Gorge in early June: what wetsuit?

[isobars]

I melted down in my dry suit yesterday morning (the high was in the 60s). I'm switching to my 4/3 steamer next time -- or maybe a Speedo unless the forecast improves. (Anybody see ANY Gorge wind coming in the next month or two?)

Mike \m/

[westender]

If you're going to sail and not swim, the Convertible. 2 weeks ago it felt pretty cold. Now it's not too bad.

[RPM7]

Haven't sailed the Gorge for about 5 years, different equipment, still working on my jibes . . . I expect to fall in quite a bit. Maybe I better bring the 5.3 steamer and my booties.

Thanks to all for the tips! Anyone planning to be sailing at the Hatch, Swell, Event Site, or Hook on 6 June? Or is planning to sail on a specific day over a week away just silly talk? It would be cool to meet a few of you on the water.

-RPM

[isobars]

I never know until I'm on a full plane whether I'll sail at all, and never know until an hour and a half past sunset how many hours I'll get to sail that day. My clone two miles east or west of me may get >twice or <half as much wind as I did, and either or both of us may pack up and move once or twice a day -- common from the corridor to Doug's -- following the moving wind. There is no point in planning even one REACH ahead, let alone an hour ahead, because it's all up to the wind, which can and often does range over a power range of 10:1 (10-30 mph, for example) several times each hour, often each reach. D-Day (June 6), could blow 0 or 45 mph from almost any direction at any given spot between 150 miles east to 150 miles west of Hood River ... and we can't reliably narrow that down very much before about June 4.

If you think any of that is an exaggeration, you'll see that it's not. If I could plan windsurfing, I'd have been employed the past 20 years.

Mike \m/

[wmike]

Extremely silly to plan where to sail on June 6 before 7 am on June 6th. Each morning I am ready for a 5 mile drive or a 70 mile drive. Could be rain or no wind or the wind could be on the Oregon coast , or any where between Jones Beach and Roosevelt. Or there could be various wind speeds through out the gorge. Could be 3.0 at Roosevelt and 6.5 at the Event site. Just look at the wind speed for Memorial day through the gorge for instance. I sailed the hatch to day on 3.2 and 2.7 with 65 liter board in the morning and 3.7 with 75 liter in the afternoon.
Mike

[westender]

If you're just working on your jibes,,, I hope the wind smooths out a little by the time you get here. If you're planning on sailing Swell and the Hatch and it's windy you're gonna get Worked!

[RPM7]

All great input. Thanks! Sounds like I'll need to asess the wind when I arrive at the rental shop that morning. Hopefully they can give good destination advice.

I take it the Event Site has much tamer conditions than the Hatch or Swell.

I did sail the Hatch a couple of times (~5 years ago), but honestly they were light wind days for the Gorge. It was like October and I recall sailing a 5.7 and 95L. I know, I know . . . that doesn't count as really sailing the Hatch.

Here's hoping for wind on the 6th!
-RPM

[westender]

You should check out, Stevenson, Viento, Mosier or Rowena for your Gorge sailing day.

[gwandsh]

I sailed in admittedly warm air temps last weekend (~May 23) in a 3/3 convertible, one day with sleeves, the next without. No booties either.
Both were quite comfortable.

[isobars]

But unless we stay near shore, we dress for the swim, not for sailing.

Mike \m/