Excellent introductory lesson! I paid for a two hour course but John actually kept the lesson going for about an extra half hour to make sure I had the basics needed to set up the kite and fly it on land. The instruction moves fast but that helps him get out the required information within the alloted time. I ended up purchasing some equipment from John so I can progress my land skills faster and will hopefully get in the water sooner. The prices of the gear he sold me were significantly less than I could find online. From what I found, I saved about $400 buying local vs the online stores so his prices are more than competitive. I really appreciated the candid lesson and the emphasis on safety. I didnt leave the lesson ready to get in the water but I never expected that from an introductory lesson. I was able to take my new gear, go to the Coronado beach on a day with not so good wind (8 - 12 mph), set up the kite, launch and fly it. I definitely plan to schedule an additional lesson with Manta/John once I feel good doing all the stuff he already taught me. I couldnt imagine how much more difficult it would be to try this sport without the quality instruction John provided. Highly recommend anyone interested in this sport to contact John and schedule a lesson..then show up, listen and learn!

Great lessons with john. He is very insistant on the safety tips which is great as a lot of school around the world just teach you how to water start and forget that one day you will not have an instructor setting you up and you may injure yourself. Also gives great tips. Will do more lessons with john thanks !

Best kiteboarding instructor ever! John is simply the best. From safety to progression John will have your back the entire way. I trust him completely for riding and gear advice. Ive been at it a year in light wind San Diego and Ive been all over in all types of wind and conditions and I can tell you kiteboarding is the best board sport hands down and I owe it all to John. Thanks!!

Everything he teaches is practical and after 1 year of kiting, I still use every skill from my first lesson with Manta!At the time of the lesson, it seemed like there was a lot of extra or unnecessary information. But now looking back, I realize all of that information was gold and put me ahead of the curve out in the kiting world.Take his class, its super useful and a great (and safe) way to get into the sport.

I Trained with John and I have to say that he is one of the most professional and dedicated instructors I ever met. His way of teaching is simple down-to-earth and practical.I was specially impressed about his emphasis in safety something that was lacking from previous instruction i had.John make things easy and fun to learn. I definitely will recommend anyone that is new or seeking advance instruction to try Manta water sports.Thanks John for your patience and dedicationSincerelyGeorge

Loves to hear himself talk and brag about himself and teaching everything the right way. Unfortunately theres little instruction (out of a 4 hour lesson I got maybe 20 minutes of instruction), few chances to ask questions, and you get yelled at for not doing it the right way the first time, and no positive reinforcement. Im sure that hes a great kiteboarder on his own, however hes the type of person whos good at something but cant teach it to someone else because hes good at it.

I just had a 2 hour private lesson (beginner, I have never done this) with John and he hands down is an EXCELLENT instructor. His approach is practical and down to earth. He talks about unlearning a lot of what we have learned in other areas of our life to safely and successfully fly a kite which was super helpful for me!! I kept on wanting to “drive” the kite versus maneuvering it like the handle bars on a bike. He is huge into safety and teaches you how to prevent unsafe situations as well as how to get out of them. He’s just a relatable teacher. I wish I lived here because I would be taking more lessons with him. San Diego is luckily to have such a great, passionate instructor. I read some other reviews that were negative and I never experienced anything negative, only positive support, good clear teaching and super helpful feedback as needed. Thank you John!! I think you may have ignited a new passion for me! It will be Corpus Christi until I’m back in San diego!

John is the man, I left my pump on the beach last weekend and gave him a call. He got me squared away with a new pump within the hour.

Apointment & online Only. Under shop hours instead of no listing should say online & apt only.Sounds like a good Instructor.I wish more kite Schools & Instructors were more upfront about time spent on safety & seting up gear.

I got instructions and was able to make some good distance but it’s pretty exhausting especially for a beginner

I had a great lesson with John. Easily the best instructor I have had, he really had some great pointers. Im looking forward to using his line management technique when I get home!

Mission Bay is the best

Nice place