My buddy and I paid for a 3 hour lesson and after our instructor took a 25 min water break where he left the beach all together, they then ended our session 45 mins early- giving us less than 2 hours in total. With 45 mins left in our session, our instructor- who was the owners son, asked us if we wanted to get in the water since we did well on land, so of course we said yes. He left to go put on his wet suit and was gone for close to 30 mins, the entire time we're standing there waiting talking to the owner, Bart. I even made a comment about how long we've been waiting and he made a joke about his son always taking forever with his wetsuit. When he finally comes back, we stand around for another 10 mins then start to walk down to the water. Bart yells down that he's going to just put the next three hours on our credit card. We said no, we thought this was part of our current session considering our session was stopped 45 mins early for us to get in the water. Other wise we would spent that time practicing more with the kites since we paid for the time. It looks like there's quite a few of these one star reviews so we're just going to go with one of the other two kite surfer company's there since they both have all 5 star reviews. If someone doesn't care about customer satisfaction in a service base industry that usually has repeat customers, then find someone else. read more

Great experience with SoCal. Had a water lesson with Mitch and he was super supportive and got me the furthest I've gotten in the sport. Bart was communicative and also helpful with the lesson. Would definitely recommend and go back again!! read more

Learned how to e-foil in just one day! Bart and his colleague took me through all the details, and despite never having surfed before (though I do have some experience with water and snow skiing), they made it easy to pick up. They met me out there, got me suited up, and before I knew it, I was cruising across the calm water--at least until the winds picked up around 11 am. If you're looking to learn how to e-foil with confidence, this is the place to go. I spoke with other spots that treat it as a tourist attraction or a side business, but Bart and the SoCal team really know their stuff. I'm already planning to be back this Friday for a follow-up lesson - come watch me fly, crash or go fast! Hopefully will have better pictures to add this week! read more

SoCal Kitesurfing & Kiteboarding - Kiteboarding Near Me - Long Beach, California

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KITEBOARDING IN THE LBC? SEND IT! There are some activities where one can figure it out and get by. Learning to harness the power of the wind is probably NOT one of those activities. Luckily, there are patient, dedicated veteran kiteboarders nearby to help accelerate bright-eyed bushy-tailed students past the learning curve. For me, it was a steep hill to climb and I am still learning the ropes (lines?). All the instructors I've worked with - Marlene, Parker and Bart - are amazing. Each have their own perspective on how best to navigate the wind window and eventually there will be one that resonates. The frustrating issue is that kiteboarders need wind, just like surfers and waves, snowboarder/skiers and snow, baseball players and chewing gum. Despite how unpredictable the weather can be, the SoCal Kiteboarding Team does a fantastic job in accommodating for days without wind. All in all, I can only imagine the elation that instructors feel finally seeing their own chicklets launch off on their own and into the great blue. read more

I'm not sure if Groupon customers get different treatment, but I kept feeling like we were being trolled. I know this is a family-owned business, so I'll keep it at 4 stars as I don't want to lower its rating. I just want to honestly voice my experience. I want to preface this by saying that overall, the owner and the instructors here are nice people. Our instructor was funny so it's hard to really be upset. I think we were just off-put from the very beginning when each pair of students were designated to their instructor, and ours was missing. The owner had said our instructor disappeared somewhere. He then came back looking like he honestly just woke up lol. We got to fly the kite around several times, but the wind died down by the time it was my turn. I got to fly the kite for a couple of minutes. The instructor said we would be able to try something else and then come back to it when the wind picks up. We moved on to the next part of the lesson, which was learning how to tie the strings to the kite. The instructor had my boyfriend and I take the pump out from the baskets and pump air into the kite. It felt strange that they had told us to do this part, but I guess I just took it as part of the lesson. After that, we learned how to help launch a kite and then catch it. Our time was split with another group for this part. I don't think that was planned. I paid about $80 for a 90-minute introductory lesson for 2 people via Groupon. It honestly felt like they gave us 65% of their effort because we were Groupon customers. With about 15 minutes of instruction left, they asked us if we wanted to continue on with the next lesson (it is a 6-hour course total, with 3 hours of land instruction and 3 hours of water instruction). He said it would be $100 per person for another 90-minute lesson. I declined as that was far out of what we had budgeted, and we had other plans for the day and didn't account for this. Before ending our lesson, the owner had our instructor help him with something else, and my boyfriend and I were just left standing there waiting. With ten minutes of our lesson left, I asked if we could try practicing flying the kite again, as he said we would be going back to it, and I really didn't get to try more than 2 minutes of it earlier. It's what I really wanted to learn to do. The instructor said we could do it if we were to pay for the next lesson. With time still left in our lesson, I don't understand why we would be doing it as part of the next lesson when it had been part of the first lesson. He ended up offering to take photos of us, which I appreciated, but I really would have preferred to practice flying the kite instead. Overall, I'm just so confused about how I felt about this experience. There was some good and some bad. I just felt like I was getting trolled the entire time. It was definitely the most disappointing Groupon experience I've ever had. read more

Awesome service but the price should be lower. I would come back. Overall god experience

SoCal Kitesurfing is an incredible organization to join a community and learn the action adventure spot. Bart and his team and well trained, talented, and some even professional kite surfing instructors. They have an abundance of gear and knowledge and cater to folks of all lessons. My boyfriend and I chose to do a 6 hour class and ended up receiving an additional 2 hour water start lesson due to a stingray incident completely outside of the schools control. We are now hooked on the sport and love the community it comes with. read more

SoCal Kitesurfing & Kiteboarding - SoCal Kitesurfing Truck - Kiteboarding Near Me - Long Beach, California

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9/11/19 (mon) - i left a voice mail and received a call right away when I make an appointment on 9/16/19 (mon) for $350 kitesurfing session Next day, 9/12/19 (tue), I left a voice mail that i need to cancel the session on 9/16/19 (mon) I Left 2 voice mail Sent 1 email And never got any response Today, 9/14/19 (sat) @0900 I am at Bank of America explaining the situation to get my money back. - He answered my call right away when i make a payment ($350) over the phone on 9/11/19 (mon) - 9/12/19 (tue) i left a voice mail that i need to cancel my training session for 9/16/19 (mon) -9/14/19 (sat) current time @0948 (im at BOFA for 48mins now) sitting at local BOFA branch to get my money back because he REFUSED TO ANSWER 2 voice mail, 1 email, LAST 4 DAYS to give a refund Attach is automatic email message read more

SoCal Kitesurfing & Kiteboarding - Kiteboarding Near Me - Long Beach, California

shoutout to Bart and his instructors. took 3 lessons over 3 weekends and finally got up. knowledgeable instructors that helped me navigate the learning curve while keeping me safe with the crowds on the busy weekend. Neil and Nikita were great. Bart was accommodating with schedules and with communication and always with good humor. thanks for setting me up with a deal on equipment. juan read more

Flew down from Canada for a long weekend of kiting with lessons from SoCal. I chose SoCal as their website had a good selection of used equipment. End of June / early July was able to kite 3 of 4 days with decent wind having a different instructor each day. I liked the variety of input and appreciated the instructors efforts. On the last day Bart fixed me up with a value priced outfit including a travel bag to take on the airplane, harness, board, kite and matching bar. I saw a prior comment about lack of response from SoCal. I thought the same for one email I sent them and yes, I found it unsettling. Discovered their email reply days later in my spam; check your email spam :-) Also, no wind on last day. I asked Bart about their refund policy as I was flying back home the next day. He said full refund was standard practice in that circumstance. They refunded the 2 hour pre-paid lesson back to my card. p.s. used airbnb for 1st time. Found a nice place less than 1 block from the beach. read more

A scam!! Bart REFUSED to refund any of my money as promised on the website for unfinished hours. Bart was unresponsive for the past 3 months to reschedule my lesson; accused me of "missing" a lesson that was never confirmed and therefore refused to refund me $300 worth of hours for a lesson that was I completed due to "bad weather"!! This is ridiculous. I trusted this company and was excited to learn kitesurfing but as many other reviews mention the same experience as I have I do not recommend this to anyone. read more

I can't say enough good things about SoCal Kitesurfing. From my first experience taking beginner lesson packages about 2 years ago to almost daily encounters with Bart and his pro staff, I have been instructed well and have developed a slight addiction to this wonderful sport. Firstly, my lessons were always easily arranged online and I would be updated if there was no wind that day and given a chance to reschedule. My instructor led me through the basics and always stressed safety. Speaking of safety, Bart will frequently and gently help me do things in a safer way on and off the water. Things can get crazy quickly, so it's always good to be aware and armed with knowledge. The instruction I received was well paced and definitely individualized to fit my unique needs. I have recently taken a few lessons in jumping, transitions, and sel-rescue from Bart. He is always a pleasure to deal with and not more than 5 minutes go by where you won't hear his hearty laughter echoing on the beach. I feel part of the Socal Kite family these days and appreciate all the advice and the encouragement that the SoCal Kite team is always generously giving. From tailored lessons, to advice about gear, wind conditions, destinations to visit, SoCal Kite is a trustworthy source of information and a fun place to relax and chat after a day on the water. This is a pro operation in every way, and Bart and his team infectiously share their love of this sport to all who approach the tent. It's an amazingly fun sport and if you're at all considering checking it out, I would highly recommend SoCal Kitesurfing as a great place to start. read more

I had an awesome kitesurfing lesson in long beach with SoCal kitesurfing! I would definitely recommend SoCal kitesurfing to anyone ready to have fun in the sun! read more

SoCal Kitesurfing & Kiteboarding - Long Beach-kitesurfing lessons - Kiteboarding Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Beware of Bart. He is unprofessional and unresponsive. I never leave reviews anywhere, and I will make this one short. There are tons of options for Kite lessons in soCal. If you want to get your moneys worth then dont go with Bart. The instructors are good, just the management is awful. read more

I had a similar experience as the other reviewers who said that Bart and the other instructors often didn't respond to my calls or texts For two of the lessons after I learned to handle the kite on land, only around 1/4 of the actual lesson time was spent in the water because lesson time was lost due to the instructors showing up late numerous times, taking forever to put on their wetsuits, and wasting countless time talking to others, the kites not being ready and we had to pump them, the instructor realizing the kite was bad when we got to the water so we had to get out and walk back to get a better one, us walking one way along the beach only for the instructor to realize it was too crowded and we walked to the opposite direction. All this trouble with lessons despite paying nearly $1000! Bart only gave a minimal partial refund when I told him about all the time I lost due to the instructor. Maybe it would be better if they just offered jetski and helmet radio lessons so that way so much lesson time won't be lost Before taking any lessons, I emailed Bart and asked to make sure that it would typically only take 6-9 hours of instruction before learning to ride on my own, and he said yes. Since then I've asked other schools, and they were offered more realistic replies by saying it would take at least 10+ hours of lessons in the water to surf on my own, but AFTER first learning to handle the kite on land. I remember that some of my lessons were on Saturdays, which I didn't realize were more busy until the instructors mentioned it when I asked about it. If they had told me that at the beginning, that also could've helped save me valuable lesson time TLDR: Bart and the instructors often don't reply to calls/texts; over half of lesson time was lost due to instructors being late, talking to others, getting new kites, walking along the beach and in/out of the water; and they are deceptive when they say it only takes 6-9 hours of instruction to surf on your own read more

Can't say enough good things about Bart's crew at SoCal Kitesurfing. My instructor Daan was patient and always positive and encouraging. When a lack of wind stymied my lesson shortly after it had begun, they just moved full credit toward setting up another replacement lesson... no bickering at all. There seems to be a genuine sense of community that surrounds this company. I will definitely be back. Brian H. read more

I encountered SoCal Kitesurfing via livingsocial and my friends and I quickly hopped on it. What wasn't specified was that we were doing the discovery course. However, once you fly the kites in windy Long Beach, you do realize that no way is it possible for a beginner to steady a kite at a specific angle to capture the wind while balancing on a board on the waves that are constantly crashing. Also, from looking up at the kite for long periods of time, you don't mind that the lessons can't be longer; we all had neck cramps the next day. Our instructor was encouraging and patient though not too personable. But then again I'm pretty sure he wasn't interested at all in our girl talks, that'd be hilarious. Bart however is super friendly and ecstatic. My friends both had two vouchers each from livingsocial and Bart was kind enough to let them combine to upgrade their lessons. So I got to watch them fly bigger kites and don on wetsuits while the instructor and the kites literally dragged them across the waves (no boards yet, just walking huge kite to water and letting it fly and pull you in the water). HAHA It was really cool trying something new and I would definitely like to possibly pursue kitesurfing in the future. ps: there's a parking lot right where they sit around. Dollar for an hour; only quarters accepted. Or there's parallel parking.. but I'm miserable at it o:) read more

SoCal Kitesurfing & Kiteboarding - Kiteboarding Near Me - Long Beach, California

Bart and his staff are awesome, knowledgeable, professional, and polite. They truly want to see you succeed at kiting. After completing the 6 hour coarse I was able to confidently head out on my own, but also had the comfort in knowing that if I needed any help they were right there for me. I can't recommend them enough. If you are considering kiting, this is the place to learn. read more

If you are going to learn how to Kite Board in Los Angeles, this is where you need to go. Bart is a natural instructor and as enthusiastic as they get. He wouldnt let me quit even when it got tough for me and thats a good thing. Had a private lesson on the beach with two wonderful instructors. Sydney and Bart are great, patient, knowledgable, helpful, friendly, and they WANT you to learn. They also know their stuff! Will I be back? Absolutely. Going back for my beginner - intermediate course! read more

Great school and great rental equipment. I learned here and so did my son. Also a great place to learn too. Highly recommended! read more

SoCal Kitesurfing & Kiteboarding - Kiteboarding Near Me - Long Beach, California

Highly recommend the two day lessons. I had a blast and Bart set me up with gear afterwards. Total pros!

We drove all the way from SF to kite this past weekend, unfortunately the boyfriend got so sick on the drive to LA on Friday evening, so we had to re-schedule our Saturday lesson to Sunday, which he confirmed will work out. Bart then sends us a text on Sunday morning claiming he does not have a spot. The WORST part, Southern California Kiteboarding kept our $200 of the $400 that we paid him in advance. I've taken lessons in many places including Maui, San Francisco, Key West, Delta, Hood River -- none of the schools charged a full fee as a re-scheduling fee if there was an emergency or unexpected situation like getting sick. We NEVER charge the schools for a no wind fee when it does not show up on the day of your lesson. Worst experience ever in two-years of kiting. read more

I'm writing this an experienced kiteboarder, not as a student. I frequent the beach that Bart does most (all?) his teaching at. These are my observations: He sets up and brings a great amount of gear, well organized and ready to pick up and go. He concentrates on safety. I don't recall seeing a student of his ever putting themselves in a dangerous situation. He complies with the rules and guidelines of our shared spot. He has a passion for the sport and a general enthusiasm that is contagious. His students are smiling, even if they're walking upwind. I see him up close and actively watching and participating in his student's actions. He is an involved teacher. If i had kids or a g/f that was beginning kiteboarding, I'd wholly recommend him. In addition he teaches in Puerto Rico during the winter months and sets up shop there. He's also rescued boards out of the water (including mine) and has presented himself as nothing than a less than stellar waterman. read more

I heard great things about Bart and his company, but could not have been treated worse. I paid $750 for myself and two 18 year old kids. We started fine but then got put with a new trainer who was obviously just learning. After breaking for lunch we sat around waiting for our trainer for 45 minutes and then got another trainer. The second trainer could not get over how bad the first trainer was and kept mentioning things he did not cover. While Bart promised the three of us would get into the water and be ready to try it for our day, fact is we barely saw the water. I asked the second trainer to explain to Bart what happened and he promised he would and that Bart would make good. But Bart later responded that I would have to pay another $250 per person if I wanted any more training at all. I was looking forward to some good people and good fun. All I got was ripped off. read more

I came down from the Bay Area to try the sport with my friend, for the first time. The wind was abnormally inconsistent that day, so my friend and I never got to the water. But man, we had a blast! I definitely think that we got our money's worth despite the climate! Bart, the instructor, was very friendly and was thorough with his lessons. I think he covered everything there is to teach about kite control in our lesson (which can be pretty tricky). My friend and I crashed our kites plenty of times, and we made Bart run back and forth to help us with the relaunch. I even tangled up the kite string into a big mess at one point, but Bart was patient with me, and he approached everything with a good sense of humor. I respect that Bart is involved in the kiting community, and that he has a respect for the sport, as well as the beaches. He seems to know a lot of locals, from life guards and fellow kiters, and many of his old students stopped by just to hang out. In a nut shell, Bart just wants to teach his students to respect the sport, so that everyone can enjoy it safely. I'll continue with my water lesson in the Bay Area, but I'm hoping to go back to see him soon! read more

SoCal Kitesurfing & Kiteboarding - Kiteboarding Near Me - Long Beach, California

So Cal kiteboarding is run by a dude who overall wants to make sure you're doing things the right way, and make sure you're safe while doing it. I shared my lesson time with another person, but that was almost better than a private lesson cause i could learn by watching both the person and the kite, learning from their mistakes too. Feels like other places have much bigger classes with teachers who are spread thin. After the lesson Brad turns into a good resource for gear and advice. Definitely worth going with SoCal if you want to learn how to do things the right way in a comfortable environment. Do it. read more

SoCal Kitesurfing was an amazing experience with the best of everything! Bart, the owner and instructor, loves teaching and his passion spreads to all of his students. He offered ongoing support with a relaxed attitude that made me feel like I really could do well with kiteboarding. Bart had his wetsuit on and he supported each student in and out of the water. The equipment is well maintained and in great condition. Bart has the option to rent wetsuits and there are lots of sizes. Both the trainer kite and the actual kite is available in various sizes as well. An IKO certification card valid worldwide was given to me at the end of instruction and I even received a SoCal Kitesurfing Flexfit Cap. I completed the Complete Course to Ride lesson and the price was unbeatable in California. It was actually cheaper than any of the three countries that I looked into before. I can't wait to go back! read more

After looking at all my options for taking kiteboarding lessons, I decided to go with SoCal and Bart and I was very glad I did. His trained instructors are all very helpful at teaching you the safest way to begin to fly these massive kites. These kites are so beautiful to look at in the sky and they look harmless but the truth is the wind can make them very powerful and can cause serious injury to yourself or others if you lose control. Bart does not rush anyone through into the water and makes sure that you progress from a small trainer kite to the full size kite by stepping up gradually. This method ensures you have the know how and confidence when you do go in the water so you have the best chance at success. Bart was patient with my training making sure there was the right conditions of wind and water to get me up and riding. I got up first time out and rode the length of the beach without falling. The feeling was great and I'm hooked for sure. So if you're considering getting into the sport, lessons are a must and my experience with SoCal was positive from start to certification. read more

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A few years ago I signed up for lessons with Bart. He was fair about calculating the lesson based on actual time flying the kite with decent wind. Then life got busy and I never came back for the rest of the pre-paid lessons. Finally 2 years later I randomly email Bart about getting more lessons and a supervised rental. I didn't expect him to honor our very old credit but he had it on record and let us carry on as if no time had passed. Amazing! The gear is high quality. The instructors were friendly and helpful. And the wind was superb! Kite-surfing is a difficult sport to learn/teach. I have spent many many frustrated days on the beach waiting for the wind, changing kites, dodging crazy people in the water, etc. But it is soooo worth it. If you love it, you will push through these hurdles. Do it! read more

Hubby insisted to write this review, so here it is! My wife and I took two days of kitesurfing lessons with Bart and Co. (SoCal Kitesurfing) in June, and have completely fallen in love with the sport since then. A large part of this is directly attributable to Bart's enthusiasm, as well as that of his instructors--it is quite apparent that they love teaching as much as kitesurfing. As such, we found the lesson structure to be particularly amenable to our style of learning; they have a unique insight into education, whereby they structure lessons according to your particular needs and abilities. Beyond this, what we are finding to be particularly unique about SoCal Kitesurfing (SCK) is the culture that they have built around the school. Bart's current and former students regularly meet at the SoCal Kitesurfing tent, discussing their progress and adventures on the water. It's an environment where we are all mutually supportive, and are always receiving advice concerning technique and equipment from the SCK crew. If you take lessons with SCK and decide to pursue the sport, you will become part of this culture and will have a group of great people looking out for you. read more

Bart is very passionate about Kites and the kiting community. I took a beginner's lesson and later an intermediate lesson from him. I felt he did an excellent job both times. He has a good selection of kites and we were able to start with a smaller kite and move up to progressively larger kites. Bart does a good job of staying next you and showing you how to control the kite. He only teaches 2 people per class for the beginner and intermediate lessons. For the water lessons, he got into the water with us and showed us the power and feel of how to do a water launch. Bart was also a great help when I wanted to get into the sport afterwards. He gave me good gear recommendations and helped me find used gear to help me get started in this sport. Bart always happy to help. I usually launch my kites near where she sets up tent, he's usually happy to help launch and land your kites when he's not busy with lessons. read more

Great team of instructors. Fun sport with some definite challenges, but these guys break it into one skill at a time at a pace to match your ability and experience. My first lesson I was on a board on the water. I highly recommend giving this sport and this crew a chance. The location at Claremont Ave in Long Beach is one of the most accessible, user friendly and safest in the world. read more

Great location, professional , safe and fun! They share their love of the sport in an easy to learn way. I'll be back !

One important piece of information which isn't their fault is my assumption that for what they are charging the lesson ($100) it would be one on one, not one on five or what became one on eight. Taking turns every eighth person or fifth person really slows the learning curve. That was not previously clarified. Also not their fault is that it takes several hours to learn enough with them to begin learning on your own. The instructor being on their phone the last third of the class, not providing clear instructions and seeming entirely disinterested was not acceptable however. read more

DO NOT GIVE YOUR MONEY TO BART! (Owner of SoCal Kitesurfing) TOTALLY UNPROFESSIONAL! FIND ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR! I signed up for the 6 hour course and have tried to schedule the second half of the class for the past 6 weeks. He doesn't respond to my calls or texts and when he does he tells me not to come because it's raining even though it is sunny with plenty of wind and 0% chance of rain. I live in LA and have driven to/from Long Beach 8 times only to find out that I was not going to be able to kite surf. That's 8 hours of driving in LA traffic because Bart refuses to respond to my calls and texts!! I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT! I also agree with the review below from Ersin G. read more

My 13-year old son and I are in the process of learning kitesurfing and have taken four 2-3 hour lessons with SoCal Kitesurfing - most of them with Monica. We only have positive things to say about our experience - the kitesurfing equipment was fine and trouble-free, lessons started on time (when we were on time) and when we were late, Monica was gracious enough to let the lesson end late as well, and, most importantly, Monica was a very competent and enthusiastic instructor who could explain things clearly. The other instructors seem to be competent as well. After our four short lessons, my son and I are at a point where we have good control of the kite and can do water starting (more or less). The next step for us is to stay on the board and once we have mastered this, the real fun begins! We are looking forward to the next lesson with SoCal Kitesurfing! read more

I started my Kitesurfing experience here with Bart. Monica was my one o one instructor. I can only say I was very pleased with the school equipment and I will still going there to improve my skills. Now I bought my own equipment and they still offering an instructor assistance deal to help you improve your IKO ranking and to overview you while you do the first experiences by yourself If you need Bart by e mail he will respond immediately and I definitely recommend SOCAL Kiteboarding to somebody asking me for a good school read more

It's important when you start something new to go to the right person, and Bart is for sure the best instructor !!! I started kiteboarding almost 1 year ago, and since then i love it! I definitely recommend it enjoy it read more

My expectations were realistic, I knew I wasn't going to be ridding after my first lesson. My husband I decided to start a new adventure, and take some Kite Surfing lessons... About the lessons: First lesson: Our friend recommended this place, so without hesitation we book our $700 lesson. We did not know much about what to expect. Our first lesson was okayish... there is a lot of standing around, and observing, and a little time hands on. You shared your lesson, so everyone takes turns. I shared the lesson with my husband, but even so... I only had the kite in my hands 10 minutes each kite ( 3 total) . Same for him, so the rest is just listening, and observing... learning how to set up a kite, and so on. Second day lesson: HERE is where we tough it was going to be exiting.... The lesson didn't started on time, since our instructor was busy closing up another deal ($$$) for lessons... took about 10-15. We started our lesson gathering the equipment you will need... Helmet X 2, harness X 2, (finding right size , or available sizes between what they have) there goes 10/15 of your LESSON time. The kites were not ready and waiting for us, so we instead had to start it up.. There goes another 20' of our time... then they do an overview, of previous lesson... so another 30' of your time... we were smart enough to change to our wetsuits in between the lesson. Now you're finally ready to go on the water, but you have to wait for your instructor to put on their wetsut, sunblock, looking to the board, etc, etc... at least another 10' went by. Finally, you think you gonna get in the water... but now.. There too many people in the water, so as traffic jam.. You have to WAIT, until you can squizz in... Once we were in the water, instructors from the same place were cutting us off in the line, and we had to be in the water doing nothing, until they move.. Since they didn't moved, we went back to shore... and "Practice" and start the process again... I by now lost another 30 minutes, just waiting around.. in the meantime my instructor lost control of the kite, I get pulled for a couple of feet, the kite landed in a family... all scared...have to started from zero again, relaunching the kite... but now the wind slowed down, so we need to change kites, which obviously, are not ready... so we have to unpackaged them, pump air into, and on and on and on... there goes another 30/40 minutes. (Frustration, and just pure 3.5 hrs. of frustration) Since the wind was not strong enough after a failed attempt; we returned to shore... totally disappointed of how the lesson all day went by...(I didn't even try putting my board on) When we expressed our concerns, our instructor feel the same way we did. However it wasn't up to her to give us a makeup time for all that waste of time (we though 1 hour will be fair, even though it was a lot more than that)... after our instructor talked to Bart, he decided we were only entitled to a half an hour that we could make up during the week. "Unfolding and unpacking a kite, is part of your learning experience" FINE.... I was done for the day, we helped out packing everything back ( which is also part of your lesson), and then go to the bathroom ready to go home... and now my instructor says that Bart changed his mind, and since" the wind is picking up, you either do 30 minutes, now, or Never" WTF ?!!!!! I was not only feel like ripped off, but now I have to make it up on their own terms? It was a terrible feeling to HAVE TO or you lose it ... when you are paying for your lessons. I feel like a fuc**** monkey doing their will; unpacking, and packing kites, sitting around, waiting for people to clear off, changing kites, waiting for the wind (which is part of your learning experience and lesson, according to Bart.... Not well organized, and they certainly do not make up for the time spent around. Bart Never approached me to say nothing, not even a polite apology. I work for a company that give group and private lessons to a group of at least 200 people a day. It is never at our costumer expense, and we always make up for any uncertainties the day bring us. Luckily there is yelp to express my frustrations, I won't be back for the suggested $200 extra time/lesson, and I definitely will not recommend this place to any of my friends who were interested. read more

I'm sure Bart is a great instructor just like all the other people described in their reviews. However, I went on a Saturday, and was taught by someone else, since Bart was busy teaching other people himself. It was NOT an enjoyable lesson. In the 6 hour course, the instructor took a 45 minute "break" and the class started 15 minutes late and ended 15 minutes early. If anything, the lesson was at most 5 hours long and the instructor wasn't really good at teaching. At one point, he got very impatient with me because I wasn't perfecting the moves he taught me. In the end, I wasn't even able to touch the board because he thought I was "too tired to continue." If you want to take a lesson with them, make sure you tell them that you want Bart to be your instructor, or you may end up having a terrible experience like me. Also, the "FREE $58 Sea Specs for kitesurfing and watersports w/ full kiteboarding course" ad on the website is misleading. I was a working lifeguard and took the "complete" course with them, and I didn't get anything. You might need to take a couple of advanced lessons with them as well for it to be considered a "full course." read more