I had a wonderful time learning how to Wind foil with Jon at Kite the bay. Parking in the area is limited to two hour parking and you'll have to chance it because introductory lesson is usually three hours. Jon also took great photos and videos of me in action. I'm looking forward to the next lesson soon! read more

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The beginner wingfoil lesson was completely satisfactory. John is very well equipped for a smooth learning experience. The boat, size variety in equipment and radio-helmet makes the progress quick. John himself observes mistakes correctly and provides realtime feedback. Great experience read more

The kitesurfing experience was really fun and I had a great time! It was very helpful to do the basics using his boat and equipment but unfortunately I felt that the instruction I received from John was mediocre. He wasn't as helpful as I thought he would be. Basically you are paying for the equipment, not necessarily the instruction. He also showed up 20 minutes late and ended the session 15 minutes early, so basically I lost 35 minutes of my 3 hour session. read more

KiteTheBay is an excellent way to get a feel for what it is like to foil and you will probably be up foiling in the first hour or less! John is very helpful and has great equipment. If you want to get into a foiling sport this is a great start! read more

After a year of "foiling", first on a Fliteboard efoil, then wingfoiling and SUPfoiling, I decided to give prone foiling a try. A couple of hours at Ocean Beach in small surf yielded a cumulative 10 seconds of foil time. So, what to do? Sign up with Kite The Bay! John is a capable captain, gentle on the throttle, patiently circling back after my many falls. A couple of hours behind the boat surely compressed many months of learning. Not cheap, but hey, what is your time worth? Don't delay, book today! read more

KiteTheBay - Kite the Bay pic - Kiteboarding Near Me - San Francisco, California

If you want to learn to kite surf, or foil, or practically any sport involving wind and water, then Captain John and his Kite The Bay program are for you. The combination of his teaching experience, his boat, and the reliable winds in the heart of the Bay can't be beat. Yes it's expensive, but cheap compared to flying off to Playa Ventana. read more

KiteTheBay - Captain John instructions were able to get me up and flying across the water. - Kiteboarding Near Me - San Francisco, California

John is an excellent teacher with years of water and wind knowledge. His program offers a safe path to wind sport proficiency.

Called and left multiple messages over many days and no one called back. I'm trying a different service in the Bay Area.

John's the best and getting out in the boat gets you comfortable kiting in the bay in no time. Even in lighter wind conditions he can help find the best area to go and get you up and kiting. The kiting anchor to the boat is a great way to get comfortable flying the kite, and is so much better than any trainer kite would be. Definitely recommend getting lessons from John for anyone who's looking to get into the sport! read more

I had a great kitefoiling lesson with Captain John /KTB. I am just learning kitefoiling and tried a couple sessions without much success. I booked a lesson with Captain John to shorten the learning curve. The first hour is to get towed behind the boat. I crashed a lot at first,but after each crash, John told me what to be fixed. After 10-15 min, i was able to ride the board and occasionally foiling behind the board . After that , he put me on the kite and i was able to ride and controlled the board and foiling pretty well . I could not be happier. One hour behind the boat is totally worth it. Captain John is very patient and calm. His instruction (helmet with radio) is clear and easy to understand. Highly recommend him for any kite lesson. read more

KiteTheBay - Kiteboarding Near Me - San Francisco, California

John was great, had a blast! Really liked that it was one-on-one and we were on the water in his boat the entire time because I got to learn a lot in just a few hours. read more

I had my first lesson ever with John this Friday and it was great! He is a fantastic instructor. He broke down each step and explained the nuances very well. And he is super patient and calm. He doesn't rush anything. It was amazing to be able to get out in the Bay and fly a full sized kite. I was also anxious about getting in the water but that was great too, the wet suit ROCKED! I will definitely be taking more lessons with John either here or at La Ventana or BOTH! If you have any curiosity about learning how to kite surf you couldn't pick a better person to learn from. read more

This was my first time kiting and it was a great introduction to the sport. John provided all the gear I needed, along with a step-by-step approach that took me from basic kite handling skills to standing up and even getting in some short rides by the end of the first lesson! Practicing piloting skills with the kite anchored to the boat let me get a feel for steering and powering up the kite without getting tossed around on the beach or getting dragged through the water. Launching from the boat removed a lot of the anxieties I had from watching people learn on the beach. There are no obstacles or bystanders to worry about launching in open water. If you need help recovering gear, you'll only lose a minute or two while John helps you from the boat. This allows you to spend more time working on skills and getting in uninterrupted reps. The real-time feedback from the helmet radio was invaluable. I could receive feedback on kite position *while riding*, which really helped get a better feel for things. It was also much nicer than trying to yell over surf and winds. I couldn't recommend this class more. I'll be back for another lesson! read more

KiteTheBay - Up and riding day one! Launching from the boat provided plenty of open space to practice. - Kiteboarding Near Me - San Francisco, California

John is a great and calm instructor and the entire setup of going out on a boat was perfect for me as a beginner. I was able to get up and do my first rides already in the middle of the first lesson supported by Johns instructions that I received via speakers in the helmet. I will definitely book more classes in the future to get myself to the next level. read more

If you have kited at all or are interested in kiting, you NEED to get together with John and go Kite the Bay!!! There is no better way to see the Golden Gate Bridge and experience the San Francisco Bay. John's email communications were prompt and informative. He bent over backwards to accomodate my needs and my schedule. He was right on time at our meeting point and everything worked seemlessly. He has great gear, including a full range of kites, boards, suits and everything to get you on the water. He also has a communication helmet that was super helpful and would be really awesome for those taking lessons. I kited under the bay, played and jumped right by the bridge and John even took pictures of me to memoralize the experience. I saw sea lions and kited past ocean liners and cruize ships. It was amazing!!! If this isn't on your bucket list it should be and in order to do it safely, you should contact John. I am an experienced kiter and I was considering just renting some gear and going off from Crissy Field, but it is quite the upwind haul to get to the bridge from there and there is a very large gusty wind shadow off of the beach that could catch you unawares. There also can be significant ship traffic that John can help you navigate and keep you out of harms way. John is a great and knowledgeable guy and you should really expereince the bay and the bridge by getting under it! Thanks again John! read more

KiteTheBay - Kiteboarding Near Me - San Francisco, California

After researching many kitesurfing schools around the Bay Area I decided on KiteTheBay and I can say now I'm very glad I did! Captain John is a super chill guy and excellent instructor passionate about the sport. He was also very accomodating to fit in 3 sessions on short notice before my vacation which was awesome! Departing from Treasure Island, on his jet boat appropriately named Windseeker, you will be flying the kite and in the water by the end of your first lesson! John selects the ideal location on the bay for you to kite, take a board lesson or combine the two to accelerate your progression. KiteTheBay uses Cabrinha kites and top notch equipment all around. The week following my lessons I went on vacation to Hawaii and was able to hit the water with confidence! John's point by point instruction by radio helmet, maximized time on the water by boat, instead of walking it back on the beach, and board training using a customized bar attached to his boat made all the difference in accelerating my learning curve and getting the most from my kitesurfing experience on Oahu. KiteTheBay is a Five Star Operation ideal for the beginner as well as intermediate and advanced kitersurfer looking to take it to the next level. Don't just take my word on it, check out the other yelp reviews and YouTube video instruction John has out there as give back to the kitesurfing community. I will definitely be signing up for another lesson soon. Thanks, Captain John! read more

John was an awesome teacher. The way he broke it down with board skills pulled by the boat and then kite skills separately. Then put it together with the radio helmets was great. Definitely accelerated my learning and I'm going to try to go back for another lesson. read more

I made multiple attempts to learn to kite before a colleague recommended John. He is an amazing instructor who has come up with a way to break the sport down into distinct parts for those of us with no prior boardsport experience. That's immensely helpful when you are just barely proficient with flying the kite. John uses one-way radio helmets to give real-time coaching, which is also a game changer. This is sooo much better than having some guy tell you what you did wrong after the fact. Just as important, John is calm, specific and not overly gabby on that radio. He has figured out a small set of critical things to call out and that focus is really valuable when you aren't in a position to take on a lot of extraneous information. Boat support is another huge plus, as it gives you access to windy spots with high reliability (it's not always blowing where a shore-based instructor might want to teach) so you can get loads of practice in. Riding over waves on the back seat of a jet ski is spine pulverizingly un-fun and so being able to cruise back upwind in the comfort of John's boat is completely awesome. Another plus of boat support is that John can help you put everything back together and go out again if you have to hit the quick release for some reason. This is simply not an option if you are learning from shore -- you have to self-rescue and spend a bunch of time re-rigging on the beach. John also teaches in Baja during the winter and is equally awesome there. In one session I found myself getting cross chatter from another instructor on the same radio channel and the guy was yelling at his student in a way that couldn't possibly be helpful. That was a great reminder of how valuable John's cool and patient style is for us slower learners. :-) Thanks to John I'm up and riding independently and loving it. I can't recommend him highly enough! read more

You should learn to kiteboard with John. The secret to learning any sport is to get a coach who can adapt to your style of learning. I must say John's skill was taking my excitement to kite to the next level and turning into skill on the water in just the way I like to learn. Big things that helped me learn fast - Radio helmet. This is key, and something I had never tried before. Instead of being out there in the water not knowing what to do but knowing you're making mistakes, John is there there with you to talk through struggles and spread the stoke on the successes. - Flying the kite attached to the back of the boat. This can be done on land, but is dangerous and can be hard to practice water re-launches. On the boat, you can fly the kite in all kinds of wind conditions, sitting side by side with John getting tips and having him show you techniques. Best way to work through all kinds of re-launches and crazy kite-tumbling mishaps. - The boat. Others covered this, but A. you go to the wind, and B. John picks you up, no scary landings on the beach/rocks/people/dogs. Overall John took some skills I had from kiting on the snow and from water skiing, and in a very short amount of time got me ripping on the water! Will definitely be back for more skills and boat-assisted riding. read more

KiteTheBay - Gettin after it! - Kiteboarding Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Read a bunch of reviews, called a few Kite schools, and happened to be in Tonic last night and got the tip to got see John, so I went today. I had a super good experience. First of all, my girlfriend had a blast and wants to go again, so right there he gets 5 stars. I also had fun, learned a lot and would recommend John unconditionally. Up and riding on day 1. One note, he has all the gear, sick boat, helmet microphone, nice kite & board, etc. I didn't think this would make any difference in the lesson... it does. I'm going back till I get this thing. read more

I went to see John for my first kitesurfing experience. I was headed to Hawaii in 2 weeks and wanted to (1) see if I enjoyed kitesurfing and (2) if I did like it I wanted to get enough experience to be able to kite while I was in Maui. I basically wanted to jump in with both feet and learn as quickly as possible. John was the man for the job. Kite The Bay is ideal for getting the most out of your first lessons. We were out in the bay during lesson one learning about the board skills, kiting skills and body dragging. John is a gifted teacher who offers a good balance of teaching with quiet time to allow you to learn skills and focus on the feel of the kite. I also highly recommend the method of learning the skills on a power boat. It was very useful in following me as I was learning and for chasing/hunting big wind. John's equipment is incredibly maintained and includes the latest gear... your helmet is wired with a microphone so that John can continue to speak to you from his boat while you are in the middle of the bay learning the skills. His speed boat is top notch and beautiful. (He washes it after every lesson.) He also allows you to borrow wet suits, booties, etc. And there is a shower to use in the Marina after your lesson. First timers or kiters looking for a way to improve your skills, you cannot go wrong with John. A great man, instructor, and business owner. read more

Awesome! Jon is a very thorough instructor and so encouraging. He had me up on the foil in no time behind the boat so I could understand that first. Next we worked with both the board and wing. This was my very first lesson and I feel I just need practice to get up on the foil using the wing. That level of instruction and a boat for three hours is such a deal. read more

Great first experience! Captain John truly has a perfect set up and I'd recommend Kite the Bay to anyone curious about kiteboarding! His boat, equipment, and wetsuits are all new and very nice (& warm). I am definitely more of a land-person and was pretty unsure about going out on the freezing choppy bay but I definitely had a fantastic time and believe I got a great taste of the sport. Captain John is a very cool guy with a lot of experience and a true passion for the sport. We were drilling him with questions and he was very engaging and excited to share his knowledge with us. Make sure to bring some snacks for the boat. Slipped my mind but luckily my friend had some great treats - makes for an even better day out on the water! read more

John has nothing less than a 5-star review here on Yelp and that's for a reason. Weather you are a young pup looking to add to your arsenal of cool sports or just working though a mid-life crisis (like me), John is your guy. He is the only instructor in the area with a boat (and it is an awesome boat). This allows you to develop board skills in minutes (literally) as opposed to other instructors out there who assist with a wimpy jet-ski. He set's you up with a wetsuit, vest, harness and kites and an RF helmet that he can talk into your ear while you are act like a Blue Marlin on the hook.... Most importantly, John is a great guy to hang out with for a few hours. Great people skills, great communicator and great temperament for 40 year old dudes wanting to act like they are 20 again... Don't hesitate....you won't regret it.... read more

I booked a class that John cancelled due to equipment problems, but John never refunded my $500 I had to reach out to him 5 weeks after the class when it showed up on my credit card. Now I have finance charges for the transaction and a $500 error on my credit card bill. John needs to adopt responsible business practices to become a better vendor. read more

My girlfriend and I had an awesome time on the Bay with John. We'd had a few kite lessons before, but John's teaching method helped us progress faster than ever before (see photo). I was up and riding for the first time after the first hour of the lesson. We'll definitely be booking another set of lessons with John soon and have recommended Kite the Bay to all of our friends interested in learning to kite. Thanks again, John! read more

KiteTheBay - First lesson with John and first time riding with the kite! - Kiteboarding Near Me - San Francisco, California

I had a kiteboarding lesson with John this past weekend and it was fantastic. John's boat is rigged in such a way that makes it really easy to break down the learning process. I hadn't kiteboarded this season and I wanted to have a refresher to work on a couple of things and John had no problems customizing the course for me. I would highly recommend Kite the Bay over other schools in the bay area. I am looking forward to introducing my friends to the sport of kiteboarding and kite the bay. Thanks John. read more

Full Disclosure: This class was comped as Weekend Sherpa research. First of all, Captain John has a boat and he's not afraid to use it. The beginner lesson starts off with board skills in the calm waters of the Treasure Island cove. It's not too hard to just stand up on the board and I think this is a key - kick off with smiles rather than frustration! Controlling the kite is the harder part. There's a lot to learn so don't expect to combine the two components during the first lesson. But for a taste of the sport and a fun day on the water, Kite the Bay is a top notch option. read more

My girlfriend and I got a beginning kitesurfing lesson with John. John is well equipped and knowledgeable about kitesurfing. He's very friendly and goes as slow as you need to learn the material. However, be aware that when you go with someone else, you share the same equipment, so you each get half the instruction time. Strictly speaking, its less value for your money, but it is fun to go with someone else. If you want to get up on the board during your lesson, you may have to ask John to keep moving up the progression (kite, body dragging, board). He doesn't push you to learn any faster than you are doing on your own. Overall, great guy, great experience, and I got up on the board (for a few seconds) even though I only had about 90 minutes of time with the gear. read more

John is awesome...a terrific instructor who's taken me from total newbie to beginning to foil. Having access to the boat is also fantastic, because you spend your time improving your skills & not having to worry about getting back to the beach. I can't say enough great things about John & highly recommend him, whatever your skills & ability might be. read more

Captain John's KiteTheBay was a perfect introduction to Kite Surfing. I see that some people have written about how cool his rig is and how cool the sport is, so I want to emphasize in this that John is a an AWESOME teacher, and a really chill dude. I think its pretty unique to find someone who really cares so much about teaching a sport, understanding how people think, framing it in such a way to grasp some of the subtle concepts and also pushing the envelope with his pupils. I only tried one lesson so far, but cant wait to save up the bills to pay for my next! read more

I took a beginner course and was very happy with the experience. John is great. He's laid back and has teaching down to a science. Learning on his boat was very helpful. It was also great to have the helmet with headphone built in so he could coach us step-by-step. He also has all of the gear you need. If you want to learn how to kitesurf, I'd highly recommend Kite The Bay and John. I plan to go back very soon. read more

Had an amazing first lesson with John! We got on the boat into the Bay (off the Treasure Island) and spent 3 hours on the water. Strongly recommend this approach - so much better than a land lesson (which I took earlier with a different school). At the end of the lesson I could man the kite quite well (on the super beginner lesson of course), and than i was in the water for the last 45 minutes of so being dragged by the kite. Great experience, John is a great person, strongly recommend! Looking forward to my second lesson with the board. read more

A couple of friends and I tried kite surfing for the first time with Captain John on his awesome speedboat. I can see this quickly becoming my new favorite sport! The boat has a specially designed boom that mimics the pull of a kite without you having to control anything. John's detailed instruction and feedback made it easy to get up and surfing and feeling like a pro! In the second half of the lesson we got used to the kite by controlling it from the boat. Since the kite was connected to the boat, we didn't have to worry about being yanked overboard if we made a mistake. This is cool because you can focus on learning how the kite behaves without the apprehension of what it might do to you if you mess up. I can see this being the fast track to kite surfing glory since you can focus on each element of the sport separately until skilled enough in both to put them together. I learnt a ton - Kite the Bay is highly recommended! read more

Oh I just had two sessions with Captain John, and it was off the charts amazing. He's the perfect instructor: knowledgeable, well equipped, and friendly. It's been a while since I had gone kiting and I was a bit worried about control, so having a boat to make sure I wasn't anywhere near the shore or any obstacles, made everything feel really safe and comfortable. Add in constant radio feedback and you are in kiting mecca. I would give him 6 stars if I could; I'll be back. read more

I had that unspecific idea about kiting close to the entrance of the bay - and John took me just next to the bridge. :) He also takes perfect care of you. Like that neopren hood, which I never imagined would be helpful in a place like California. ;) What a great day! ‍ read more

I've been learning to Kiteboard on and off for a while but this was my first lesson with John and I loved it. He has a great set up with his boat that makes bringing all the pieces together and I like his integrated approach. He never loses his cool and even though I still suck he's very encouraging and patient. I'll be booking more lessons! read more

No doubt this is a 5 star review. If you want to learn kite boarding in San Francisco this is the place. It's all about John: his teaching is patient and pointed. His technology is great, too. Having the boat there is huge, and then is helmets with headsets means that he's in your ear while you are on the water. I've had aspirations to learn kiting for many years, and this was the perfect start. I also brought my mom out and she loved it too (she's 50!) read more

Great Instructor and got me hooked on foiling!! High recommend John!

John was great, I was cruising along on my second lesson, his helmet mic / radio is fantastic to get pointers from him while on the water. He knows his stuff and let's you get right to it, but also focuses on safety. Thanks John, good times! read more