Boardsports California

Rebecca is the best! She is super knowledgeable and makes deals.
I buy a new set up every 5 years or so. (Cue up «uncontrollable urge» by Devo)
Just got back from Gorge and decided to come back and play in my backyard again. Everything is in the hood so I had to pay to play.
New quiver: Naish Starship 100; 5.8 Naish Cruz: Naish 430 RDM; and chinook carbon boom.
Better keep this NorCal gear here… lest the Hoodies shake their heads… where is the open ocean, ezzy and pro motion monkey suit?
Support Boardsports when you can.

I called looking for a wetsuit without knowing exactly what I wanted, Jessie asked when I was free and said he’d be at the San Mateo location that afternoon. He promptly called me back to discuss inventory, kept the place open for me to stop by, and helped me out on a perfect Xcel. The best customer service I’ve experienced in a long time, great local business! Highly highly recommended.

Boardsports is a great company, doing much needed work: they teach windsurfing and kiting, including teaching kids, they sell gear, and they rent gear.
They have locations at two of the most friendly beginner locations in the SF bay. Shop right right at the launch is a godsend: I broke universal joint once, bought a new one and was back in the game 10 minutes later! And there are not that many places in the world where you could rent decent windsurfing gear right on the windy beach.
Kipps introduced me to fast Black Project fins and was willing to work with me for a year as I was trying to find out, on and off, why they spun out under me (turned out it was finbox distortion).
Because everybody is on their own level in the sport, not many people can event talk same language when discussing windsurfing. Kipps can and does actually provide a usable advise. With my 10 years of experience, I have my own ideas and ways, but I listen to what he says with great attention and think it through, as he has even more experience, and with much more varying kit. That said, at beginner stage, I would just follow what he says, to cut unnecessary expense and frustration while learning.

One of a kind windsurf and kite shop right on the water at Coyote Point. One of the best wind locations in the Bay Area, and really just about anywhere in the world. Hard to find a 7 month high wind season but they have it! Great spot for visitors as they rent high quality gear right at the launch. They took the mantle from ASD, the former best windsurfing shop in the Bay Area that closed years ago.
One of the great things they inherited from ASD is Kipps, who is about as knowledgable a person as there is when it comes to windsurfing gear. Kipps helped me figure out the right gear to buy when I was getting started about 12 years ago and has guided me through pretty much everything I’ve bought since. One thing about Kipps is he is super honest, not just trying to sell you whatever is on the shelf, really tries to figure out the right advice for your ability and interests. Great shop, highly recommended and super friendly launch and local community.

Edit: shortly after me posting about a negative experience I had at the San Mateo Boardsports, both owners personally reached out to me to apologize for the experience. Rebecca offered to work closely with me, and seemed genuinely committed to helping me find the right equipment.
I’m really impressed that they took the time to contact me, and am looking forward to renting a bit more, with an eye towards evaluating and buying the right kit for what I’d like to do.
Thanks, Jane and Rebecca!

If you are here to learn to Kiteboard, look somewhere else. Now the details:
I’ve taken their Land and Water package, all in all 5 hrs, at Coyote point with jetski assistance. Let me start by saying, this left me short exactly where you needed the most help, getting up and riding. I don’t know if this is done on purpose so you get a «second» lesson.
The overall impression is everything is rushed. Yes, they do walk you through everything on the checklist in the land and the water lessons but it’s so fast, you’d better record it because you don’t get to practice any of those things for more than 2 – 3 times each or so.
The Land lesson was solid, good knowledgeable instructors. Walked through everything, safety, landing, launching etc.
The water lesson is a total letdown. Better look somewhere else for it. Let me explain why:
You need to pack and take a ride from Coyote point to the marina where they have the 2 jetskis. You do this on YOUR OWN PAID LESSON TIME. There you put it all on the jetski, and take a 15 min ride out at sea. Then, the instructor pumps the kite ON THE JETSKI, another 10 min later, you have a semi-​limp kite that’s somehow ready for you.
Then, you get in the water and they start downwind body drags, and stuff. The thing, whatever happens at sea, malfunctions or anything, your lesson time still runs. Your time for the water lesson is supposed to be 2 hrs, but you actually get less than 45 min with the kite in the water at all. All else is getting there and back.
Mind you, we were back at the marina and getting off the jet ski precisely at 5:00pm when my lesson was supposed to end. Where that left me? I got to run 2 short tacks in the water at the end before the instructor said we have to go back. That will leave you hanging high and dry (err wet) and unable to actually ride on your own.
The most important things you must learn so you can start progressing on your own are:
— body drag upwind to your board
— riding upwind at all
If you can not body drag back to where you crashed, you are dead in the water, you will lose your board eventually and have a frustrated time.
I learned more paying $ 30 to Progression iPhone video app that taught me everything else as a beginner and intermediate.
Also, a note about the senior staff and owners. Drop that cocky attitude. Unless you buy one of the kites they sell, they will troll you and laugh at you making you feel so BAD about your choices. Yes Jesse leads the pack here, shame for a senior member who’s been there for years. They won’t support you or give you advice, apparently that’s why you need to buy one more lesson for. I learned more about kiting from the bay area kiter forum than from the guys I actually paid almost $ 600 to get me going on the kiteboard. Apparently other people experienced the same attitude.

Solid shop that really works for their customer.
Stumbled upon this shop when I was looking for North gear. They’re the largest North dealer in the area.
I dealt both with Jane and Rebecca who both were wonderfully helpful. Their prices were much better than anything I could find online. On top of their prices, the customer service at this shop is in a word, amazing.
I had emailed Rebecca about a certain kite, but decided not to purchase it right away. A couple months later when the prices took a steep nosedive due to an end of the season sale, she held the kite for me and gave me a quick call to see if I was still interested (at the much lower price.) You would not see many shopowners with that kind of memory or who would be willing to put in that kind of effort to make a customer happy.

I came to boardsports to learn about the type of trainer kite I should purchase, specs etc. The man I spoke with was very rude and demeaning towards me. I asked him to repeat an answer to a question and his reply was «I just told you!». I was not satisfied at all.
Within one day of posting this review, the owners promplty contacted me and made every effort to improve the situation. This included trying to determine who the employee was so that they could discuss his approach with customers, and offering me a free kite lesson. They told me that there was a meeting with the employee and promised improved customer service. I was amazed at the effort the owners made to resolve the conflict. I felt that I received very high quality treatment in the long run. As a result of their efforts I would recommend their business, and if you’re disatisfied, let them know, they obviously care about their customers.

Customer satisfaction is the operating principal behind Boardsports School. I recently bought a new wetsuit through Boardsports and I cannot thank them enough for their willingness to go the extra mile here. As you know the right wetsuit is all about the right fit and I had to try many options before finding ‘the one’. Jane and Rebecca went out of their way to bring me models to try — taking suits from Alameda and Coyote and bringing them to SF for me — then securing a warrantee replacement for my old model, which sadly fell apart after a couple of months — and then finding me the perfect model on closeout pricing! I’m so happy to now own an Ion Onyx semi-​dry for women — the first women’s wetsuit I could find that fit in over 4 seasons!
Folks I cannot say enough about supporting your local shop when it comes to purchasing gear. The team at Boardsports are super knowledgeable about equipment and can provide unparalleled customer service. Lastly, should you ever have a problem with an item you’ve purchased, they can step in a help to deal with the manufacturer (as BSS did when I had an issue with my boom) or give you a loaner board should yours need repair (as BSS did when I dinged my board). So head to their Coyote or Alameda location and pick up some new gear!

they sells very aggressively, takes money for demo equipment, even if there were no wind, etc.
Do not know anything about they school though. That review is solely for kiteboarding equipment shop.

Talk about Awesome customer service! I was able to get a really great deal on a brand new Naish paddleboard. Even though they were not technically open the day I wanted to pick it up, Rebecca said she would meet me and wait for me at the store, anyways! She was very knowledgeable about the stuff she sells and the sport. She told me about different paddles and fins, which was very helpful because i plan to play in different conditions. But I was never pressured into buying anything and her vibe was super cool. I plan to come back and take some friends here and rent some paddleboards. If you want to get a board or even rent a board, or curious about paddleboarding, kite surfing or windsurfing, come here! They know their stuff!

Good friendly owners and employees. Both locations are prime spots. Alameda with its neverending beach is a great spot to learn how to kite. The San Mateo location is a great place to hang out. If they could just truck in some nice white sand the place would be peridice. Although having Coyote park right there makes for a nice backdrop to any type of lesson you have there.

Really fun & informative windsurfing lessons

Great SUP lesson @ Coyote Point. Rebecca was a great teacher. Had a lot of fun, their equipment was very good, and their attitude was perfect. I’ll be back again!

The girls who own this shop are awesome. They are so friendly and helpful even if you are just looking.
They have several locations in the bay area — Alameda, Coyote Point, San Francisco.
Prices are competitive and the service is so good. I’ll be buying from them for all my windsurfing, kiteboarding gear. Never ever go to Helms — they suck.

This is the same BSS that is in Alameda and San Francisco. The Coyote Point location offers the same great staff with the extra bonus of a snack stand and warm showers! CAN’T BE BEAT!