When Sensi Graves first considered starting a family, she fully understood how it might change the adventurous, wind-driven lifestyle she loved. But being fully committed to life outdoors, Sensi has proven it’s possible to chase wind, waves, and parenthood all at once. In this feature, she shares her experiences of spending two months in La Ventana with Brandon Scheid, their son, Flint, and her brand new Armstrong gear, offering an honest look at what it’s like to blend family life with watersports in one of the world’s premier wind destinations!

One of my hesitancies with having kids was the abrupt lifestyle change it would cause. We are here, working tirelessly to establish some semblance of freedom. We enjoy travelling, and as windsports people, we prioritise the shred. Big questions arise when you consider upending your life as you know it and launching into the unknown. I wrestled with the decision to have kids, but once I became pregnant, I was thrilled with the new experiences this brand-new life would bring. And I was also strategic in my planning to support my mental health. 

I knew that coming into motherhood, I wanted to keep getting on the water as much as possible and continue prioritising a life lived outside. Last year, while 3 months pregnant, I ventured to La Ventana, Mexico, the premier winter windsports destination for the West coast of the United States, to run my women’s kite and wing camps. After having the baby, I knew I would want to spend even more time on the beach in Baja California, Mexico. Therefore last April, while my husband and professional kiteboarder Brandon Scheid was still in his mania phase (for readers who don’t know, Brandon experienced a traumatic brain injury at the end of 2023 and the 15 months following have been a roller coaster of mania, depression, and barely keeping our heads above water). Moving forward, I wanted to prioritise getting sunshine in during the winter months for our mental health. Plus, I thought it would be much easier to have a baby on the beach than in the snow (turns out I was right). 

Therefore, I found and booked a house for us to stay in for two months in La Ventana, Mexico, and as I write this piece, Brandon and I are just about to head back to Hood River, our home. After a winter abroad, I’m thrilled that our experiment succeeded. La Ventana is a wonderful location for windsports families looking to prioritise their water time, connect with like-minded families, and continue their professional working lives. 

La Ventana is a staple location for any West Coast kiteboarder, wing foiler or windsurfer. The breeze blows consistently from about November through April, making this warm, desert location ideal for windsporters looking to escape winter up north. Brandon and I have made La Ventana a part of our yearly schedule for the past decade, coming down for photoshoots, women’s camps, and gear testing. Baja, one of our top winter destinations, represents much of the industry. 

Reaching La Ventana is relatively easy from the West Coast, with direct flights from major US cities that land in San Jose del Cabo (a 2-hour drive from La Ventana) and select flights to La Paz (approximately 45 minutes away). Many rental car companies exist (I recommend All in Car Rental), just watch out for the insurance upcharges upon arrival. We brought our car seat, so we didn’t evaluate rental options. However, travelling with our car seat was a breeze – car seats, breast milk, and strollers do not count towards your bag fees on major US airlines. 

Despite being known for its access to extreme sports, La Ventana is becoming increasingly family-friendly. As Kristy Leon, the founder of Paxia Kids Camp, says, “Every time I arrive in La Ventana, it feels like a great adventure, and I am always amazed at how the number of foreign children here continues to grow. I’ve been coming to this beautiful paradise for 9 years and noticed how popular it has become for families to visit La Ventana.” Three things make La Ventana, Mexico, an ideal destination for windsports families: the conditions, the community and the childcare. Join me as we adventure South for the season!

The Conditions:

With thermal winds created by hot air rising in the desert, combined with Northerly conditions that arise when weather patterns set up over the four corners of the US, La Ventana experiences plenty of wind, rolling swell, and “bump and jump” conditions. The local wind machine is cranked on from November through April, and it’s common to have 4-5 out of 7 days be blowing in any given week. 

The shape of the area known as La Ventana is beginner-friendly, offering conditions suitable for both novice and more advanced riders. The wind blows side shore, from North to South, down the coastline with the land curving around at the bottom of the bay to create a “catcher’s mitt”. It’s nearly impossible to get swept out to sea, as the wind will eventually push you into the catcher’s mitt at the bay’s South end. A long, beautiful, uninhabited island named Cerralvo sits about 18 miles off the coast, adjacent to La Ventana, which creates a protected bay and evokes feelings of safety for watersports athletes. 

There are tons of locations to launch all up and down El Sargento and La Ventana (two of the three villages that make up this area, the third being El Teso), which makes it easier for families with small children to find parking, shade, and other things to entertain kids who don’t wind sport (yet). 

The water is chilly during winter, and the air temperature drops at night. We rode in 4/3’s and 3/2’s for most of our sessions. I think having two wetsuits is necessary so that you can have a dry one for your second session. The daytime air temperature ranges from 65°f to 80°f, with a water temperature of 60-65°f. This made it a bit too cold for our 6-month-old son, Flint, to enjoy the ocean; therefore, during session trade-offs, one of us would be walking the beach with Flint in the carrier or hanging out on a blanket by the car. 

Making it work as a family:

Rising child care costs are one of the biggest concerns for new couples. Families looking to visit La Ventana can take advantage of more affordable services, with nannies running from $130 to 150 pesos (approximately $8) per hour. Beyond babysitting groups, La Ventana offers a Montessori school with an afternoon daycare program. The program’s price varies depending on the duration and frequency of attendance, but it is comparable to the cost of a nanny.

Brandon and I never utilised a childcare service; we rented a big enough house to visit various family members during our two months in Mexico. During the times when friends and family would volunteer to watch the baby, we could get a rare opportunity to spend time together on the water. Otherwise, trading off worked well for us. Some of the common beaches that we posted up at were: Fig Tree, an excellent smaller beach access with a few palm frond shade structures and an easy in and out; Baja Joes, a much busier launch but the bar, coffee shop and restaurant on location provide shade, snacks and a friendly environment and La Tuna, a northern beach with a super wide open launch, a restaurant and ice cream shop, shade structures and the perfect starting point for a downwinder. 

Beyond the Wind:

All in all, the beach is an excellent place to entertain a baby. Our beach equipment included a portable sunshade, a carrier, UV-protective shirts, and a bucket hat with straps to keep it from blowing off our baby’s head. But beyond that, we weren’t too concerned with sun exposure (vitamin D is good!) and zero issues at the beach. It’s the perfect place to play with your kids!

Beyond the beach, La Ventana offers a range of great family-friendly activities—one standout is the Paxia Kids Camp, run by Kristy Leon. After years as a children’s guide at summer camps, Kristy brought her passion to La Ventana, where the 2024/2025 winter marked her second season leading Paxia Kids.

“I’m Kristy Leon, and I’ve been working with kids in summer camps since I was 16. I’m also a certified kids’ yoga and mindfulness teacher, which helps me connect with children on a deeper level. These experiences have taken me worldwide—from Canada and Spain to Panama and France—through au pair and babysitting programs.

Paxia Kids Camp is one of the most fun and enriching ways for kids in La Ventana to learn, play, and connect with nature. We offer yoga, mindfulness, macramé, painting, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), and snorkelling. One of the most beautiful things is watching kids from different cultures bond—language barriers simply disappear. I’m always inspired by the courage of children trying to connect, whether it’s a foreign child learning a few Spanish words or a local child discovering new cultures and languages.”

Additionally, local Dad and avid kiteboarder and surfer Luke Gandy had this to say about what kid-friendly activities La Ventana allows for: “There are a couple of parks, one in La Ventana and one in El Sargento. We spend a lot of time on the beach, swimming in the warmer months, and walking around the arroyos in the cooler months. Pitaya is great for kids because of all the animals it has. Baja Joe’s happy hour usually has a few kids hanging around then. There are organised kids nights at Playa Central or Baja Joe’s once or twice a month.”

Other great kid-friendly activities include: bike rides through Los Cardones (the cactus forest), playing in the courtyard at Baja Joe’s, a Wing Foil Kids Camp, the bouncy house on Wednesdays at Playa Central, ballet, crafts and music organised by Mi Casa es Tu Casa, and “Seafari” boat tours out into the Sea of Cortez.

The Gear and Other Tips 

In November of last year, I signed on to become an ambassador for Armstrong Foils. Subsequently, Brandon left his job at the end of 2024; therefore, we could ride my equipment, making packing slightly easier. Nonetheless, packing for two months in Mexico with kite gear, wing gear, and baby equipment was no small feat. 

Here’s the shortlist of key items we brought. We sent one 100-pound gear bag down with a friend (many people drive from Hood River to La Ventana), and we brought one gear bag, two checked bags, and two carry-on suitcases. Our equipment included some kite gear, but this trip was primarily focused on winging, as we find that much easier to trade off with, and the rolling swell in LV makes it super fun. We brought two wing boards, one quiver of XPS wings (2.6, 3,3.5,4 and 4.6–if you’re going for two months, you should have all your sizes), and two foil setups. I have been riding and loving the Armstrong HA780 and HA680 front wings paired with the speed tail, carbon fuselage and 795cm performance mast. This set-up was dreamy. The HA line allows for a ton of speed, glide and manoeuvrability and Brandon and I both felt like we progressed our winging during our time in Mexico. 

As for baby equipment, we kept it as minimal as possible: a sunshade, a car seat and a few toys were priorities. We also brought Flint a beach blanket, a few different layers, and hats. Upon arrival, we contacted our good friend Luke Gandy, who lent us a play mat— a key for the hard concrete floors typical in most houses — and toys and books. We use cloth diapers, so we also brought our supply of diapers and some natural wipes. This made it relatively easy since we didn’t have to track down sanitary supplies; however, a few stores in town stock them, including the local grocery stores: Star Market, Oscarito’s, and La Pescaderia. 

I see so many young families taking to the beaches in La Ventana. As the community grows, so does the opportunity for watersports families to build a life around the wind and water. We feel very blessed that we have not had to give up our passions, and we continue building our lives around this sport and community that we love so much. Despite the challenges of balancing parenthood and watersports, La Ventana offers the rare gift of a community that seamlessly embraces both worlds. Our journey here has shown us that with creativity and determination, you can introduce your children to the magic of a wind-powered lifestyle from their earliest days, creating a legacy of adventure that will shape your family for generations.

By Sensi Graves