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Mexico at Xmas
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loopless



Joined: 30 Jun 1997
Posts: 426

PostPosted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 7:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Captn Kirks has great accommodation and location. But he and his wife are also "kite-mad" and that shows. You have to listen to monologues about how great kiting is. When I went in 2012 his windsurf gear was in a pretty average state - a mis-matched collection of second-hand stuff. It is certainly no Vela when it comes to quality of gear.

I ended up feeling pretty ripped off on the gear rental because of the average quality of the gear for $50/day and the fact that I got charged "double" on a couple of days when I spent 45 minutes teaching my teenager to windsurf on one of the POS boards before the wind came up. That was seen as 2 people renting. His wife also insinuated I was cheating on the rentals - kind of left a bad feeling.
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esteban



Joined: 21 May 2000
Posts: 223

PostPosted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 11:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

some of us still love, live and breath windsurfing here at Ventana Windsports and have plenty of new and up to date gear in our shed...in fact only rent 2013 or 2014 sails and have tiered price structure that accommodates teaching or beginner gear with multiple day discounts as well

Speaking to the original post- having driven down to southern baja and back more than 50 times I will say that it is very safe although I am still very cautious in the border area to Ensenada. Once south of that area it is muy tranquilo and the locals are great.
heres hoping to a great baja season!
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bowen1



Joined: 17 Mar 2001
Posts: 47

PostPosted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 6:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Like Combs said. Ventana Windsports is fantastic. The food is particularly fine.
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foiled_again



Joined: 16 Mar 2001
Posts: 33

PostPosted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 5:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks to everyone for the helpful input. I've travelled far and wide but never to Mexico. I think the time has come.
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MCDORO



Joined: 15 Nov 1993
Posts: 59

PostPosted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 12:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

combs wrote:
We have stayed the last two Xmas/NYE vacations at Ventana Windsports in La Ventana and cannot say enough positives about the place. Great lodging, excellent all inclusive food, gear is brand new and the best in town. And finally the people are great. They book up early as does everyone else that time of year so would strongly suggest you get your reservations in ASAP.
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real-human



Joined: 02 Jul 2011
Posts: 14838
Location: on earth

PostPosted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 11:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

as far as driving the baja via motorcycle, I have done it many times. Plus living here 14 years so many trips by truck. I can say the least safe is by truck because of how wide the truck is, I prefer the ferry if going by pick up truck and no trailer. (too expensive to take a trailer on the ferry) The mileage is identical if you are coming from LA or north of there. You save if you are coming from east of LA. Yes it is a bit more expensive. But mainland is 4 lanes divided and no cows, no mountain grades or curves, services every 30 miles, lower cost and nicer hotels(though cross the border at 6am you are on the ferry that night and in LaPaz in the morning) .

As far as those saying how dangerous it is via motorcycle well they have never driven it obviously. Because bike is so narrow when a vehicle like bus or semi is coming from the other direction, well they do cheat a foot or two in many curves, I know because in my pickup truck they forced be off the road by a foot with a truck no real problem. So they cheat a foot or two, well on a motorcycle we do not ride on the center-line. I ride to the right side and have never seen an oncoming vehicle on that side of the road. For a motorcycle carry a gallon or to of gas is no problem, plus in the remote areas there are people who sell gas at double the price on the side of the road like catavina, gee an extra $10.00 for gas is no big deal. so it costs you $90.00 all the way down vs $80.00.

As far as cows, well yes hey are all over but in general you will find the absolute highest density and highest risk LaPaz and south. This is by far the highest risk area for cows. Yep do not drive over 60 mph LaPaz and south and the evening seems to be the highest density of them. A motocycle has so much greater mobility and stopping power than any car in the world. Again driving for 30 plus years on motorcycles people who do not ride confuse what a cow and deer risk is. A deer flys by such high rates you just never see them at all, we do not have deer just cows. Cows are moving like turtles.

So the mountain part from LaPaz to Laventana on a motorcycle, I would stay at 40- 50mph and if driving to Barriles from san Pedro to there same. And I would avoid both those sections at night on a motorcycle, I avoid both of those at night. In my 14 years have probably driven those sections 10 times when dark. Where as I have no problem driving the rest of the baja north of LaPaz at night on a motorcycle..

Now back to cars I prefer to drive at night in mountain areas as you can see the main danger the oncoming traffic; cars, buses or semi's headlights well in advance. During the day you go around a mountain curve it is they are 2 feet in my lane what do I do. Well first do not drive fast in mountain curve areas during the day. In general we have so many cows on our mountains south of Lapaz because we have a human population in them with many being ranchers. Other north parts of the baja they are remote and you do not have a hundred ranchers in the mountain areas like we do here.

I also like to drive saturdays and sundays as there seem to be fewer semis on the road specially sundays. Also make sure you are not driving if the baja 1000 is on, they have chase vehicles that will be with trailers flying by you and they stop to meet their driver, and then have to pass you again. Done that been there.

another place I would recommend other than ventana windsport and Kirks would be Kite Paradise, he is the only local Mexican who owns a resort. www.kiteparadise.biz.


Also I have a site that shows you how to cross the border each direction where to get your tourist cards, and how to get through Ensenada, which is not straight forward and can be intimidating the first time either direction. www.la-ventana.info

anyone riding a motorcycle feel free to contact/call me for more details if concerned. It is by far the best and most enjoyable way to drive the baja.
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vbr1



Joined: 05 Mar 2013
Posts: 28

PostPosted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is a classic Sea of Cortez Norte in La Ventana. Jan, 2013

The first photo is what it is like early in the morning



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tomg



Joined: 10 Apr 2000
Posts: 294

PostPosted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 4:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I stayed at La Ventana Windsports two years ago and also can endorse the facility and staff: excellent and you can't beat having all the gear on the beach.

You can fly into La Paz and get a shuttle or fly to Cabo San Lucas and rent a car and do two plus hour drive - which is mostly pleasant and interesting.

We were there in February and never saw much in the way of swell but the wind does come up like clockwork. It was glassy in the morning
( great for paddling, fishing, etc) and then about 1130 the ripples build to a solid 20plus by 1230, and then it blows solid until cocktail hour.
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real-human



Joined: 02 Jul 2011
Posts: 14838
Location: on earth

PostPosted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 5:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

can not fly direct into lapaz anymore alaska stopped again. there are direct flights from TJ is about the best you can do. Volaris and very good airline. fly to SD take a volaris bus to TJ airport. basically easier to fly to cabo.
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wyattmiller



Joined: 23 Jan 2008
Posts: 651

PostPosted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 1:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't forget about www.prowindsurflaventana.com where all those epic photos that you see above came from. Wink Wink Wink

Tyson and I sure know how to have fun in LV and it is contagious!

Plus you get to hang out on that awesome couch.



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