Boardsports California

Just got a problem with my Prolimit kite harness bought earlier this year. It was still under warranty so I sent a picture and Rebecca from Boardsports. She did a great job at following up with me and Prolimit and got me a brand new one as replacement.

I took a 5 hr lesson and purchased a full set of kite boarding equipment [board, kite, harness, wetsuit, bar, knife and trainer kite] for between $ 3500 and $ 4000.

Perhaps not my first choice to buy windsurf gear (I mainly use my sailing club’s gear, which I get to choose), but it’s the only place in the East Bay. The location on Crown Beach is pretty sweet though, and in a pinch, they have a bunch of stuff (although the much larger store is in San Mateo), and the staff are nice. They had the windsurfing harness I was after, so that was cool.
I wouldn’t learn here — and this is no doubt huge bias on my part, since I teach windsurfing myself at Cal Sailing Club — since it’s pretty expensive. Maybe if I ever wanted to learn kitesurfing (possible, but unlikely). I hear too they sometimes have deals hiding in the back of the shop; didn’t get a chance to take a look.

I needed a SUP ASAP as mine sold before I could order another in time for my trip. Rebecca and the entire staff at Boardsports California had a Naish Mana GT, sock, and rail tape ready to go in a day! I am so amazed at the awesomeness of this shop! So cool and they carry some amazing products! I will now be doing all my SUP, and accessory shopping through them!

Very friendly service. We made a reservation for eight paddle boards for an hour. They gave us a quick lesson, answered questions, made recommendations and sent us on our way. I would definitely visit them again!

If you are a tiny bit interested in learning how to kite board, windsurf or standup paddle board, you hit pay dirt with Boardsports! Jane & Rebecca are unique in that they are personable, professional, knowledgeable & fun. While they are experts in the water, they will never make you feel small or inadequate. This is one supportive, informative & fabulous team! I spent an entire summer driving to Alameda from San Francisco just to play on Crown Beach with these fabulous people. Their instruction is spot on, helping you take the next step in your evolutionary water path. I always leave the water with a gigantic smile on my face when I’m with Boardsports. And just when you think it’s all over, Jane fires up the BBQ & serves up some delicious eats! It doesn’t get better than this. And now they have locations in San Francisco & San Mateo. Really, there’s no excuse not to try ‘em out. You won’t be disappointed!!!

Although we had a shaky first experience with this place, I will say that first impressions can be changed!
The owner, Jane, personally called to apologize to each person in our group and offered to have us come back in for a free lesson. I personally really appreciate when businesses put their customers first and this place is no exception!
I can only imagine how busy Jane must be as owner of 2 different locations but nonetheless she took time out of her Sunday to take us out on an almost 2 hour lesson. Her dedication to her business and sport is second to none and I could not have felt more valued or cared for as a customer! Not only did she take us out on a thorough lesson complete with tips, tricks, and made sure we learned basic turns, etc. but she went above and beyond telling us about changes she’s implemented based on our feedback. That in itself speaks mounds about her character — humble, caring and always looking to improve. I could not be more impressed and will definitely be returning.
Thank you to Jane and her Boardsports team!

After seeing my initial review, Jane quickly contacted me to apologize for the less than stellar experience my friends and I had. It was abundantly evident that she cares a lot about her customers and their experiences with Boardsports. She offered us a SUP lesson and was understanding and accommodating when we had to make a last minute cancellation. When we finally were able to take the lesson, Jane personally instructed us. She took us out on the water and showed us how to get up on the board and how to SUP — she watched our form over the course of the 1.5 hours we spent together.
At the end of the lesson, Jane apologized again for our initial experience and told us that she really took the negative feedback as an opportunity to evaluate Boardsports’ operations. She told us how they were working on providing a great start-​to-​finish experience for all their patrons.
Thanks so much to Jane and Boardsports for the lesson. I’m sure we’ll be back — maybe to take a windsurf lesson.

I had nothing but top-​notch experiences here while learning to windsurf at crown beach. I took a beginner lesson, then bought a 30-​day pass. The instructors and rental staff were all super knowledgeable and helpful. The equipment was in good repair, and the location is perfect for beginner progression.
I had a bad experience at their San Mateo location, recently… I’d definitely recommend sticking with Alameda. Those guys are the best: I’ve had especially good experiences with Sam and Rebecca.

I’ve been meaning to write this review but finally got a chance. I started kiteboarding last year and was struggling with equipment I bought from another kiteboarding shop in the area. And if you’ve ever tried kiteboarding you know it can get very frustrating. Until I came across BoardSport. I dealt with both owners, Rebecca, and Jane. I purchased a new Kite last year, and a new board and control bar this year. It made a HUGE difference. I was up and riding on my new equipment within 2 weeks, and having a blast now. Riding in 3^rd av. is a ton of fun. Every recommendation that either Rebecca, and Jane made regarding the equipment were spot on. They are very friendly, and professional, and their prices are very competitive, and they guarantee the performance of what they sell. They also give you tips about the equipment that help you be on your way. They will be my only source of equipment and lessons for the future. I would highly recommend them. Trust me, you don’t want to start with a wrong equipment as a beginner, if you know how much they cost. Thanks Rebecca, and Jane.

Top notch staff with a great selection of SUP boards, windsurfing gear and kite gear. Authentic beach feel without all the ‘bros’

Had my first kiteboarding lesson here and it was great! I would definitely recommend this spot to beginners. Our trainer Sumner was amazing. He had great training skills, was very patient and knowledgeable. He was also very quick on his feet when an emergency situation arose on the beach, which made me feel safe within our lesson. The rest of the staff at the shack were friendly and enthusiastic. I can tell they are all passionate about this sport. We got noting but kind words and encouragement from the shack crew. My only suggestion for the beginner lesson is be well rested and well fed because it takes a lot of energy.

Had an awesome time paddleboarding for the first time! I spoke with Jessie, and had a group of 21 people who all wanted to paddleboard. Jessie was awesome enough to open up his store during the winter season and get enough paddleboards for all of us to use. We also had some kayaks to use too. He even gave gave us a great rate for all the equipment. He gave a clear and concise explanation on how to paddleboard and good tips for all of us (most of which, were first time users). I would really recommend trying this place out, it has great rates, and Alameda is beautiful on a sunny day! You can look out into the bay and see San Francisco. Parking is free in the lot and there are restrooms you can use.

Jane, the owner, personally contacted me to address my concerns. She obviously cares about customer service. Jane also checked my gear out and made some helpful suggestions. She won my business back.

This review is about Taylor, one of the instructors at the Boardsports School.
If you want to learn how to windsurf and you want a skilled and knowledgeable instructor who has a great sense of humor, is accommodating, and pleasant to work with then ask for her. She’s fabulous!
Learning how to windsurf could be frustrating in the beginning and it’s easy to be hard on yourself but Taylor’s friendly and relaxed coaching style makes it easy (fun!) to learn this sport. She is attentive, patient, and communicates in a clear and encouraging manner. Nothing ruffles her and she won’t condescend to her students. She’s excellent at evaluating how slowly or quickly you pick up the lessons and will adjust to your skill.
You’ll pick up this sport fast if you ask for Taylor!

I found my kiteboard beach. I made more progress last weekend than I did in multiple sessions last summer at a different kiteboarding school on the Bay. Rebecca was super-​helpful with advice, and has an excellent encouraging teaching style — just light years ahead of my past experience at other schools. By the second day I was up and riding in both directions (I probably would have been up the first day if it hadn’t been so gusty from the storm winds last Saturday).
Rebecca has also been very helpful with equipment advice as I’m currently shopping for a snowkite.
With shallow sandy waters and mostly onshore winds Alameda Beach is the perfect location for learning, and evidently also attracts the more experienced riders too.

I think this is probably the best place in the Bay Area to learn to kiteboard. Why? Location and Service.
LOCATION
Do you own your own jet ski? Or are you such an ironman that you’ll be going upwind and launching rad airs on your first day? If so, then more power to you (and can I borrow that jet ski sometime?). For the rest of us, odds are that you’re going to need to practice everything you were taught during your lesson, plus all the practical stuff: Rigging your kite yourself, going out on the water solo for the first time, having some wrecks, getting your kite lines tangled and sorting it out, losing your board and finding it again, etc.
Do a little research and you’ll find that while the Bay Area has tons of great kiteboarding locations, most of are NOT beginner friendly. In contrast, Crowne Beach in Alameda has:
– nice big launch area with reasonably consistent wind direction
– no waves, plus warmer water and sunnier weather than San Francisco
– plenty of friendly people to provide you with practical tips and good company
– a long sandy beach that extends downwind of the launch spot. I can’t emphasize this enough — When you’re starting out, you’re going to have some days where you end up floating downwind for some reason. At Alameda, this is no big deal. You have 1.5-mile long landing area!
Which brings me back to why Boardsports School in Alameda is THE BEST PLACE to learn in the Bay Area. Once you’ve taken some lessons (and yes, you do need lessons, bub), the best place to practice is where you learned with the people who you learned with. This way you feel more comfortable, know the rules of the beach, and have some friendly people around to help out when you’re having trouble. While I expect that there are other schools that also offer great instruction, none can offer the overall experience that Alameda provides: a great location with friendly people.
SERVICE
From reading my review so far, you might think «Oh, you’re just happy with Alameda because that’s where your learned». No so — I took my first kite lessons from one of the other schools in the Bay Area (who shall remain unnamed). While the teacher there knew his stuff, the general conclusion from everybody in my class was that he was «kind of a jerk» (actually, we used a different 4 letter word a the time). After moving on in search of a good place to practice, I discovered Rebecca and the other instructors at Boardsports School.
What a world of difference! The instructors at Boardsports School are knowledgeable, friendly, and always happy to answer questions. You might notice that I keep mentioning the word «friendly» — this really does make a difference. If you feel comfortable, you’ll ask more questions (especially the stupid ones — there’s no such thing as a stupid question) and learn faster. They’ll get you set up with your gear and out riding on the water in no time.
Plus, there’s an informal group of locals at the beach who are always willing to chip their own advice and assistance. I’ve had people help me with rigging a new kite, landing my kite after I got my lines tangled, and returning my lost board to me after I lost it out during a wipeout.
In conclusion, Boardsports School in Alameda is an awesome place to learn to kiteboard. Give it a shot — you’ll enjoy it!

The most fun I had since I learned to snow ski…
My cousin and his 2 kids came out from Colorado for spring break. Since it has been raining most of last week and this, we only had Monday to try and make an appointment for a group lesson — ages 8, 13, 46 and 48. Rebecca was able to fit us in weather permitting… called on Monday and it was a go for 11:30 at Alameda.
The beach was all ours and the weather was overcast and appx hi 60’s. Rebecca was super patient teaching such a wide range of ages and agility. They provide the equi[ment and wetsuits.
We first learned the basics of weather, equipment and balancing on land. Quickly we took to the water to balance on just the board no mast, then we all managed to get sailing using the mast/​sail. We all had a fantastic time and would highly recommend this school and Rebecca. Now I’m ready for the 2 day course

I returned for part 2 of the kitesurfing course last weekend. My instructor, Sam, was just great. Given the number of things that can, and sometimes did, go wrong, I was seriously impressed by how calm, cool, and collected he was throughout. As an instructor, he liked to use various mnemonic devices to impart key bits of information. And by impart, I mean saying it, singing it, making me say it, and challenging me to repeat it when much else was going on. If you know anything about learning, you’ll know that that’s a pretty effective teaching strategy and a week later, I can still hear/​see him chanting some of those mantras.
Kiteboarding has a steep learning curve, and some of us take a bit longer than others. As one of those folks, I want to mention how effective Jane is at giving guidance on how to build skills. I was happy to purchase gear from her as well. As I anticipated in my previous review, she was very fair. Just as important, she obviously knows that newbies need a lot of guidance on gear selection. I really appreciated not having to do a compare and contrast of 20 alternatives.

Service: I had a really bad experience with this school. They don’t give enough attention for beginners, only want to sell you stuff and Jane is really rude. I don’t remember the last time that I saw a terrible service like this.
Prices: I bought my kiteboard online for 25% less than the price that they give me.
I don’t recommend. Try to find another Kite School in the Bay Area if you want good service.