Points only get you to Lima. Another 500us per head to get up to Mancora on a charter. Or 2 days driving each way. Looks like one of the best kiting/surfing waves, maybe not a family trip though. I'm in the same boat as far as trying to find a destination with good backup surfing. Looking at all options under 50K aeroplan points. Just keep in mind that Caribbean can skunk you for both wind and waves at the same time in March. The kind of weather the other 99.99% of the population dream about.

Only 250 km from Lima to some kite resorts. http://www.kangarookite.net/ Sounds like a $40 cab ride.

Yup, there's kiting in southern Peru. But from everything I've seen the worlds longest waves are in northern Peru. From Trujillo and up. If you're going to travel that far, you might as well go for waves like this:

http://www.vivamancora.com/images_surf/ ... cora_g.jpg

I know the folks at Kangaroo Kites... we are starting to work with them a bit. Great folks - met them for the first time in Orlando in September.

Their spot looks really good, but I don't know how close their wave spot is. All the pictures I see are flat water type stuff.

Not particularly big waves, but Bahias Salinas (costa rica) you're all but guaranteed wind, and lots of it. If it's blowing hard enough there are some small breaks off a few of the reefs, and/or in the next bay to the west. Otherwise there can be some big rollers in the middle of the bay (kind of bigger versions of what you get at Nitinat on the bigger days).
There's a bit of flat water if she can head upwind to the reef, (or launch further east) otherwise is chop/rollers depeding on the wind.

It's also a hop and a skip across the border into Nicaragua, you could leave Bahia Salinas in the morning and be surfing in Popoyo by lunch.

I flew Air Canada/United down there to Liberia, didn't pay anything for my golf bag on the way down, charged $100 bucks on the way back (I did add 6L of rum to my bag on my way back too).

Little Corn Island (Nica) I don't know what the wind does that time of year? (I doubt anything will be as windy as Bahia Salinas), but while I was there (January) it was 10m/12m wind. You kite inside the reef, there's flatwater sections with chest high waves where there are breaks in the reef. Much faster to get to than CR, and much cheaper (and prettier). It's pretty easy to combine the two if you wanted to, as well (I did).

United/Air Canada have different rules about baggage flying into Costa Rica and Brazil than other countries, so that would be worth looking into. I don't know all the rules, but I left just after christmas, and CR was one of the only places I was allowed to fly with an oversized bag (kite gear/surfboards are exempt from oversize/weight baggage embargos to CR and Brazil.)

It's about a 2.5 hour cab ride from Managua to the Costa Rica border, and Bahia Salinas might be another 30 min from there?

If you do go this route, give me a shout, the Penas Blanca border crossing sucks if you don't know what you're doing, it's not bad once you have it figured out (I did 2 crossings each way, so I've got it figured out now).

Thanks SteveO.. I'll look into it.

No worries.
Here's one of the places in Bahia (my fave)
http://kiteboardingcostarica.com/

And little corn:
http://kitelittlecorn.com/what-its-all-about/

I'll be there in 5 weeks, so I can get some info on the spring winds from Nacho when I'm there.

How long are you going for?

Little corn for a week in the middle of a 2 week trip.
Just a short one this year.

Have you stayed in the Cabina-Studios? I like the price and 30,000 return to Liberia all on Alaska so bringing gear is easy. Close to booking. Seems like less of a hassle than going to LaVentana.

No I was travelling solo, so I stayed in the kitehouse itself.
There are people who come back and stay in them every year though, and they sounded pretty happy with them, so I'd assume they're decent.

What size kites do you guys have?

For liberia => the kitehouse, you can either cab from the airport to the bus (20 bucks), cheap bus ride, then cab from the bus stop to bahia ($40 i think?) OR Damien at the kitehouse, or Ulf, or I think there are a few others, will pick you up at the airport for ~$100 bucks. Which is a much easier/faster way to do it for sure. And you don't have to worry about your gear disappearing from the bottom of the bus

7 to 14.5... What does one need?

Probably not the 14.5
I brought a 7 & 10, that got me out most of the time, except for the odd day where it was nuking and borrowed a 5 from one of the girls.
I used my 7 the majority of the time.

It's usually lighter in the morning, ramps up for mid day, and then lighter in the evening and at night. Lighter being 10-12m weather

You will need a 5m for Melody, and for you to use at times... Better get one of these deal ones we have before they are gone ;)

I just boxed up and sent out 2 of them.

Pulled the pin on Paracas, Peru, late January for 14 days. $296 Return for two... gotta love Alaska Points.