Northwest Kiteboarding
Forum | Classifieds | Lost & Found | CGKA | Industry | Sensors | Forecast | Spots | Seattle | Decals | RSS | Facebook

Events | Photos | Search | Register | Profile | Log in to check your messages | Log in 

kite schools in the corpus or Galveston areas

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Northwest Kiteboarding -> Gorge / Portland / Oregon Coast
previous topic :: next topic  
Author Message
jcohenx

Since 28 Aug 2007
250 Posts
Portland
Obsessed



PostMon Jul 25, 11 2:02 pm    kite schools in the corpus or Galveston areas Reply with quote

Hi folks;

Can anybody recommend a good school for a beginner in the Galveston and/or Corpus Christi area?

thanks,

jc

_________________
It's always happy hour somewhere in the world.

View user's profile Send private message
Lurk

Since 04 Apr 2009
355 Posts

Obsessed



PostMon Jul 25, 11 6:49 pm     Reply with quote

I think there is a shop in Corpus that might help you out. Check the internet for southcoast kiteboarding or thirdcoast.. Airpadre...

Although the Gorge is the best place to learn, why would you leave?

View user's profile Send private message
jcohenx

Since 28 Aug 2007
250 Posts
Portland
Obsessed



PostMon Jul 25, 11 8:30 pm     Reply with quote

Lurk wrote:
I think there is a shop in Corpus that might help you out. Check the internet for southcoast kiteboarding or thirdcoast.. Airpadre...

Although the Gorge is the best place to learn, why would you leave?


LOL. It's definitely not for me. It's for my bro who lives in TX.

Funny you should mention Third Coast Kitesurfing. I did some checking and IMHO they are at best a not professionally run school and at worst they are crooks. They claim to sell gear from Best and GK but they are not listed as authorized dealers by either of these vendors. They also claim to be P.A.S.A. certified but the P.A.S.A. website does not list them as a certified school. What really did it for me was that they display an Authorize.Net trust seal on their website denoting them as a trusted on-line retailer but the seal is a fake, they just copied the image from another site and pasted it onto their site.

My bro called them to setup a lesson today, gave his CC info, made an appointment to meet at a known kitesurfing spot, but the instructor never showed and did not return calls. I recommended that he cancel his CC immediately and I told him I'd ask around for a recommended school. Push comes to shove he can drive to SPI and go to a good school there.

thanks,

jc

_________________
It's always happy hour somewhere in the world.

View user's profile Send private message
shred_da_gorge

Since 12 Nov 2008
1339 Posts
Da Hood & Da Wood
XTreme Poster



PostMon Jul 25, 11 10:16 pm     Reply with quote

Talk to Jeff at Air Padre in SPI. I'd highly recommend driving down there to learn from them. Radio helmets, boats, experienced instructors, steady wind, and you can stand everywhere. Well worth the 6-hour drive in my opinion (hell, I flew there from PDX specifically for the learning conditions). Just watch your speed limit in some of those smaller towns...

Brett was my instructor - highly recommended but I'm biased because I knew him from HR before going.

View user's profile Send private message
lewmt

Since 04 Aug 2010
182 Posts
MT
Stoked



PostTue Jul 26, 11 3:45 am     Reply with quote

kiteboarding.com is in corpus. I don't know the quality of their lesson givers but their customer service in the kite repair part(fixmykite.com) is fantastic...I'd guess they have the same approach to lessons.

View user's profile Send private message
pilgrimmm1

Since 18 Jul 2010
3 Posts
Seattle
Kook



PostTue Jul 26, 11 11:44 am    Corpus kiteboarding Reply with quote

Went down to North Padre Island in May - just across from Corpus. Ended up kiting at a place called Wildcat in Portland, TX where saw several folks taking instruction from kiteboarding.com. While the entry into Wildcat is a little sketchy (narrow and rocky) it is very shallow, you have alot of space once on the water, and the kiters there were friendly and helpful.

Did go into the kiteboarding.com shop as well. They gave me a map of all the local spots of which there are several. Because I am relatively new to sport, I wanted a place that had people to assist in launch and land as well as learn from. Wildcat worked for this purpose. Folks there were great and new several Seattleites in the industry.

Next time down my goal is to do a couple of massive downwinders on North Padre Island - there are miles and miles and miles of beach.

Good luck

View user's profile Send private message
Lurk

Since 04 Apr 2009
355 Posts

Obsessed



PostTue Jul 26, 11 7:27 pm     Reply with quote

Good to know ask about jet ski support too.

View user's profile Send private message
SoCam

Since 27 Jul 2011
29 Posts
Ventura CA
 



PostWed Jul 27, 11 9:07 am    Re: kite schools in the corpus or Galveston areas Reply with quote

I second the kiteboarding.com guys. Wildcat has great consistent wind, albeit onshore. Their instructors will have your brother riding in no time.

View user's profile Send private message
marina

Since 16 Jan 2006
150 Posts
California coast
Stoked



PostWed Jul 27, 11 12:02 pm     Reply with quote

jeff Howard at www.prokitesurf.com for Corpus area and Phil Midler at XLkites.com for Galveston area. Both very reputable companies, industry veterans and all around good guys:-)

See www.thekiteboarderschool.com for more info

Soon we will have the comprehensive list of shops and schools updated in full...

_________________
Marina
TKB Mag

Check out our new instruction resource
site, www.thekiteboarderschool.com

View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Mike D

Since 28 Apr 2011
195 Posts
Hood River
Stoked



PostWed Jul 27, 11 12:30 pm    XLKITES Reply with quote

Second that for Phil at XLKITES, good guys over there!

View user's profile Send private message
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Northwest Kiteboarding -> Gorge / Portland / Oregon Coast All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You can attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum