Greg Payne greg@jibe.com
I just got back from a week in La Ventana. It was awesome - 5.5, 5.5,5.0, 4.7, 4.7, 4.7 The 4.7 days were a lot like an epic ebb day at Third ave. (San Francisco) This was a great winter fix. We stayed at Ventana Windsports which I highly recommend. Beautiful beach, great equipment and awesome sailing conditions. If anybody wants more info on this place let me know.

David St. John, Call of the Wind david@windcall.com
My wife and I spent a week at Steve's place between Christmas and New Year's. It's a beautiful place with all the comforts of home (flush toilets, refrigerator, hot showers, great food), but none of the annoyances (TV's, crowds, traffic, telephones), and plenty of wind.

Steve keeps about several quiver-fulls of sails rigged and in a palapa on the beach, right next to a big rack of about 22 boards in any range you could ever need. Sailing literally out of his backyard/beach (no car racks, no rigging, no lugging gear down to the water) - that's the way a vacation should be! On the calm days, my wife took beginner lessons (she's learning quicker than I did!) and I went exploring in one of Steve's kayaks. Overall, it was a great vacation and we hope to go back next year.

Mike Godsey, Call of the Wind, Vela Mar Inc., windfind@metro.net
When it comes to winter in Baja I have camped and sailed at San Felipe, Bahia Los Angeles, Junacalito, Los Barriles, Cabo Plumo, Bahia de la Naranja, Los Candaleros, La Ribera and La Ventana. So I have definite opinions.

Cabo Plumo has huge breaking swell and an incredible shoreline and but unreliable wind. Los Barriles has bit stronger wind and swell and more social life but it lacks the beauty of other sites and it has no thermal wind for those days El Norte fades. La Ventana has the best combination: Big swell with no cross chop, the most reliable winter wind, the most spectacular sailing scenery and prices like the old days in Baja. What I like about it is the amazing clean lines of big swell and the very steady winds. Typically you just use one sail during the day. In the morning you can really catch fish, kayak, or dive in calm conditions while watching the wind line slowly getting closer to shore. Then when the wind line reaches the beach, rig and sail . How's this for a recommendation: Once I sailed there I bought land there!