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first trip to the gorge
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brutuss



Joined: 05 Jul 2008
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 9:21 pm    Post subject: first trip to the gorge Reply with quote

My wife and i are planning our first trip to the gorge mid july. We windsurf yearly at Bonaire which is flat water. I can jibe at a intermediate level and waterstart at a intermediate level . My wife is a junior sailor. Where would you reccomend we sail? Can we rent all gear at the Gorge including wet suits if needed? .......Thankyou Brutus Cool
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bobgatpdx1



Joined: 13 Oct 2002
Posts: 385

PostPosted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 12:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, you can rent gear from:
BigWinds, Isthmus, Windance - all are good. Rentals do get tapped out in July, so good idea to reserve ahead of time.

Many good lesson providers in HR:
ABK, BigWinds, HoodRiverWaterPlay, Brian's - again, all are quite good.

Best flat water spots are:
HR Event site - can be very crowded, but convenient
Hook - good beginner spot, not in main river current
Stevenson - 20 minutes west of HR
Rowena - 15 min east of HR
(flat water is relative - still a lot more chop than Lac Bay)

Enjoy!
bobg
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mik377



Joined: 05 Jun 2005
Posts: 55

PostPosted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 12:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Do they have barges at your home ss? At the Event site you can sail out a long way before getting into the barge lane which avoids having to test your waterstart in rolling swell as one bears down on you (also true of the hook launch) In some sites in the gorge the channel is close to shore (its a good idea to watch barges go by to get a sense for where they travel)
Oh by the way, they have limited visability out the front, ususally dont sound their horns (they can be pretty sneaky despite their size), take about a mile to stop and assume everyone will get out of their way.
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fetcher



Joined: 31 May 2001
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 10:37 am    Post subject: gorge trip Reply with quote

you bet!! BIg Winds has a great supply of gear. You will find the event site or maybe Swell City good for intermediates. Beginners like the hook or the event site. Lots of opportunities for lessons that will improve your game fast there at event site too.

Sail sizes are typically from 4 -5. Ask at the rental place that day and I think you can switch it out if needed.

You are gonna love it here!! Very Happy
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chipny



Joined: 12 Apr 2007
Posts: 66

PostPosted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:14 am    Post subject: gorge wind speeds and board/sail sizes Reply with quote

i am renting from big winds when i come out for the first time, aug 7-12.
they said for me, a 185 lb, (i can waterstarting, jibe 50% of the time) that a 85 litre board with some 5.5 sails works well.

i am curious about their choice of board size.
usually i sail larger boards and sails thanm most other guys.

for reference, i was looking at rays vids in the forum post, and having sailed with him in nyc, i would think that i would be using a larger 100 litre board and 6.2 sail most of the time on days like july 13 and 14 when the wind speeds were hovering right below 20 mph, with gusts only slightly above 20.

is there some other factor that allows you to use less volume and smaller sails out there?
thanks in advance.
-----------------------------------------
jsampiero
Joined: 20 Jun 2006
Posted: 13 Jul 2008 07:04 Post subject: Guess where Kuban Kenny is...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ray's in the Gorge.
http://uglyjiber.blogspot.com/
-------------------------------------------
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advgeek



Joined: 30 Jun 2000
Posts: 83

PostPosted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:25 am    Post subject: Re: gorge wind speeds and board/sail sizes Reply with quote

chipny wrote:
i am renting from big winds when i come out for the first time, aug 7-12.
they said for me, a 185 lb, (i can waterstarting, jibe 50% of the time) that a 85 litre board with some 5.5 sails works well.

i am curious about their choice of board size.
usually i sail larger boards and sails thanm most other guys.

for reference, i was looking at rays vids in the forum post, and having sailed with him in nyc, i would think that i would be using a larger 100 litre board and 6.2 sail most of the time on days like july 13 and 14 when the wind speeds were hovering right below 20 mph, with gusts only slightly above 20.

is there some other factor that allows you to use less volume and smaller sails out there?
thanks in advance.


One thing that does help with sail and board size is that the current is moving in the opposite direction as the wind giving your fin more lift. However this isn't much of an issue at the Event Site since the sandbar formed. You will however notice this effect at other sites.

As for their recommended board size, they will set you up with whatever gear is right for the forecast that day. If it looks like 15-20 then definitely get a 110 ltr. board and a 6.5. If it's looking like 30-35 then get a 75 ltr. board and a 4.0. If your more comfortable with a little more volume then ask for something a little bigger. The point is your in the drivers seat on the rentals, just get what you need for that day, there's not perfect size for everyone, everyday.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:41 am    Post subject: Re: gorge wind speeds and board/sail sizes Reply with quote

chipny wrote:
i would think that i would be using a larger 100 litre board and 6.2 sail most of the time on days like july 13 and 14 when the wind speeds were hovering right below 20 mph, with gusts only slightly above 20.

is there some other factor that allows you to use less volume and smaller sails out there?


Yup. It's called WIND. Most locals wouldn't even bother to sail in 20 mph winds, simply because it means 6.x sails and 90+ liter boards. That's called golf weather, or at best drive-to-the-Hatchery-and-hope-it-picks-up weather.

Your rental shop is banking on more typical winds in the mid 20s, in which I'd use 70 liters and a 5.0, more or less @ 190 pounds. The problem is that on any summer day, the wind can average anywhere from 0 to 35 mph and will probably shift very definitively anywhere from 15 miles to 80 miles east in the afternoon. Worse yet, no one knows what any given morning will blow until noon that day, and even at noon they're often wrong about that very morning. Thus your shop is just doing their best to get you on the water on average gear for average wind, and you can and will swap boards and sails any day. In a typical mid-summer week you will need everything from a 7.5 and 115 liters to a 3.5 and 75 liters. You will also drive every day, sometimes -- if not often -- to two different sites, if you want to maximize your sailing time. You could also easily be water skiing or wakeboarding the whole week; ya just never knows until the day and week are over what and where the wind will be in the 200-mile-long Gorge; maybe the only wind will be at the coast and/or way downriver from Portland, not uncommon in August.

Enjoy the smorgasboard.

Mike \m/
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jsampiero



Joined: 20 Jun 2006
Posts: 677

PostPosted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You may or may not need that 110 liter board at ~20 .... I'm going to go w/ probably not, as around 20 I use a 100 FSW, and I weigh significantly more than you.

Current makes for a quite a bit of wind speed.

It's fun, come out and join us!
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chipny



Joined: 12 Apr 2007
Posts: 66

PostPosted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 9:29 am    Post subject: hopefully i'll be there in a couple weeks. Reply with quote

i'm waiting on work to confirm the flights......

thanks fr the info. maybe i will run into you guys out there....
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 10:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

We hope not. You have no idea how big a threat that is on a windy say at the Hatchery. Wink

I'll be the one wearing a helmet ... and you'll get THAT joke your first windy day here.

Mike \m/
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