Air Padre Kiteboarding - South Padre Island

Jeff was a fantastic teacher for my spouse & teenage daughter. I had a broken leg but was still able to catch the action from the comfort of his boat rather than watching from a distant beach. This was our family's first experience with kiteboarding, and it certainly won't be our last. Jeff was encouraging, patient, and gave endless hours of direction and helpful suggestions. Learning from his boat rather than the shore eliminates having having to avoid other kites, and all attention can easily be focused on learning rather than possible distractions. Having all of the gear on the boat makes for quick gear changes, nearby food & water, or even a quick rest break. We had heard good things about Jeff from a friend who is now a serious kitesurfer. She took her first lesson from him years ago. He certainly didn't disappoint. Five starts for Air Padre!!!

4/25/2024 was the first day I got up on a kite-board and it was a day to remember. Jeff was instrumental in my journey. He's a great instructor and I had a lot of fun learning under him. He was patient, funny, and took the time to make sure I "got it" before moving on to the next stage. Thanks again Jeff for the lessons!

Jeff was an excellent instructor and had all the gear to ensure we were comfortable! I went out with two friends and we progressed through all the major kite control milestones in one extended lesson day. Very excited to go back out and get up confidently on a board!

Four years ago I had a great kiteboarding lesson with Jeff. Today I had another one that was just as good. I wanted to work on transitions and he was happy to help me do so. He had patient, clear, advice and explanations which he was able to communicate to me over the radio headset. The boat is a great add and allows for lessons out in the middle of the laguna where the wind is clean and there are no obstacles to worry about. We even got to see dolphins! Jeff was very fair on the pricing and patiently worked with me around my work schedule and some difficult wind conditions. I would absolutely recommend lessons with him.

Jump in… try the ocean rodeo!! -I’m a slow steady learner… and a second time student of Jeff’s ( never been a skier water/snow) - he was great the first set of lessons , and the second set of lessons has been awesome, lots of breakthroughs!! - safety is always a big concern - I tried multiple boards and kites, different wind conditions. It was helpful- the more options the more knowledge 😁 -he’s not warm and fuzzy- he is there to teach - his boat had a heater (working on a cold day makes that delightful) - recommend booking early and multiple sessions. - being flexible is the 🔑, not everyday is perfect (sun and wind), don’t get frustrated and don’t be overly terrified (I was a bit terrified— which held me back). - set yourself up with a few lessons ( you’re probably going to need more than one) - YOLO it’s so much fun.

Jeff is the man. He’s a skilled and patient instructor. The two-way radios were extremely helpful- he was able to tell me everything I needed to do when I was having problems. I even learned how to turn! Excellent experience and highly recommend.

My husband and I took kiteboarding lessons from Jeff and we loved every minute of it! First we got comfortable flying the kite on the beach. Once we got in the water it was AMAZING! My husband mastered the water skills quickly. I had a harder time getting the kite off the water. The impressive part was Jeff’s patience and ease of instruction despite my frustration! Jeff took us out on his boat and put us in the water. He put a headset on us before we got into the water so that way he can continue to coach us while we are in the water. It was great. We bought a trainer kite to practice on our own and he gave us a great price plus a few bucks off here and there. What a great guy! Air Parde is definitely THE place to take lessons. ***knocked it down a star because after we gave him a 5 star rating (which he constantly asked for until we finally did) he was hard to work with. Became aloof and felt like he couldn’t be bothered with us anymore. He started out great but now we are looking elsewhere to continue our lessons.

I would highly recommend and plan to utilize this business in the future. The gentleman who runs the establishment was very knowledgeable and helpful pointing out surf conditions and ideal spots for my nine-year-old to safety surf. He warned us of a storm coming in and told us how long of window of surf time we had. I even heard him turn away business because he wouldn’t rent Jetske‘s with such turbulent weather conditions. Although he did recommend kayaks and explained the safest place to use them. Very honest business practices. Couldn’t beat the price about 30 bucks for more than a 24 hour rental and a box of wax.

The experience of paddle boarding for the 1st time is indescribably cool! It is actually a lot more difficult than I imagined. I do a lot of yoga and run and I still thought the paddling was semi-difficult. The current once you leave the bay area is very strong in 1 direction. Whatever you do, don't go right!!! You will be fighting hard to come back in! The boards are not quite what I thought and I have been told that they are usually thinner. I was kind of glad they were a little more rugged though. Service inside the store was okay. I think the store itself needs lockers for belongings. That would make things a little easier.

We had several great lessons from Petra. I wish the shop had called to confirm our lesson a bit earlier, but once we arrived everyone was super friendly. You're on island time in Padre. We did a group lesson, and I got to see how Petra worked with students of different skill/athletic levels and she did a great job. Be prepared for it to take 3-4 lessons before you're up on a board safely, they really work you through all of the skills you'll need to safely deal with emergency situations on the water.

Bought a Groupon for riding kayaks in the bay. It was a good time and we did not too fall of our kayaks once. You are given the option to stay in the canal or go into the bay. After making our way through the canal to the bay we felt comfortable enough to venture out into the open water. It was to be a 4 hour trip but we probably only stayed out an hour or so.

Jeff is by far the best kiteboarding instructor on South Padre Island. I've tried others, and he's the best. After all, he taught all the others how to teach it. He's got the best equipment. Hi tech 2-way headsets in the helmets (the other guys are only low tech, 1 way communication, i.e., they talk to you by you can't talk to them. He's got a nice motorboat (not jet-ski) to take you out to the ledge, which is a much better way to learn than on the beach. Jeff will have you up and riding in the minimal amount of time and money. He won't charge you if there's no wind

Good local shop, always willing to help, extensive inventory to keep your vacation on track if something breaks.

This was the first kite shop we went to when my husband and I arrived on the island. Their customer service was terrible and they told us north flats was the only place to kite and charged me a 5$ fee to be a "spectator" on their beach while I watched my husband kite. They did not advertise any other kiting spots (which there are multiple) that did not charge any fees. I wanted to take kiting lessons and they did not seem eager to teach me or get me involved in the sport. Plus, they wanted cash for the lessons which could have been up to 1000$. Who carries that kind of cash around? Where is the money going? It's 2015, you would think I could use my credit card. I ended up taking my business elsewhere at another kite shop called SPI kiteboarding and had a great time learning with them at kite ranch. I would not recommend investing your money or time with air padre.

I drive from Austin and found Air Padre's web site. I called in and spoke with Paul, he was very nice and worked with my schedule. I had a great time surfing and Paul really made the experience fun. I hope Air Padre Kiteboarding is in business for a long time, they provide a great service at an affordable price.

This is a great place! They are reasonably priced and have great items for rent. We couldn't have asked for a nicer or more helpful group of people. Thanks!