They're a Few Miles Apart . . .
A Baja Wasteland Soon after arriving in Baja I wonder: “How many people get picked up in a vegi burning rig at the Cabo Airport?” It smelled like Chinese fused with McDonalds as we bolstered down a desolate path in a converted F350 Bio-Diesel 4x4. Nothing but sand, mountain, and Cacti in sight as our small house sitting on the Sea of Cortez approached us. At least my GPS showed it was getting close.
La Ventana is well known as Baja’s infamous wind capital. Since we were in search of lesser known kiting areas, the City of Los Barriles (Lost Barrels in English), became our base. Our close friends and Mexico veterans, Holland and Luna Duell, drove their converted F350 Bio-Diesel 4x4diesel truck with 200 gallons of fast food grease from Charleston, SC to Baja, met us and were our tour guides for the month. Luna awesomely chilled behind the lens while we kited.
While many take advantage of free camping along beaches where rain runs off the mountains, we booked Casa Bonita Vista, an insane modern adobe for 75% less than a similar American rental. A sweet deal as we had a private beach, and private wind.
Cozumel Craziness Four weeks later we’re sweating in the Cozumel Airport. As we stuff a 1968 VW Thing with kiteboarding gear for five, Beverly Hillbilly flashbacks fill my brain. Everywhere you look, there are people. They were either dark skinned Mayan descent or pasty tourists on vacation.
On this Yucatan adventure, Cozumel’s wind trends lured us in. Flexifoil rep Jeoffrey Nathan and seasoned kiter Stephen Guyon tagged along. Camping is rare here, but we found everything from outhouses to penthouses to store our gear in. A similar Baja type house rental was twice as much. We opted for an older waterfront townhouse between two all inclusive resorts, which still cost more than the killer Baja adobe.
Even though Hurricane Wilma hit more than a year ago, her damage severely dwindled Yucatan beaches and structures. During our stay, remnants of a pacific cyclone passed over our little hacienda. Water was pouring down inside walls and out of the electrical outlets, blowing lights out. Keeping it real, we went Mexican Style with rubber soled shoes and cerveza.
Different Places, Different Winds
Baja El Norte Baja winds are strong and predictable November through March. Outside of that, leave your kites home. Waking to deep 6am sunrays, we could kite by 8am in about 12-15kts. We would make ourselves wait till noon in order to fully enjoy Baja’s strong 20kts plus breeze, known as el Norte. Low water temps had us in shorties. Cooler days had us in full wetsuits. Not a bad trade off as the powered riding is created by the cool water embracing the warm desert.
The slow building winds stir up a nice swell, making the Cortez Sea resemble a nice skate park with seals swimming about. Around La Ventana and La Paz, barrier islands keep the swell low and chop very mild. Los Barilles stirred on average 3’ ramps with occasional 6 footers to blast off of.
Yucatan Sea Breeze Around the Yucatan Caribbean, the kiteboarding season is much longer. Other than August and September, it’s kiteable with great riding October through May. While sea breezes can pick up in the afternoon, we often found ourselves in comparable morning winds as well. Averaging 15-20kts, the crazy clear turquoise oceans require no thermal protection.
Boat access lagoons hold super flat water and curious wildlife. Sea tortoises, large rays and eels were often sighted below our fins. Several sunken boats made excellent sliders. While almost unnoticeable, there are tides which raise the sandbars within inches of the surface. When exposed, these tiny islands make unbelievable launching pads. When eating it, we learned lagoon bottoms are not as beautiful as they look. Keeping our feet off the bottom avoided all the hard sharp stuff down there, and a trip to the local hospital
Launching, Landing and Living
Baja Boosting Baja wave riding can be found on the west coast, more than an hours drive across the desert. Yes, the waves are sick. But, the awesome eastern coast conditions kept us localized. With the reliable bio-diesel ride, GPS and maps we stuffed post boosting sessions with 5-10 mile downwinders.
Kiters and windsurfers are crazy concentrated in Baja’s popular areas. Some spots even have mild “rules” and signs posted asking wind lovers to share the waters. Often ignored, windsurfers would sometimes provoke kiters to jump…and over them we went. Only 15 minutes north of “downtown” La Ventana, we found the least populated super wide and sandy launch at the Hot Springs. Many kiteboarders start downwinders here.
Outside Hot Springs, we found rocks everywhere. Mostly smooth and round, they are very loose and can easily sprain ankles. When launching and landing, our boards and bodies took nicks several times as rocks shifted below our feet. Low tide also raised a few small razor gnarly reefs close to the surface. Yep, they hurt too so booties are recommended.
Yucatan Variety Around eastern Mexico, waves are much more accessible. 20 minutes by car is all that separated our lagoon sessions from clean chest to head high faces. The crap part was warm waters mean more reef. Keeping a close watch between the waves revealed several high risk areas. We just drove down to a cleaner spot. Waves were nice, real nice.
Around car access launch areas, kiting can get crowded. Some areas have posted rules. Even though all beaches are Mexican Federal property, staying out of these “private” areas avoided problems. Caribbean riding is sweet. Kiting gets even sweeter when armed with a boat and guide. I can’t express how incredible the desolate tropical lagoons are.
Starting from Cozumel’s northeast point, we did a 13-mile downy. All through warm delicious flat water with reef breaks about 200 yards out. On our last day, we even attempted crossing the Cozumel Channel to Playa del Carmen. This is when we discovered really strong currents about 150 yards out from Cozumel’s west coast. They can be great friends…or really big foes. Since we could see them, staying out of the deep blue water kept us safe.
What You do when the Sun Goes Down
Baja Chill With the Baja sunset, we and most others would crash soon after dusk. Waking early to intense sun rises, everyone was stoked and ready. Mornings meant meandering in the desert until noon, when winds hit full strength. Cool air often prompted hoodies and hot drinks.
The desert offers super chill moods with little to spend your money on, although getting to and around the peninsula can be costly. Friends made were from the western USA and Canada as we gathered to try each others culinary talents. Things seemed and felt very safe as we were all there for one thing, wind.
Yucatan Party In contrast, Yucatan darkness brings life. We found ourselves touring the streets in a modified VW Bug. Funny, as it rivaled a Baja dune buggy. Mornings were tougher since our nights typically ended with Carnival music imprinted on the brain. This cruise ship central has downtown streets lined with tequila bearing, whistle blowing shot police. You could go all night. Many of us did, often.
There was little to chill around. Party ready people are everywhere since getting to the Yucatan is quick and cheap. However, few tourists were wind driven. Keeping our stuff close became critical with many crowding the scene. Since kiteboarders were very scarce, we bonded more with Cozumel’s local kite king, Adrian, and his family. Extremely courteous, he always left the door open for us.
Beyond Kiteboarding
While Baja has got to be one of the most predictable areas we’ve ever kited, it’s not on all the time. When off, we chilled and shut down all technology. Daily market trips marked the only true contact with local civilization. Surf can be found on the west coast, but that took too much effort and our bodies needed rest. Instead, we made a 9-hole golf course in the hot sands behind the house.
The Yucatan energy is almost overwhelming! We needed a vacation after our trip just to rest up. There was always something to do (and spend our money on). When there’s no wind, we went snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, shopping, eating, and ruin exploring. Even though we spent more money in one day here then we did on our entire trip to its western cousin, it was so worth it.
How We Would Do It, Again!
If we were to pick a Mexican home this winter, we would again hit both peninsulas. Each is affordable, easy to travel, and compliments the other. In fact, we’re already planning winter group kiteboarding trips to these Mexican kiteboarding sanctuaries. Although this year, we’re hiting the Yucatan first then Baja, for two reasons:
1 – After partying in Cozumel, we’ll need a chill place to rest up
2 – We hope Baja will be a bit warmer closer to spring
For more details and tips on Mexico Kiteboarding, see air's Xplor guide here. You’ll also find out how to join upcoming group kiteboarding trips and vacations to both areas.
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