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New to the area - off seasons spots?
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Post new topic   Reply to topic    Northwest Kiteboarding -> Gorge / Portland / Oregon Coast
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tkaraszewski

Since 21 Oct 2016
41 Posts
Hood River
 



PostFri Oct 21, 16 12:18 pm    New to the area - off seasons spots? Reply with quote

Hey everyone, I just moved to Hood River. I grew up surfing in Santa Cruz, and I have a healthy respect for the problems that come along with bigger crowds at limited spots, so I know what it means to be courteous and respectful to the locals. That said, kiting doesn't have near the same crowding issues that surfing does, and it's still a sport that's a lot more welcoming to newbies and outsiders.

Anyway, I spent last season kiting in SF bay (my first kiting season), and I'm still kind of a beginner but at least competent to ride upwind. I kited one day at the sandbar here while I was looking for places to live, but other than that, I have no gorge kiting experience.

In the summer, it'll be easy to just look out the window and check the conditions at the event site every day, but in the meantime - any tips for finding places to kite between now and May? I know it's gonna get pretty cold pretty quick, but it'd be awesome if I could find a few days on the water without having to fly to Mexico.

Or if anyone doesn't feel like kiting alone and needs a partner to bring, I'd be stoked to tag along, too!

Thanks for your help, see you on the water.

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ldhr

Since 21 Jul 2009
1470 Posts
Hood River
XTreme Poster



PostFri Oct 21, 16 12:29 pm     Reply with quote

Here's my advice assuming you have 5 or 6 mil hooded wetsuits with 5 mil booties and gloves..... or a serious drysuit.

Forget about kiting in the gorge in the winter..... the weather sucks and the winds are fickle. When the winds do blow they're usually east winds in the eastern gorge (Rooster Rock, Stevenson) and brutally cold.
The east wind season is treasured by the Portland crowd,,,, but only until Thanksgiving.... after that it gets brutally cold..... too cold.

That being said we do have the occasional good day here for west wind here in town and a local crew that goes after it. Keep your eye on the event site. Find the tree in your yard that will tell you when it's blowing west wind - every house in HR has a wind indicator tree somewhere within view of their kitchen window.

On the coast the winds turn to south winds and are usually accompanied by storm conditions and inches of rain. If the south winds are blowing - it will be raining.

Subscribe to Temira's newsletter - gorgeismygym.com.

It's gonna be a great snow year on Mt. Hood (la nina).... snowboarding?

Last edited by ldhr on Fri Oct 21, 16 1:30 pm; edited 5 times in total

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bobdigital

Since 29 Aug 2016
67 Posts

 



PostFri Oct 21, 16 12:40 pm    hey bud Reply with quote

Hey,

Im new to the area too, but live in portland. looks like wind will be good tomorrow at rooster rock. i guess thats the spot for easterly winds. I just went there for the first time and it was goooooood. Haven't been to the coast yet, but sunday seems like itll be good from the south. lemme know if ya need a partner in crime. cheers

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tkaraszewski

Since 21 Oct 2016
41 Posts
Hood River
 



PostFri Oct 21, 16 1:30 pm     Reply with quote

ldhr wrote:
...we do have the occasional good day here for west wind here in town and a local crew that goes after it. Keep your eye on the event site. Find the tree in your yard that will tell you when it's blowing west wind - every house in HR has a wind indicator tree somewhere within view of their kitchen window.


I can literally see the event site from my kitchen window. Maybe I'll just watch for kites and when I see a couple guys on it, jump on that bandwagon. There was one guy out last night, looked like on a foilboard, but even still it looked like he was having some difficulty in the light wind.

ldhr wrote:
Subscribe to Temira's newsletter - gorgeismygym.com.


Awesome site, thanks for that!

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WindSki

Since 14 Dec 2012
402 Posts
Portland
Obsessed



PostFri Oct 21, 16 2:41 pm     Reply with quote

There are a good number of us PDX kiters that kite all winter on the coast. Water is 50 and air temp is 50. That said, there is also a good number of our crew that also kites at the airport during the winter. No one in their right mind kites Rooster from Dec to March. Head to the airport and the coast!!

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bigjohn

Since 13 Mar 2012
663 Posts

Addicted



PostFri Oct 21, 16 3:06 pm     Reply with quote

WindSki wrote:
There are a good number of us PDX kiters that kite all winter on the coast. Water is 50 and air temp is 50. That said, there is also a good number of our crew that also kites at the airport during the winter. No one in their right mind kites Rooster from Dec to March. Head to the airport and the coast!!


Obviously there are exceptions to this rule in the form of buddy launch, drift launch, staircase walk of death and boat access... But in my opinion 16' is the river height mark which makes Rooster kiteable.


   Rooster Kiteable Graph.png 

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Kiting starts at 40MPH

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bigjohn

Since 13 Mar 2012
663 Posts

Addicted



PostFri Oct 21, 16 3:35 pm     Reply with quote

Other factors to consider:

- Wind Statistics for Rooster (from Ikitesurf.com - Subscribe for a plethora of wind information)

- Columbia river water temperature (from The Dalles meter)


   Rooster Wind Statistics.png 
   Columbia River Water Temp at the Dalles.png 

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Kiting starts at 40MPH

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tkaraszewski

Since 21 Oct 2016
41 Posts
Hood River
 



PostFri Oct 21, 16 8:40 pm     Reply with quote

The mention of boat access is interesting. I wonder if I can get into some interesting kite spots with a boat that will be relatively uncrowded. A 23' racing sailboat may not be the ideal kite launch platform, but I've got the boat.

Regardless, it doesn't look like there's a *ton* going on in the winter, which is no surprise, and it looks like the water is below 50 from about December to March. Maybe I'll get in a day or two here before Thanksgiving, and then it looks like snowboarding season, or a long drive out to the coast, though for the amount of effort, I'd almost be better off going to Texas, Florida, or Mexico.

Thanks for all the info guys, I appreciate it!

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A.K.

Since 01 Jul 2006
190 Posts

Stoked



PostFri Oct 21, 16 11:43 pm     Reply with quote

You are now in the epicenter of many action sports. Why extend a kite season into the margins when you can hit the slopes on Mt Hood with the snowboard/ski set -- and when the rains of spring begin to pour check out the whitewater kayaking on the White Salmon River and Hood River.

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dwaynej

Since 09 Sep 2013
207 Posts

Stoked

CGKA Member


PostSat Oct 22, 16 8:13 am     Reply with quote

No one has mentioned Snow Kiting? Good places in the area??

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WindSki

Since 14 Dec 2012
402 Posts
Portland
Obsessed



PostSat Oct 22, 16 8:46 am     Reply with quote

I take offence to this statement.

“kite season into the margins”

Winter kiting on the coast rocks, it is not marginal kiting, there is nothing like kiting in 25knot wind with rain coming sideways and the clouds are all black. Or a perfectly sunny day at the ponds with flat water

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ldhr

Since 21 Jul 2009
1470 Posts
Hood River
XTreme Poster



PostSat Oct 22, 16 11:04 am     Reply with quote

dwaynej wrote:
No one has mentioned Snow Kiting? Good places in the area??


there are no good snowkite spots in the gorge - too many trees and not enough snow..... not even within a few hours drive..... or the spots are off limits due to National Forest Wilderness regulations....but keep your eye on the sandbar if we get 6 inches in town. Wink

camas prairie idaho.

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Johnb

Since 02 Aug 2010
494 Posts

Obsessed



PostSat Oct 22, 16 11:41 am     Reply with quote

ldhr wrote:
dwaynej wrote:
No one has mentioned Snow Kiting? Good places in the area??


.... not even within a few hours drive..... or the spots are off limits due to National Forest Wilderness regulations....but keep your eye on the sandbar if we get 6 inches in town. Wink

camas prairie idaho.



Not exactly true there are a few opportunities. You just need a sled or snowbike and some determination.


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A.K.

Since 01 Jul 2006
190 Posts

Stoked



PostSat Oct 22, 16 12:47 pm     Reply with quote

Legit comment. I have heard that coastal winter kiting can be excellent. I have even tried it - just once. Kiting solo, looming clouds and sideways rain was just too ominous for me though technically the kiting was good. I have yet to try the ponds option.

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caps

Since 23 Dec 2010
343 Posts

Obsessed



PostSat Oct 22, 16 2:04 pm     Reply with quote

12m sunny, warm, solo sesh at the ponds today...

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macgruber

Since 06 Dec 2011
490 Posts
SE PDX volcano
Obsessed



PostSat Oct 22, 16 4:15 pm     Reply with quote

7m at Rooster today 11-1 then 9m. Monday looks similar

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tgautier

Since 22 Oct 2016
48 Posts

 



PostSat Oct 22, 16 9:05 pm     Reply with quote

Transplant from the BA myself. Usually had about 1-2 sessions per month in the off season.

Gonna miss those south wind sessions at Half Moon Bay!

Would love to learn of any butter flat spots like that here in the gorge or on the cosst.

But yeah like other posters have said I plan to fill in the off season with snowboarding not kiting.

Would love to get into snow kiting if possible though!

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