kite. He put me in a harness and attached me to kiteboarding lines strung from a pole off the side of his boat. Being hooked up to this kitepole produced a feeling similar to that of a kite, but I didn’t have to be in charge of steering it, so riding the board received my full attention. Breaking up the lessons of flying the kite and riding the board was a huge bonus.

With my newfound confidence in my control, I was ready to hook up and hop in. By the time I was in the water, body dragging with kite attached to me, I was thrilled and fully committed to getting up and riding. John used a headset so that he could speak to me directly through my helmet. I began to successfully guide myself around in the water with the power of the kite.

John’s lessons completely opened my eyes to the power of kiteboarding. I had never felt this type of freedom in a sport. Wakeboarding relies on a boat, and jet skiing and many other water sports bog down with excessive amounts of gear and fuel. But with kiteboarding, I can throw a kite in a backpack, grab a board and essentially just go—as long as the wind cooperates!

When I finally got in the water with the board and the kite, I realized the potential for an amazing experience. But there’s one last hurdle—the challenge of transitioning between being in the water with the kite to putting a board on, standing up and riding. This can be a tedious experience, especially listening to other friends’ stories. I have to admit I had my frustrating moments, I drank a lot of Bay water and crashed my kite a number of times, but Captain John gave me plenty of encouragement and remained patient and calm.

As for my lessons, if it was a rough day, we’d end on a high note. If the wind wasn’t just right, we’d take the time to change kite sizes, and make sure our gear matched the conditions. Having the boat offered protection from the winds during breaks, so I could regain my stamina before hopping back in for another run. And being within view of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate was, as you might imagine, truly amazing. I am happy to say I am now riding and feeling great. I still have lots to learn and many seasons of practice ahead of me, but there is no feeling quite like that of combining the elements of wind and gliding on my board. I’m hooked!