Kitesurf, Paddlesurf & Other Adventures in Tulum

We Love Strapless Kitesurfing

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Fri, 09 Feb 2018 23:37:08 GMT

Amazing Freestyle-Strapless session in Isla Blanca, Mexico

Mauricio Vega, founder of Mexican Caribbean Kitesurf, had a blast in Isla Blanca a few days ago. Landing many strapless tricks and kiting until sunset.

We offer strapless kitesurfing lessons in Tulum for those experienced kitesurfers who want to lose the straps. So, if you want to learn how to ride waves with your kite or jump with a surf board, this is your place.

Are you ready to go one step further? Join us in Tulum.

Standup Paddleboarding Essentials

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 03:45:25 GMT

What It Is and How to Get Started

Standup paddleboarding is one of our life passions. In the last few years, we have become a SUP school reference in Mexico, as well as the number one SUP center in Tulum according to Trip Advisor travelers.

Our dear colleague David de Kaan from StandUp Paddleboards Review has written this complete article to help you understand what you need to enjoy this fantastic sport and start you off with a few tips.

Please be aware that once you start paddling, you will never stop.

What It is

Standup paddleboarding, also referred to as SUP, is somewhat of cross between surfing and kayaking. It is characterized by standing upright on a paddleboard and paddling. The sport originated from Hawaii but not as a sport. It was a way for surfing instructors to cruise the water checking on their trainees and for photographers to take pictures of tourists in the water.

The activity has been in existence in its modern form for less than a decade. In 2013, the USA declared it the sport with the highest number of new participants among its citizens. Its popularity has been growing steadily ever since.

What You Need

1) A Paddleboard

This one has to be the most important requirement. Otherwise, there is not much stand up paddling you can do. Standup paddleboards come in different shapes and sizes. It is important that you choose the one that suits you best.
Many boards are designed to serve specific purposes. As a beginner, the best thing to do would be to choose an all-around paddle board. Choose a wide board, 30 inches or wider will do, to help you achieve and maintain balance on the water.

You can decide to get a fiberglass paddleboard (the traditional hard boards) or an inflatable SUP. Inflatable paddle boards are usually affordable, durable and a great choice for flat water and river paddle boarding. Epoxy SUPs, on the other hand, are in general more expensive, more responsive and better for SUP surfing. Making a choice may be difficult, but you can always ask for advice at the local shop to help you out. Alternatively, rent boards for a while to see which type and size suits you best.

2) A Paddle

A stand up paddle is just like a canoe paddle except that it is lighter, longer and has a little bent near the blade. These paddles come in different constructions such as carbon fiber, wood, aluminum, and plastic. Regardless of the type of paddle you choose, ensure that it is 4 to 7 inches taller than you.

The lighter the paddle, the more expensive it will be because it is made from more expensive material. However, since this is a one-time investment, you can as well spend the extra money if you have it—it is worth it. A heavy paddle will burn you out especially if you are completely new to SUPing.

3) Standup Paddleboard Leash

Don’t paddle board without one! This small piece of equipment can save your life. It attaches you to your board and prevents the board from drifting or being blown away from you. Out on the water your paddle board is your safe ground. Even when you’re a good swimmer, if you fall in and get a cramp, you’ll need your SUP board to keep you afloat.

4) Personal Floatation Device (PFD) or Lifejacket

Nobody likes to think that something bad can happen to them but it is always good to be prepared. The U.S. Coast Guard treats SUP boards as vessels in most situations and require you to have a PFD with you at all times. In Mexico is not required but having a PFD on board, or we would advise – wearing a PFD at all times – is just common sense. Manufacturers make great PFDs for SUP nowadays, that won’t just keep you safe but are also comfortable to wear.

4) Proper Clothing

This very much depends on the weather conditions. During summer, you have the option of wearing whatever you like as long as it is water-appropriate. Most people will prefer a swimsuit and some board shorts. During winter, wear a drysuit or wetsuit to protect yourself from hypothermia.

How to Standup Paddleboard For The First Time

For a beginner, it is best to start on shallow water, preferably knee length. Put your board in the water and place the standup paddle across it, just above the center toward the nose. Facing forward, get your knees on the board, each knee on either side of the SUP at the center. Paddlers refer to this position as the sweet spot—where you are most balanced. Adjust until you find yours.

Place your hands over your paddle. Ensure that you still maintain balance then raise one foot and put it on the exact spot where your knee was. Do the same with the other foot and slowly stand from that position. Don’t leave your paddle down as you stand, picking it up might be a struggle.

Straighten your back completely, bend your knees a little and fix your eyes ahead. Hold your paddle properly, with one hand on top and the other a little lower. The bent part of the paddle is supposed to face forward—however wrong that will feel at first. Your arms should be straight at all times. While paddling, your core does most of the work and not your arms, be prepared. Submerge the blade completely into the water and start paddling. Alternate sides when necessary for you to move in a straight line.

Standup paddleboarding is an amazing sport. It keeps growing in popularity because it is simple and its benefits are tremendous. Before you venture into this activity, make sure you are fully prepared for the best experience. Get yourself a board fit for a beginner and one that will support your size. Remember the paddle should be 4-7 inches taller than you. Get a leash and a PFD for safety and hit the water. Take time to find your balance and only stand when you are comfortable.

***

To learn more tips and become an all-round paddler, enroll for some SUP lessons at Mexican Caribbean Kitesurf , where we train people to become pros.

3 Safety Systems in Kitesurfing

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 15:54:59 GMT

Step 3 in your kite course: know the bar basics and your safety systems

After learning how to set up your kite equipment , let’s continue checking how the bar works and, one of the most important parts of the course, which safety systems do yo have.

Please take this just as a brief explanation of what you will learn with your certified instructor on your first day of lessons. Do not miss the first lesson and never try to learn kitesurf on your own.

How the control bar works?

The control bar is an important part of the kite gear. Through the movement of the bar we adjust the angle of the kite giving more or less power to it. (Please remember that to fly the kite we'll grab the bar with the left hand on the colored part.)

The back lines (the ones attached to the end of the leading edge) are connected directly to both sides of the bar.

--- If you bring the bar close to you (pulling the bar in), you make the back lines shorter, changing the angle of the kite and giving power to the kite (+ POWER)

--- If you move the bar away from you (pushing the bar out) you make te back lines longer, changing the angle of the kite again and diminishing the power of the kite (- POWER)

The front lines are connected directly to the depower system of the bar (in the center of the bar). Using the depower system you can adjust the length of the front lines, changing also the angle of the kite and its power.

--- If you release the depower making the front lines longer you will have more power in your kite.

--- On the other hand, by pulling in the lines (depowering) you will short your lines and your kite will lose power.

As you can see both back & front lines can change the angle of the kite giving power or depowering the kite. ¿What is the difference, then? ¿When you have to use the back lines and when the front lines?

Well, the front lines connected to the depower system will be use only as an adjust when needed. For example, if you are about to start kiting and the wind is too strong you can adjust the power of your kite (depowering it) making your front lines shorter. Another example, if you are kiting and suddenly the wind drops and you need more power to continue kiting, you can release your front lines giving more power to the kite.

On the other hand, the back lines (the ones connected directly to each side of the bar) are used all the time to ride. We ride by constantly adjusting the angle of the kite through the bar movement.

Once we know the inner workings of the bar, lets see one of the most important things you need to know about kitesurfing. So, if you haven’t been paying so much attention, now it’s time to do it. Please be super focus when learning your safety systems.

Safety systems for kitesurfing

There are always 3 steps you need to follow when you are in any kind of trouble when kitesurfing. The order must be respected all the time. There is no reason to use step number 2 if we can solve the problem with number 1.

The safety systems have to be activated in the following order:

1) Release the bar

2) Activate the quick release

3) Activate the safety leash

1) Release the bar

The first safety system and the easiest way to solve any problem when kiting is letting go of the bar.

¿What happen when we release the bar?

Our kite will automatically loose power and fall to the water. Once the bar is released and we take control of the situation we can relaunch the kite and continue kiting. Sometimes we release the bar and can take control again before the kite even touches the water.

¿When should the bar be released ?

Letting go of the bar can be used when you crash your kite, when the wind is too powerful or when you feel a dangerous situation coming up. Specially, when you crash your kite agains the water is important to let go of the bar to avoid being dragged by the kite.

In about 90% of situations, simply letting go of the bar will be enough.

2) Activate the quick release

After releasing the bar, if you still don't have 100% control of the situation, you can go for the second safety system releasing the chicken loop. This way the bar will go away from you.

¿What happen when we activate the quick release?

The kite will just have tension in one line. This way the kite will automatically fall, take a flag position and will lose all its power.

In such situation you will still be attached to the kite through the safety leash connected to the bar.

¿When should we use the quick release?

If you’ve let go of the bar but the kite keeps pulling you or you still feel unsafe, it might be time to activate the quick release. Common situations to use this second safety system would be: a sudden increase in wind being overpowered or when your kite is looping out of control.

In the 99% of the situations we will solve the problem using option 1 and 2. However, today’s kites are very safe and offer a third safety system.

3) Activate the safety leash

Releasing the safety leash is the 3rd safety system but also a very last option to use.

¿What happen when releasing the safety leash?

You are not connected to the kite anymore. So, you can say goodbye to your kite.

¿Why is it a last option?

This safety system should be a last option not juts because you can actually lose the kite, but because if you are kiting in onshore or side-on conditions (which are the normal conditions used to kite almost everywhere), your kite can fly to the shore and become a hazard to other people on the beach. People could get hit by the kite, get tangled in the lines and be dragged by them. If you are lucky and there is no one on the beach the kite will find any other obstacle (a palm tree, a boat, a car, a bulding) and will break.

¿When to use this system, then?

In very rare situations, when none of the above systems work, your last safety option is to activate the safety leash which is attached to your harness. For example, if you are kiting and a motor boat pass and your lines get tangled on it, you should release the leash and let the kite go.

If your lines get tangled with another kite on the water, just try to solve the situation by using options 1 and 2.

Safety system can work slightly different depending on the kite label. So, if you are renting a kite or using a friends kite, please know how the safety systems work before going to the water. This is a MUST.

*** SUMMARY ***

STEP: 3 - Inner workings of the bar & safety systems

DURATION APPROX: 15 minutes

WHY IS IMPORTANT:

Because knowing the safety systems for kitesurfing will solve any situation or problem you may have kiting, avoiding being dragged away by your kite & avoiding causing any accident.

NEXT STEP: 4 - Self rescue technique

Surround yourself with the right instructors

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 03:45:23 GMT

A few days ago we read a book about how important is to be surrounded with the right people. And how the right people can make the difference in your life and your work. This post is about that. It's about how a good instructor can make the difference when learning to kitesurf.

The most important decision we make every year is who we choose as instructors. Our success as a kite school and your improvement as a kite client, depends on their good work.

If you are around people who don’t like their jobs, who are not passionate about kitesurfing, they won’t be inspirational. They won’t make any impression on you as a kite student. And, you won't learn to kite.

We love what we do. We want you to love kitesurfing as much as we do. In fact, one of our goals is to change your life through kitesurfing.

To accomplish this, we stand behind three little principles:

1) We pursue what we want

What we want as a kite school? We want to be your kite school. The school you choose to learn kitesurfing. We want you to be safe, to have fun and to learn kitesurfing.

If we want to have a safe environment, we surround with conscious instructors. The kind of instructors who cares more about your safety (and the safety of the people on the beach) than anything else. The kind of instructors who teach how important is safety in kitesurfing. So, the better you learn the better and safer you will end up kiting.

If we want to have a friendly environment, we surround with the friendliest instructors. The ones who will smile & laugh with you during your kite lessons. The ones who will never scream at you if you make a mistake. The ones who may become your friends at the end of your kite lessons.

And, if we want you to learn how to kitesurf, we need excellent prepared instructors. Iko certified, lots of experience and extremely professional. They are the most valuable asset in our company. Because, the better skillful they are, the better they'll help you to reach your kite goals.

2) Our moto is “You can kite"

All is possible in this life if we are determined enough. Our instructors will always be positive about reaching your goals. They will adapt to your needs and they’ll organize the most personalized kite lessons for you.

Every new student is a new potential kite brother or sister. Every new student is a “yes". Don’t let anyone tell you you are too old, too young, too fat, too thin, or to bad to kite. Everyone is different, everyone has a different learning rhythm but surrounded with a good instructor, everybody can kite. And you, obviously, can do it too.

Our success is determined by whom we surround ourselves with, as well as your own success as a kite student.

3) We share our passion

One of the reasons we don’t mind going back to work on Monday (or working on the weekends) is because we love what we do. Kitesurfing is our life passion, so we surround with people who share the same passion. The kind of people who love what they do for a living.

You always can tell when you find someone like that. Unfortunately, we are use to find people who do not like what they do for a living. There are lots of people unhappy with their jobs. But when you see someone whose eyes shine when talking about their jobs, about what they do, it’s very easy to tell. So, this is the kind of instructor you need to surround yourself with.

To sum it all up... we can tell you, that every year we surround with this kind of professional, happy, friendly and passionate people. Why? Because when you are around someone with passion for kitesurfing, there’s a very good chance you will get passionate about kitesurfing too.

Are you ready to choose the right instructor too? Do it now! Here!

Pump, Connect & Kite

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 16:45:57 GMT

Why it is essential to pump the kite and connect the lines properly

After some Kite & Wind Theory (STEP 1) , it's time to STEP 2: Kite and lines set up . So, let's take out the kite, pump it, connect the lines and prepare the gear to fly.

There are two essential parts here: (I) Pumping the kite and (II) Connecting the lines

It might seem pretty easy, right? But learning to pump the kite in the right position will avoid seeing your kite flying away in front of your eyes. And most important, connecting the lines in the proper way will avoid accidents when launching and flying the kite. So, keep focus in the process.

Please take this just as a brief explanation of what you will learn with your certified instructor on your first day of lessons. Do not miss the first lesson. And never never never try to learn Kitesurf on your own.

(I) PUMP THE KITE

We'll follow a few steps to inflate the kite in the right position and manner:

1. Unroll the kite: The kite must be unrolled with the wind at your back and the struts facing up. After, you can place some sand on the wing tip closer to you (the most upwind tip).

2. Inflate the kite: Most of the kites have a "one-pump system" that inflates struts and leading edge at the same time. If this is the case, connect the pump leash to the kite, open the valve and inflate the kite. Connecting the pump leash to the nose of the kite will enable you to pump the kite using both feet and hands without having the kite flying away.

If the kite has no "one-pump system" , make sure to inflate the struts before the leading edge.

Make sure to pump the kite firm but not over inflated. Then, close the valves and fasten the velcro over the caps.

3. Flip the kite: Take the kite by the leading edge and flip the inflated kite over. The leading edge will face the ground. Make sure that the nose of the kite (the point where center strut and leading edge meet) is facing the wind. Place sand in between struts to prevent it from flying away, and go to connect the lines.

(II) CONNECT THE LINES

It's time to connect the lines following the downwind method :

1. Unwind the bar: Stand up next to the kite with the wind in your back. Hold the bar in the center and begin to unwind the lines. Place the ends of the lines next to the inflated kite on the sand. Continue walking downwind away from the kite unwinding the lines. Avoid to drag the lines along with you. The ends of the lines should remain next to the kite.

2. Place the bar upside down: With the lines completely unwound place the bar on the sand upside down. This is very important. The left part of the bar must be placed on the right on the ground.

Normally bars are color-coded where the left part is red in the flying position. If this is the case, the red part of the bar should be on the ground on the right side. If your bar is not color-coded, the left side is always marked somehow, sometimes with the kite brand name, other times with different colors.

3. Walk out your lines: Stand in between your lines next to the bar, in a way where the center lines (also called frontline) are between your legs and the two back lines are on each side of your legs. In this position, walk from the bar to your kite straightening any twists and untangling the lines if needed. When you get to the end, place the lines on the ground with the center lines in the center and the back lines on the sides.

It is essential to place the lines with no twists. Any twist or tangles in the lines when connecting them to the kite can be dangerous when launching and flying the kite.

4. Attach the lines: Now is time to attach the flying lines to the kite using the Lark's Head Knot . Please, check below a sequence of the knot. This is a universally used knot in the kitesurfing world. It creates a cinch which can be slipped over the knot on the point of attachment and be tightened.

The kite has four line attachment, two on the center of the leading edge (front/inflated edge) and two on the end of the leading edge (back).

Front lines / Center lines will be attached to the center of the leading edge. These lines are equipped with loop extensions to be attached to the fixed-knot pigtails on the leading edge of the kite.

Back lines will be attached to the end of the leading edge. The back lines are equipped with fixed-knots extensions, which can only be attached to the loop pigtails at the end of the leading edge of the kite.

This attachment system makes impossible to attach one back line in the center of the leading edge and vice versa, because they need their opposite pigtails.

At the end the position of the lines when attached to the kite on the ground would look like this.

5. Check the lines: It is crucial to attach the lines correctly. Otherwise the kite will not fly properly and may be uncontrollable. So, after connecting the lines take your time and check that your lines have been connected properly. There is no rush. You have plenty of time to enjoy your session safely.

To do so, hold the two back lines and walk back from the kite to the bar, making sure the lines are not crossing each other.

Now, you are ready to fly your kite. Before launching your kite you need to flip your bar to the flying position. If your bar is colored-coded, the red part would be on the left side again.

Are you ready for your next step? Feel free to ask any questions and please be focus when connecting your lines.

*** SUMMARY ***

STEP: 2 - Kite & lines set up
DURATION APPROX: 20 minutes
WHY IS IMPORTANT:
Because pumping your kite in the right position
will avoid your kite of flying away. And because attaching the lines properly
will avoid any accident when launching and flying the kite.
NEXT STEP: 3 - Inner-workings of the bar & safety systems

Kite & Wind Theory, your first step to kitesurfing

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Thu, 25 May 2017 18:21:06 GMT

Why a good introduction to kite & wind theory is "A MUST" if you really want to learn kitesurf

In our experience, theory is a very important step. Not everybody likes it and sometimes is overlooked, but is A MUST.

It won't take hours of explanations and you won't need to take any notes. We know you are in Tulum on holidays. Just listen carefully and focus around 20 minutes. Could you do that? In this first step you will get the foundation to be a great kitesurfer.

At this point, you will learn three important things:
(1) Where the wind comes from
(2) Which wind directions are good for kiting, and
(3) What is the wind window.

Please take this just as a brief explanation of what you will learn with your certified instructor on your first day of lessons. Do not miss the first lesson. And never never never try to learn Kitesurf on your own.

(1) WHERE THE WIND COMES FROM?

There are different ways to determine where the wind is coming from:

Direction of blowing sand
Direcction of palms or flags
By the sound of the wind in both ears (our favorite). Turn slowly until you hear the wind blowing in both ears. This would be the direction where the wind comes from.

(2) WHICH WIND DIRECTIONS ARE GOOD FOR KITING?

It is very important to understand the wind direction in relation to shore, because it tells whether is safe or not going out to kite.

The wind directions are:

ONSHORE: The wind blows straight to the shore
OFFSHORE: The wind blows straight from the shore to the water
SIDESHORE: The wind blows parallel to the shore
SIDE-ON: The wind blows parallel with an inclination to the shore
SIDE-OFF: The wind blows parallel with an inclination to the water

Look at the picture above. Lets see which wind directions are good for kiting:

What is the best direction for kitesurfing (especially for beginners or intermediate)? SIDESHORE and SIDE-ON. Both directions allow you to get into the water, ride downwind parallel to the shore and come back to the shore.

What is the non-recommended direction to kite in? OFFSHORE and SIDE-OFF because wind pulls you straight out and you can't come to the shore.

What is the direction just recommended for experienced riders who can go upwind? ONSHORE because wind pulls you straight to the shore, so you need to master going upwind to get into the water and ride against the wind.

(3) WHAT IS THE WIND WINDOW?

The wind window theory is explained in relation to you (the rider). It is basically the three dimensional area downwind of the rider in which you can fly the kite.

If you put your back to the wind, all you can see from your sides to your front is your area of influence, also the space over your head.

The Wind Window has 3 zones:

The edge of the window or the clock zone (green)

The zone where the kite has the lowest power.
This is the zone used for launching, landing and parking the kite if you want a neutral position while in the water.

The intermediate zone (yellow)

The zone where the kite has medium power.
You will fly the kite in this zone when wind strength is good and you are in riding mode.

The power zone (red)

The zone where the kite has its maximum power.
You will just fly the kite into this zone when you need power for water start or when the wind is really low.

Are you ready for your next step? Feel free to ask any questions and don't miss your theory lessons.

*** SUMMARY ***

STEP: 1 - Kite & wind theory
DURATION APPROX: 20 minutes
WHY IS IMPORTANT:
Because learning if the wind direction is good for kiting and
the position of the kite in relation to the wind window,
set the foundation of a good kitesurfer.
NEXT STEP: 2 - Kite & lines set up

14 Steps to learn kitesurfing

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Mon, 15 May 2017 15:12:29 GMT

Because learning how to kite is a linear process, not one hour magic lesson.

Kitesurfing is not a sport that can be learned in one or two hours. It demands a bunch of hours of training. But above all, it demands going step by step mastering one exercise at a time. At the end of this learning process you will kite safely on your own.

One of the most asked questions is: How long it takes to learn kitesurfing? This question depends on different factors: the student skills, the wind conditions and the sea conditions, among others. Approximately, it takes from 3 to 4 hours to get to the board stage and between 9 to 12 hours of training to become an independent kiteboarder.

Every student is different and has a different rhythm. If you have excellent skills and you are “a natural”, you will learn very fast. If not, don’t worry, the learning process will take a little longer for you. Go step by step. Focus on what you are doing, listen to your instructor and you will end up kiting.

We manage to put together this 14 step kitesurfing program , so you can know exactly where you are in your learning process:

1) KITE & WIND THEORY

This is an important part of the course, sometimes overlooked because people is not very much into theory. But completely necessary to set up the foundation of a good kitesurfer. It is a must to learn 3 basic things:

Where the wind comes from?
Wind directions in relation to shore and which one is better to kitesurf; and
The wind window theory

(Extended explanation here)

2) KITE & LINES SET UP

Pumping the kite and connecting the lines properly before launching are essential steps to fly the kite.
Seems easy, right? But if you don't pay attention to your kite lines the kite can fly wrong and result in an accident.

(Extended explanation here)

3) INNER-WORKINGS OF THE BAR & SAFETY SYSTEM

Learning how to use the bar and its de-power system will help you to give more or less power to the kite.

It's crucial to understand and learn the 3 safety systems of the kite. Despite of the differences between kites and brands, more or less the security systems are the same.

Release the bar
The chicken loop quick release, to de-power the kite; and
The safety leash quick release, to detach the kite from the rider (just when necessary)

(Extended explanation here)

4) SELF RESCUE TECHNIQUE

This technique is what you do to bring yourself back to shore in case you had a problem with the equipment or the wind just dropped while you are out there. By holding the kite by both wingtips you form a sail that will pull you downwind into shore.

5) INLAND KITE CONTROL

Mastering kite control in the sand is one of the most important steps, because kiteboarding is 80% kite control.
In this stage you need to control the kite flying with two hands and with just one hand, which will help you when going into the water holding the kite and the board at the same time.

6) BODY DRAG UPWIND

Body dragging is the process of using the kite to propel you through the water in a desired direction without the use of a board.

7) POWER STROKES

Here you will learn how to give power to the kite to pull you out of the water. It is a necessary exercise to know what will you do to stand up on the board in the next step.

8) WATER START WITH ASSISTANCE

After 3 or 4 hours of lessons, more or less, you will be ready for the board part. The most wanted step by all the students and maybe one of the most difficult. With a board on your feet you will use power strokes to get you up on the board and riding. An instructor will be in the water just behind you grabbing your harness to control your power and assisting you in those first attempts.

9) WATER START SOLO

Once you are confident enough to try water start by yourself, the instructor will guide you from the shore.

10) RIDE DOWNWIND

Mastering the water start will take you directly to ride downwind. This would be the time when you feel you are kiting for the first time. This would be the time when you realize you are stocked for life.

In this stage you will ride downwind alone and safe. During this process your instructor will guide you and assist you from the shore. After each downwind ride, you will have to walk back along the beach, which is called "the walk of shame". But don't worry, all of us did it at some point in our kitesurfing lives.

11) RIDE UPWIND

Riding upwind is the key to becoming a kitesurfer. It is what separates beginners from advanced riders. It basically means you will ride against the wind, zigzagging along the water.

12) TRANSITIONS

Once you can ride both ways (downwind and upwind) you will learn transitions to change directions. The sliding transition is the first one you will perform without putting your butt into the water.

13) JUMPS

After riding both ways and transitioning smoothly you will get into jumps if you desire. Some kitesurfers don't need to jump, they just want to ride all along the beach without any complications. Specially, if they have some kind of knees or back injuries, due to the strong pressure when landing in the water.

Learning to jump or wave riding can be done at the same time. You don't need to jump in order to surf the waves with your kite. They are two different and independent ways of kitesurfing.

14) WAVE RIDING

Learning how to surf the waves with an strapless surf board using your kite is a great experience. But, strapless kitesurfing is much more than waves, many jumps and tricks can be learned with your surf board if this way of kiting is what you want to learn and practice.

We are passionate about strapless kitesurfing and we love to share the passion with our students.

This is just the basic program to learn kitesurfing in our kite school in Tulum . Each of these steps will be explained in detail in future posts to help you understand much better every stage of the course. Feel free to ask any possible question about it.

See you soon in the water!

5 tips to plan your kite vacation in Tulum

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 04:49:40 GMT

Some important things to keep in mind when planning your kitesurfing holidays in the Mexican Caribbean

Rather you are a complete beginner who wants to learn kitesurfing in Tulum or an experienced kitesurfer looking for a nice spot to ride, you need to know a few things to get the most out of your kitesurfing vacation.

1. WINDY SEASON

November to May are the official windy months in Tulum. This doesn't mean you can't have some days with zero wind on this period. But, it is, for sure, the best time to ride.

In case of non-windy conditions in Tulum you can chase the wind going on a kitesurfing trip to Isla Blanca (North Cancun) or El Cuyo (Yucatan). These amazing kite spots are just two and a half hours drive from Tulum.

Despite summer is not the official season, you can have wind and kite. Every year is different, but there is a good chance to have enough wind to start your kitesurfing lessons in case you are a beginner.

2. WIND CONDITIONS

Wind power in Tulum is light to medium (from 12 to 20 knots average). Normally, we ride with a range of 10 to 13 meters kite. Sometimes we use smaller kites, but it is not the rule.

So, if you have kitesurfing experience and want to bring your own gear (at least your kite) choosing a kite in between these sizes should work fine.

3. CHOOSE A KITE SCHOOL

If you are a beginner you should find a kite school with professional certified instructors to teach you. If you are an advanced kitesurfer you should go to a kite school, check in, learn as much as possible about the spot, and specially launch and land the kite with proper assistance.

All schools in Tulum who work with certified instructors are perfect to help both beginners and advanced kitesurfers.

Why you should choose us?

Because you may want to learn with the number 1 kite school on Trip Advisor, with constant excellent reviews and happy clients;

Because you may want to learn with carefully selected certified instructors; and

Because you may want to learn at Ahau Tulum, one of the top kite spots in the area with all facilities at your disposal (restaurant, bathrooms, beach beds, wifi, parking etc)

4. THE PERFECT ACCOMMODATION

Find a hotel that suits your needs and budget. Best scenario would be booking a hotel with a kiteboarding school on its beach or close to one.

Apart from Ahau Tulum where our kite spot is based, Alaya Tulum , Tolok Tulum and Casa Ganesh Tulum are amazing beach front hotels next or very close to us.

Across the street from Ahau, you can find the beautiful Yoga Shala place with nice jungle view rooms, delicious restaurant and better prices than the beach front ones.

If you need something very cool, but a little more affordable, you should check out Anastasia Tulum studios. Awesome location, awesome design and all the amenities for a perfect week in Tulum town. Make sure to rent a car to get to the beach and move around every day. Taking a taxi won't be a cheap solution.

Thanks Giving, Christmas, New Year and Easter Holidays are very busy dates in Tulum. So, you should book your accommodation at least a couple of month in advance.

5. OTHER ACTIVITIES

Balance your kitesurfing sessions with other activities to do with your partner, family or friends who do not kite.

Go on a paddle boarding tour to cenotes, lagoons or bays.
Ride Tulum jungle road with a bike.
Visit some ancient ruins: Tulum, Cobá or a day trip to Chichen Itzá.
Discover a cenote.
Float in the Muyil canals.
Eat well at the fancy and delicious restaurants in Tulum beach.
Have some fun at night in the coolest bars and cocktails spots.
Go shopping and find the nicest beach dresses or hats in the nicest little shops.
Practice some yoga.
Take a relaxing massage or a Mayan clay treatment in a rustic spa, or
Just lay down and feel Tulum's magic

Just plan a little. Choose windy season, a professional kite school, a nice hotel and enjoy Tulum at its best.

Please don't be shy. Ask us all the questions you need to plan the best kitesurfing vacation.

Introducing the new MexicanCaribbeanKitesurf.com

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Sun, 02 Apr 2017 22:58:51 GMT

Your web destination for top activities in Tulum

We’ve designed a shiny new site with you in mind. A new web experience where is very easy to find what you are looking for in Tulum.

Easy to check everywhere

A responsive site compatible with computer, mobile devices and tablets. You can search things to do in Tulum on your computer at home or a last minute tour on your phone at the airport.

Simple design

Thinking of you, we have designed a web with just our activities information: Kite, SUP and Tours.
We don’t need to explain everything about Tulum. You already know that Tulum is the coolest place. So, lets just talk about what cool activities you can do here with us.

All your questions answered

You can find all the information you need in our FAQs pages. After 5 years running the business and listening to our customers, we know what your doubts are and we have tried to explain everything to you in advance.

Easy to book

At the end of every activity you will find a short Booking Form. Just send us the info requested and we’ll confirm your activity in 24 hours time, with alternative dates if necessary. No credit card needed. No advanced payment asked.

Hard copywriting work, real pictures of our wonderful team and good partnership with Digital Daemons have been the recipe for our new web.

Enjoy the site and suggest anything you think is missing.

3 reasons to take kitesurfing lessons

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

About the importance of learning kitesurfing with a certified instructor

It is essential to take kite lessons with a certified instructor. Why? The main reason is that being an action sport with many variables, you can get involve in extreme situations where you have to apply all the knowledge of wind, body position, kite control, security systems, etc. So, it is very important and necessary to know all the rules of kitesurfing and all safety techniques before starting to navigate on your own.

Now, we'll give you three more good reasons to take kitesurfing lessons:

1. For safety.

And not just for your own safety, but also for the safety of other riders and swimmers in the area. Kitesurfing should not be underestimated. A bad learning can expose you and those around you to a serious accident. Taking the course, you will learn the techniques of kite safety, principles of wind and the necessary conditions to start riding without accidents. If you learn safety rules properly and follow them, you’ll never have any problem.

2. Because you learn faster and better.

When you learn kitesurfing with a certified instructor, you do it in much less time and much better than if you do it on your own through the principle of “trial and error”. Principle that not only take you longer to master the sport but very possibly you end up injured. By learning on your own you expose yourself to unnecessary risks.

3. Because you learn with the school equipment.

You don’t need to spend money on kite equipment to learn kitesurfing, because you learn with the school gear, with the latest technology and security systems all in perfect conditions. Kiteboarding equipments are not cheap and if you buy one before you have an idea about kitesurfing you will probably make a mistake buying one kite inappropriate for someone starting out. It is best to learn with the school equipment and once completed the course, you ask advice to your instructor about the material that suits you.

The best thing you can do is take a kitesurfing course to become an independent rider. The course will allow you to go to any beach, decide the most appropriate kite size according to wind conditions and start riding on your own without problems. In kitesurfing, like in all sports, the more you practice the better you will be.

So, if you were thinking of starting kiteboarding and also want a vacation in Tulum contact our school (Mexican Caribbean Kitesurf) and if you are looking for the best place to stay in Tulum beach while learning to sail, your place is Ahau Tulum.

Waiting for you here!

10 Benefits of Kitesurfing

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

About what kitesurfing can do for you

For us kitesurfing is not only an extreme sport but also one of the best exercises for our body and our mind.

We have made some research in various online publications and below we explain the 10 benefits that the continued practice of kitesurfing can bring to your physical and mental health:

# 1 – Tones your body, especially the upper area, arms and abdomen. Strengthening your abdominal area makes a physical improvement of the abductors and legs too. You increase the strength in your arms by holding, the kite in legs by bending over the table to ride, and the muscles of the hands by grabbing the bar.

# 2 – Kitesurfing combines aerobics and resistance exercises. This combination is perfect for keeping a balance weight, molding your figure and gaining physical strength, very important to have a healthy heart.

# 3 – As you have to keep the kite in the air with one hand while you enter the water grabbing the board with the other hand, and when riding you are focused on several tasks at once, your coordination and your concentration improve.

# 4 – Also riding on the board is great to improve your balance.

# 5 – With any sport you eliminate stress, but if it is an extreme sport adrenaline rushes are much higher, creating a great feeling of wellness.

# 6 – In turn, stress reduction automatically strengthens your immune system and allows you to have a stronger health.

# 7 – The way of navigation and jumping in kitesurf, in which you have to constantly make decisions about movement and position of the bar, body, board, etc, makes you resolve difficult situations on the water, increasing your reflexes and reaction capacity.

# 8 – Like any sport in which you interact with the environment, kitesurfing fosters respect for the ocean, animals and nature in general, as well as makes you breathe fresh air away from the city smock.

# 9 – When you practice kitesurf inevitably you meet more kitesurfers on the beaches, which helps you to interact with people with common interests and tastes, improves your relationships and your ability to communicate. And most important, you know a group of people whom you can talk freely about your passion.

# 10 – Finally, we can say that kitesurfing allows you to experience new sensations, like the feeling of flying, increasing your level of happiness.

In this passing life we are here to try to be as happy as we can. So … What are you waiting to learn kitesurfing? The more you practice the fitter and happier you will be.

Kite Spot at Ahau Tulum

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

About the coolest kite spot in Tulum

We have always thought that we’re lucky people. We also believe that luck is for those who seek it and not for those who sit and wait for it to arrive.

Since the beginning of our Caribbean adventure we feel very fortunate in many ways. One reason is because we have found the coolest spot for our kitesurfing school. And frankly, we could not have found a better place.

From now on, you can find us on the beach of Ahau Tulum hotel, in the kilometer 7.5 of the Tulum – Boca Paila Road. A spectacular location between the white sand and turquoise beach and the thicker Mayan jungle. A hotel surrounded by palm trees with the best Caribbean cabañas, yoga lessons, a restaurant serving delicious food and one of the prettiest beaches in the world.

We still have a lot to do and prepare for the school to be ready next high season, but the kitesurfing classes have already started on the Ahau Tulum beach taking advantage of these few windy summer days.

For those who want to learn kitesurfing or those who already know and want to navigate in a beautiful spot, we invite you to spend some days with Mexican Caribbean Kitesurfing in Ahau Tulum. Enjoy the kite, relax in the hammocks on the beach and stay in the best cabañas of Tulum, with all the facilities and the most special environment.

No more to say. The images speak for themselves. See you soon in Tulum.

Stand Up and Paddle!

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

About what is SUP and its benefits

Mexican Caribbean Kitesurf is about beaches, palm trees, hammocks and a Kiteboarding and Paddle Surf school in Tulum, a paradise in the Mexican Caribbean.

Paddle Surf, known too as SUP (Stand Up Paddle Surfing), is becoming a fashionable sport on many beaches around the world. The best thing about it, is that does not require a great physical or technical condition as kite surfing, surfing or windsurfing. It can be practiced at any age and is quite easy to learn.

SUP consists on sliding over the water, up on a board of 3 meters or more, driven with a paddle. Standing on a board is the best way to enjoy the sea from another perspective.

It is a very complete sport. If practiced regularly increases our balance and muscle tone especially legs (which are slightly bent when paddling), abdomen and arms.

It can be said that Paddle Surf can be practiced in two basic ways:

the “quiet” way, with a simple, relaxed and safe paddling trip in the sea or a lagoon; and
the “extreme” or surfer way, catching waves powered by a paddle, being able to surf incredible waves as any surfer does with a conventional board;

The improved balance properties have already made that meditation and yoga classes are being taught on a SUP board floating in the water.

We will explain these and other good Paddle Surf characteristics later in this blog. For now, we encourage you to take a course of Paddle Surf to work your balance and learn the basic techniques of paddling. It would just take one hour or two and you will enjoy the sport very much.

In Mexican Caribbean Kitesurf we offer one-hour paddle surf course followed by an extra hour of practice for just 50 USD. We will teach you the SUP’s basic maneuvers, how to use the paddle to move and rotate on the water, and many other amazing things about SUP. The best part is that we offer the course in the incredible beach of Tulum in the Mayan Riviera.

So… Stand Up and Paddle!

Kitesurf Superheros

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

About how you become a superhero with this amazing sport

As a child I liked to imagine I had super powers like Superman, Flash or Hulk. As I got older I never stopped imagining. I think this happens to many adults, otherwise Batman and Spiderman movies would not be in all theaters in the world with great success.

Can you imagine yourself jumping as Hulk or running as Flash? Since I started kitesurfing some of these dreams become true or are pretty close to. And this is one of the things that make you feel the passion for kitesurfing. It aloud you to do great deeds and sometimes, just for seconds, you feel yourself super powerful.

In the kitesurf world we also have our super heroes, each one with their own super power. Let's have a look:

FLASH would be Rob Douglas, the American kitesurfer who holds the world speed record. He even defeat the Hidroptere, a vessel of many million dollars built with space age materials. So dear reader, the world faster object driven by wind is not a high-tech sailboat, it’s a kitesurfer who used a normal kite gear with a lightly modified board. He did so in Lüderitz (Namibia) in a channel of 6 meters wide approximately, where one mistake means broken bones if you are lucky. In fact Rob broke his wrist when getting it. Too bad he did not have the Wolverine powers to heal and continue sailing the same day.

HULK would be Lewis Crathern with his incredible jumps. He even jumped the Brighton Pier. Many called him crazy or unconscious for trying. He is not crazy because he takes calculated risks. He waited about a year to reach the perfect conditions to jump the pier. I consider him a hero because he seeks to save the planet using his media pull to raise awareness about ecology and the benefits of wind power.

AQUAMAN would be Ben Wilson, who surf the biggest and more powerful waves where a mistake can be fatal. Not coincidentally, he surfed the largest wave driven by a kite; this is because he is a storm seeker and that day in Namotu (Fiji) he found the perfect storm. In my case this would be my favorite superhero because the waves are my passion.

These three cases are extraordinary sport-men breaking records and bringing the kitesurf to new frontiers but don’t think that to jump and navigate you have to be a great athlete or very good technically, anyone with a little practice can jump, navigate and feel the super-powers.

The videos of the records:

Speed record

Super jump

Largest wave kite surfed

Turtle nesting season in Tulum

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

About beautiful little turtles in Tulum beach

In Tulum you can feel life and nature everywhere. It’s really great how many wild animals live and nest in the area. From May to October is turtle nesting season. Another reason to visit us here!!

On the beaches of Tulum, and on the Mexican Caribbean‘s beaches in general, you mainly can find two types of sea turtles: the Loggerhead and Green Turtle.

Most of these turtles life takes place at sea, but they always return to land to nest. At night when the sun sets, turtle moms swim to Tulum beaches, dig a nest of about 50 or 60 inches with their flippers, lay their eggs (between 85 and 120 eggs per nest), bury them with sand and return to the Caribbean Sea.

Their offspring takes between 50 and 60 days to hatch, but the most complicated thing for these baby turtles is to reach the sea before getting devoured by a predator or burned by the sun. So, most of the time they try to do at night.

Since both turtles species are endangered, some nests are moved to a restricted beach area of about 40 meters where turtles birth takes place in optimal conditions. A small creek near the archaeological site of Tulum’s magical archeological zone (I can not imagine a better place to be born), where a mesh is placed to prevent local animals such as raccoon or badger devour the eggs.

In Tulum and in the whole Riviera Maya, authorities and hotel owners are very concerned about it. There is even a Sea Turtle Festival held every year since 2003 which aims to raise the local population and tourists awareness on the sea turtles protection, as one of the most primitive vertebrates in existence and now endangered too.

As taking care of the environment is our responsibility (from all of us). If you are lucky to find a turtle on the beach you have to keep a distance, be quite and calm, not flash it with lamps or photo flashes, in order to prevent abortions or stress situation which can force the scared turtle return into the sea without laying their eggs. And for the rest … enjoy the moment and the incredible experience!

Ben Wilson scored world's largest kite surfed wave

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

About the largest wave surfed with a kite

Days ago we informed you that Mexican Caribbean Kitesurf is Ben Wilson Surf’s Test Centre in Mexico and also that we loved the Australian rider’s philosophy of joining Surf and Kitesurf in a single modality. Today we talk about one of his greatest achievements: the largest kite surfed wave.

The spot was Cloudbreak in Namotu Island (Fiji) on May 20, 2011. An amazing place, a virgin island where the waves, like most waves in the South Pacific, breaks over a beautiful coral carpet.

It was an estimated 35 feet monster wave (about 11 meters), almost six times Ben Wilson’s height and incredibly wide. The wave threatened to shallow Ben Wilson but he holds on it, only helped by his kite and a side-shore wind he catched the largest wave kite surfed in the world. And the record continuous today so far. But it was not only the big wave, he did it “strapless”, with a conventional surfboard and without straps to tide his feet. Incredible!

Ben Wilson is one of the best waves kitesurfers in the world and not many people from kitesurfing world discuss that. He also has his own kite brand (Noise Kites), in which he applies his expertise as a rider and the latest technology. Those kites are the ones we use to teach kitesurf in our school in Tulum.

Ben Wilson was trying the feat for more than 5 years. When he finally got it he said that when he dropped into the wave seemed like it never let him get to the bottom. He felt that he was in a motion-less wave, and all he knew was that he had put so much effort into that moment that he needed to hold on the wave till the very end…

Well … he hold on till the end and record one of the most amazing kitesurf rides ever filmed in the world.

This video is just amazing and Ben Wilson’s passion for the sport is a great inspiration for us. Check the video!

How do I feel Kitesurfing?

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT

About this amazing feeling when you do what makes you happy

I have being kiting and surfing for many years. I jumped from airplanes with parachute. I jumped from high waterfalls. I rock climbed for a while too. I enjoyed all these extreme experiences a lot.

Contrary to what some people may think, I don’t like to put myself in dangerous situations and I hate to hurt myself. I am not an adrenaline junkie either. Most of my friends who are involved in those sports are more or less like me. Then, why we do them? Why we take the risk? Why we want to experience the rush?

A few years ago I found on the internet a concept created by professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi use in positive psychology: “The Flow”. When I studied it and read the book, I realized that this was exactly what happened to me. "The Flow" is what I look for when I kitesurf.

According to Myhali, "Flow" is:

“an state of being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost. To achieve a flow state, a balance must be struck between the challenge of the task and the skill of the performer. If the task is too easy or too difficult, flow cannot occur. Both skill level and challenge level must be matched and high; if skill and challenge are low and matched, then apathy results.

The flow state also implies a kind of focused attention, and indeed, it has been noted that mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and martial arts seem to improve a person’s capacity for flow. Among other benefits, all of these activities train and improve attention”

Not only practicing sports is possible to find "The Flow". Actually, it was a phenomenon studied first in artists. It’s being said that when Michelangelo painted the Sixtine Chapel, he didn’t eat or sleep much to the point that he vanished often and when he came back, he continued with his paintings. For him there was no hunger, he had no need for sleep, he was in such mental state where the challenge was as great as his skills. He was in "The Flow".

When you find a challenge according to your skills you feel "The Flow" and you feel completely happy. In that moment you don’t think about it because you don’t think about anything but being in "The Flow" and enjoying the moment.

You can find "The Flow" in your work, when you read, when you write... If you don’t have something like this in your life, go out, look for a challenge and do it, because you don’t know the amazing feeling you are missing out.

Do you feel "The Flow"?

Ben Wilson Surf's Test Centre in Mexico

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT

About our school kites brand

Mexican Caribbean Kitesurf is the Test Centre of Ben Wilson Surf in Mexico, and we are super excited about it. You might wonder what a Test Centre is and why we are excited about the idea.

Well, a Test Centre is a testing and sales center of a specific kiteboarding brand. Those interested in testing a kite go to the brand Test Centre in their country, see the material, test it and if they like they can buy it there.

Ben Wilson Surf’s kites are not in Mexico yet, and we will be the first to introduce exclusively the brand in the Mexican territory. The only Ben Wilson Surf – Noise Kites‘ importer and Test Centre. With us you can see the latest kites NOISE, spread them on the beach and test them. We will explain you the characteristics of the different kites and bars we have, and we will advise you on the best option for your needs, measures and wind conditions of your main spot.

And if you’re on vacation and you take the kitesurf course with us and don't want to buy a kite in Mexico so you don’t have to carried with you all your trip back, Mexican Caribbean Kitesurf, as a BWS Test Centre, will give you a code to get into the Ben Wilson Surf website, purchase the gear from your country and also receive a 10% discount upon the kite purchased price.

You may also wonder who is Ben Wilson.

Well, Ben Wilson is an Australian rider who worked and sailed many years for Slingshot. His techniques of sailing unhooked and strapless, without having the kite hooked to the harness and with a surfboard to catch the best waves, have made of him one of the best wave riders in the world. His philosophy and target pursued with his own brand is to join surf and kite surf. Why not grab waves taking advantage from the wind strength and power?

In future posts we will talk about his many kite accomplishments, one of those was the biggest wave surfed using a kite.

And finally, what makes Noise Kites so attractive?

First, because Mauricio has been surfing all his life and he loves the philosophy promoted by Ben Wilson of joining surf and kite surf (his two passions). Besides, he has been kiting strapless with a surfboard for a while now.

And second, because given that Noise kites are kites designed for waves they are very stable and resistant to crashes against water and sand, typical impacts on a kite school. The kites Noise’s characteristics make them the perfect kites for a beginner who seeks security, strength and stability.

Noise kites are bomb-proof … and we are counting the days until we get all the material here. Soon… very soon!!

Sir Richard Branson, from the English Channel to Tulum beach

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

About Richard Branson visiting Ahau Tulum

The famous entrepreneur Richard Branson, owner of Virgin Group, is back in kiteboarding world news. This time because just a week ago Mr. Branson, on its 61 years of age, achieved to cross the English Channel kiteboarding (from the English coast to the French coast). After a couple of failed attempts where he had to retire, he reached the French coast on July 2, becoming the oldest person to do so.

The feat was performed with his son Sam Branson, who a couple of days before had won the speed record crossing the Channel with a time of 2 hours and 18 minutes.

Once he reached the French coast, Sir Richard Branson toasted Champagne with his son and also had to explain to French Authorities why he had crossed the border irregularly.

The business man got the record with a Flexi Foil kite.

Richard Branson has been practicing the sport for years and is well-known in the kite scene, not only for his riding, but for having starred in several kite commercials with top models. One ad with lingerie firm Victoria's Secret's super models and other photo shoot in which Mr. Branson appeared kiting and a nude model was hanging in his back.

Check the video .

If last week the British financial achieved a new record for his collection, this week he has been working and relaxing on the Ahau Hotel and the beautiful beaches of Tulum. Mauricio had the opportunity to talk a few minutes with him on the beach, and Richard Branson himself upload on his Facebook profile several photos that appeared in one of the world's most beautiful places, Tulum.

Kayaking between Sian Ka'an mangroves

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

About kayaking in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve with Yucatan Outdoors

Approximately one and a half month ago, we had some very especial guests in Tulum, enjoying the charms of the Caribbean and Mexican culture (Eva, Pau and Rolando). We wanted to show them around and we had the opportunity to enjoy all together a kayak tour along the beautiful natural Reserve of Sian Ka'an with Yucatan Outdoors .

Sian Ka'an, which means "where the sky is born" in Mayan language, is a natural area considered a Biosphere Reserve and declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO since the 80's. Part of the Reserve belongs to the municipality of Tulum, so we can consider ourselves very lucky to be able to enjoy an awesome natural space like this just 15 minutes from home.

The Reserve extends over 530,000 hectares. Its coast is formed by great beaches washed by the Caribbean Sea with white sand and turquoise water, a portion of the second largest coral reef in the world, small bays and three or four different types of mangroves, and other ecosystems. In Sian Ka'an coexist 103 different types of animals and 336 species of birds like the Kingfisher. It is also a very important nesting of two species of endangered turtles. In Sian Ka'an you can find not only turtles but dolphins, crocodiles, manatees, and many other wild animals as well.

Our tour lasted about five hours in which we traveled part of the lagoon and several channels between the mangroves. Channels that were used by ancient Mayans as part of its maritime trade routes between the cities of Tulum and Muyil.

The Tour was awesome. Yucatan Outdoors brought all the equipment, knowledge and super good attitude and also a typical Mexican food... simply delicious: potatoes with chorizo tacos and chile with corn tacos for vegetarian people, plus fresh fruit and water, lots of water ...

We spent a very funny kayak tour. Today we still remember some stories and we laugh ... The best anecdote by far was seeing our friend Pau getting into the water with flip-flops, losing them in the mud at the bottom of the lagoon and having to trow himself mouth down to recover them ...A memorable image.

The tour was really worthy, the experience was amazing and super recommended for everyone, older and younger people.

Almost at the end of the tour, the view of sunset in the lagoon in a remote place of the world, with nothing around but pure nature, watching the sun over the horizon, it was simply priceless.

Antonio and Miguel, our friends and Yucatan Outdoors' instructors, always say that their tours are great because of the beauty of Sian Ka'an scenario. Of course the Reserve is an incomparable natural beauty, but their grace, sympathy, super good mood and the way the live what they do and their passion doing the job are by far the best and most recommended part of all.

Thanks guys for an unforgettable experience that will surely be repeated soon.

The hammock, great invention

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

About the history of the hammock

I recently read in "El Sur del Caribe Mexicano" (a free publication on Caribbean tourism), the history of hammocks, those that are hung on the palms and appear in all the Caribbean photos. I found it very interesting.

It turns out that in the Mexican Caribbean the hammock is a traditional place to sleep for a large part of the native population. The Mayan people have traditionally considered the hammock as "a gift from the Gods." Its origin is in the Mayan culture of Central America about 1000 years ago. It was Christopher Columbus who brought the hammock to Europe, where it became a very popular place to sleep for many European sailors generally in the boats.

The Mayans are still masters of this unique, special technique which is multiply reproduced. The first hammocks were woven from the bark of tree Hamack (hence the name). Later this crust was replaced by sisal fiber for their softer and more elastic texture. The cotton has only being used for about 60 years.

In Tulum is very common to see locals selling colorful hammocks on the beach.

The hammock because its nocturnal freshness is used by the Mayans as a resting place, completely replacing the bed and conquering rooms and gardens of all households in the area.

When I was working in the hotel months ago, my fellow Mayan coworkers told me that they always slept in hammocks. It seemed incredible to me. But after 6 months living in the Caribbean and seeing that all indigenous people houses have hammocks hung in living rooms and bedrooms, I'm used to it and thinking about buying one for my living room (I'm still not ready to replace my bed). It is very curious to see how in a Mayan house can be hung and cross three, four and five hammocks at a time, in no more than 20 square meters.

And even better ... according to my Mayan friends there is something called "Hamacasutra". Great, right?.

Researching on the subject ... the fact is that the book exists, is called "Manual Hamacasutra, Mexican heritage to the world" and has some very illustrative drawings.

Crocodile encounter

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

About our crocodile experience in a cenote

When we don’t have wind in Tulum for kiting, we have a bunch of other activities to do such as swimming or diving in “cenotes”. For those that don’t know what a cenote is, it is a whole full of water created by the erosion of the rock, making systems of rivers of many kilometers under the earth.

I will tell the history of one of those days that due to the lack of wind we did an excursion to a cenote named: Xbalamque with our friends Antonio and Mike of Yucatan Outdoors .

This cenote is surrounded with mangroves and due to the recent rain the water was not very clear and looked a little frightening. Rocio decided not to get into the cenote and wait for us outside with her friend Eva. So we were only three in the water, Mike (the guide), an Australian tourist and me.

The cenote was spectacular. Even the water wasn’t very clear we were able to see some fishes and explore some caves. Suddenly Mike asked us for silence and pointed to one side and did a funny signal with the hands something as jaws closing.

When I looked to the direction that Mike was pointing, I understand that the funny signal was CROCODILE. There it was floating at 6 meters from us, watching us, a crocodile of one and a half meter… and suddenly it came closer, so now it was 5 meters from us and in my opinion ready to attack.

The great Mike calm us down saying that there was no problem. The crocodile was smaller than us and it was probably more afraid too. He also told us that it came closer to find a better escape route. So I believed him and started to enjoy the moment and the opportunity of being able to swim with an animal so spectacular in its natural environment.

In Mexico we have many natural paradises such as this cenote in Tulum area.

This post crocodile picture was not taken by us because non of the people who were in the water had camera in that moment. This crocodile is one of many crocodiles living in natural spaces of Quintana Roo in the Mexican Caribbean photographed by a talented professional.

100% Mexican logo

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

About how we created our logo

Now that kites season is ending in the Mexican Caribbean, we are fully deep into our project. Maybe during the summer we'll have some windy days, but local people (wisdom Mayan people) say that those summer winds are hurricanes and are named after someone like Katrina, Wilma and Dean... so, best thing to do is keep our kites for the winter and get into our house. There's no better time to prepare for the upcoming season that a good rainy and hurricane season in the Caribbean.

The first things we needed was a LOGO, which reflected what we are and what we do. We started thinking about doing it ourselves, but we would lose much time trying to make something decent. So we decided to invest a few Mexican Pesos in a professional logo design.

We started to google "Kite logos" and suddenly we saw an american kite association's logo we liked. Fortunately, the picture was part of a Floridian graphic designer's portfolio. As we are lucky people, the best thing was that Paul Sheetz ( www.sheetzdesign.com ) had designed logos for a bunch of associations and kitesurfing schools around the world (none in Mexico) and he practice kitesurfing too. We thought... Who better to design our logo than a kitesurfer, designer and creator of lots of kite logos?

Our logo had to reflect that we are a 100% Mexican school (or almost) Mau is the boss and he is 100% "Made in Mexico".

We started from a sketch made by Mau on a whiteboard, fortunately our first post did not have to be "Changing lives for the painting" because we had not gone far. But anyway ... Paul continued and refined the idea and a week after we had our logo.

The logo is really "CHINGON", more Mexican than Tequila itself and has the colors of our flag.

So, let the adventure begins... VIVA MEXICO CABRONES!!!

Changing Lives for Kitesurfing

info@mexicancaribbeankitesurf.com (MCK Tulum) — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

About how we changed our normal city lives to start a kite school in the Caribbean

We are Mauricio & Rocio, a Mexican-Spanish couple. We have been living in Barcelona (Spain) for the last five years, having a really good life but ungraceful. We spent our lives sitting in our offices, working as a “forwarder” in Cargo Flores and as a tax lawyer at PwC. We earned enough to have everything and live comfortably, but deep down we felt something was missing … especially time to live differently.

We spent working days waiting for Friday to arrive. During the weekends we used to go to the beach (even in winter time) to kiteboarding, paddle surfing and other similar activities. But again Monday came and we had to go back to the office… working on something that was good, but not fulfilling enough. During that time Mau became an IKO kiteboarding instructor in Tarifa (Cadiz – South of Spain) one of the best spots worldwide, and worked as an instructor at Kite Experience in Sant Pere Pescador (Girona – North of Spain) with our friends Sergi, Mar, Gustavo and Jordi.

One day we decided we had to change our lives. We had to leave our comfort zones and get into what really made us happy. We did not want to get old thinking about all the things we could have done and never did.

But… What could we do?… First, quite our jobs and think about being our own bosses… What a rush!

We bought two tickets to Mexico, because once the tickets were purchased we could not get cold feet. After a few months we took our bags, said goodbye to everyone and landed in a village in the Riviera Maya on the Mexican Caribbean. While we decided if this was our place, we worked in a kite school and a hotel, meeting people, learning about the area and living in a way that we would never have imagined. We decided that we stayed in the Caribbean, because the beaches, palm trees and having a beer in a hammock at sunset is priceless. We are happy, relaxed and we feel extremely fortunate to enjoy every day in this paradise.

And here comes the best part… We are working on our own project. Next season (starting in November) we will open our own KITEBOARDING AND PADDLE SURF SCHOOL ”Mexican Caribbean Kitesurf” and very soon we will have logo and website too.

Someone will think we’re crazy, but how good if our crazyness has brought us this far. Someone will think if we won’t get tired of this life… but who can be tired of living in a beautiful Caribbean beach, without stress and traffic in the morning?. It’s a risky adventure, all right, but we’re enjoying every minute and no one can take that from us. It is pure uncertainty and insecurity, all right, but nowadays there is no place more insecure than a “regular job” where a company can fired you without asking if you can survive without your salary, nothing. We work hard but everything is to our own benefit.

In addition, as Eduard Punset (one of our favorite authors) says in his book The Journey to Happiness: ”… happiness is the absence of fear ...”. Who’s afraid? … We are NOT. Wish us luck!