Published on Apr, 2022
Amazing intro to kitesurfing in Tulum! I'd seen kitesurfers out there catching major air for many years now when I'd taken Caribbean beach trips from Vermont. I knew it was something I had to do someday. That was 15 years ago in the Dominican, but it wasn't until last month when I visited Tulum for a week that I decided that was now was the time that this was going to happen. I committed myself to 3 half-days of instruction to give this sport a try and get certified to the point that I would be able to rent the equipment anywhere in the world and go play in the warm waves on future vacations (and back home in VT where I've seen more and more kitesurfers (and even snow surfers) make appearances.
I was a 55-year-old true newbie, though, and the team at Prokite was going to be challenged. I was confident, though, in good shape, reasonably intelligent, and been accustomed to success in many other sporting activities. I chose Prokite because of their affiliation with IKO, reviews regarding their operation, and the backgrounds of the co-owners, Inigo and Cedric, posted on their website. Inigo was quick to respond to my inquiries and worked with me via WhatsApp to coordinate lessons during my stay in Tulum. He answered all the question I had, provided some materials for me to check out before my arrival so that I could make the most of my time with the instructors, and made me feel welcome and comfortable when I arrived for my first lesson.
On that first 4-hour training day, my instructor Ian (who also owns an awesome taco joint, Crazy Fish, in town) worked with me on safety issues, equipment (they use only the best Core gear), kite flying, and body dragging. Ian was friendly and very p-a-t-i-e-n-t with me. That was much appreciated, as I was quite prone to repeating beginner mistakes. Day #2 turned out to only be 2 hours long, and Ian continued working with me on more fundamentals of the sport. All my time on those first two days was working one-on-one with Ian, but I also met Inigo and Cedric and got to talk with them a fair amount during some breaks and at the end of my sessions. Both were extremely professional and personable, as was Ian, and lived up to all my expectations after reading about them on this website.
On Day #3, Ian, Inigo, another student, and I took a roadtrip to the kitesurfing mecca of Isla Blanca, a giant sandbar north of Cancun. In addition to being a beautiful kitesurfing playground, it was also the perfect training environment for someone like me. It was my final day of training, and I was going to be introduced to the board that day, the last piece of the puzzle. To the east of Isla Blanca was the wavy ocean, but to the west was an enormous shallow, calm lagoon that was dotted with kiters, both experienced and beginners.
I spent another 4 hours on the water that afternoon, working with Inigo this time. Like Ian, Inigo was outstanding in his approach to instructing me. He found a way to work with me, using concepts that made sense to me given what he knew about my past experiences with other sports and other activities. There was a methodical approach that both instructors used to teach kitesurfing safely, efficiently, and with laying solid foundations upon which to build the next steps. Yet, the approach employed was tailored in a way that made the most sense to me rather than forcing me to learn in a manner that may have made the most sense to them.
At the end of that final day, I had only begun to get up on the board for a handful of seconds at a time. I didn't quite achieve the certification I had hoped for to enable me to rent equipment and to practice the skills I had learned. While I did not attain that goal of mine, I don't view my overall experience as a failure at all. Both instructors were incredible, and I would highly recommend them and Prokite to anyone looking to take up the sport or to advance their current skills. I hope to hook up with them again on a future visit to continue my quest at catching some air myself one day. And, even more importantly, and as sappy as it may sound, I feel like I now have two guys in Mexico that I can call friends. Thanks for the adventure! - John
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