The report · Hood River · Kite · April · 6 pages

WindChaserSpot report

Oregon, United States

Hood River

KiteApril

19% of April days clear 12 kt for three daylight hours or more.

01Hour-by-hour & month-by-month windp202The month's own recordsp303Full stays, schools & kitp404Per-launch notesp405The current, barges & the Port rulesp506Getting there, packing & best monthsp507Sources, and their limitsp6
Guide
Compiled by WindChaser
25 Sep 2026Record
2023 to 2026, hourly
Open-Meteo, ECCC HRDPS Continental 2.5 kmNormals
2023 to 2026
Four Aprils
Hood River · Kite · April · Generated 22 Oct 2026 from the 2023 to 2026 record1 of 6
01

Hour-by-hour & month-by-month wind

Rideable-day share by month, all three sports

Share of days with three or more daylight hours over each sport's threshold, counted from the record at 12 kt, Windsurf 13 kt and Wing 12 kt.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecKite201193126231113760Windsurf10072015724210Wing201193126231113760

Blue fill scales with the share. Selected month outlined. Threshold per row: Kite 12 kt · Windsurf 13 kt · Wing 12 kt.

Where the wind sits, April

Share of daylight hours in each speed band, blue above the threshold.

4–7
8–11
12–15
16–19
20–23
24–27
28–31

Not drawn: 39% of daylight hours under 4 kt.

When in the day, April

Share of days over 12 kt at each daylight hour.

8am
9
10
11
12pm
1pm
2
3
4
5
6pm
Wind directionWWesterly, blowing up the river. Onshore at the Hook and the Sandbar, per spot guides.
Wind strength13 to 14 ktThe mean over rideable daylight hours, April to July, in the record. A 2.5 km model with no station check yet.
When it blowsAfternoonThe share of windy days climbs through the day to a peak around 3pm.

Rideable hours, not all hours. Every wind figure in this report is the mean over hours above the threshold.

Hood River · Kite · April · Generated 22 Oct 2026 from the 2023 to 2026 record2 of 6
02

April's own records

The month's own figures from four Aprils in the record, 2023 to 2026. Not the year's average.

Rideable days6 of 30Four Aprils in the record
DirectionW 272°
Wind, rideable hours13 ktMean over daylight hours at 12 kt+
Air16.6°CMaximum
Hours over 12 kt1.3 a dayDaylight, all days averaged
BeforeMarch1%0 rideable days in 31
Your monthApril19%6 rideable days in 30
AfterMay31%10 rideable days in 31

What the percentage hides. A month at 80% can be twenty-four steady days or three windy weeks broken by a dead front.

Hood River · Kite · April · Generated 22 Oct 2026 from the 2023 to 2026 record3 of 6
03

Full stays, schools & kit

Stays

Hood River InnHotel · RiversideHotel on the bank of the Columbia River with its Riverside restaurant.
Hood River HotelHotel · 800 m to the Event SiteHistoric hotel downtown, about a ten-minute walk from the Event Site. Cascade Kiteboarding lists it among its recommended stays.
Columbia Gorge Hotel & SpaHotel · 3.2 km to the Event SiteHistoric hotel and spa on the cliff above the Columbia at the west end of town, about five minutes’ drive from the Event Site.
Westcliff LodgeLodge · 3.4 km to the Event SiteRiverside lodge on five acres at the west edge of town, with free parking and rooms with kitchenettes.
Tucker Park CampgroundCampsite · Three miles south of townCounty campground on the Hood River, open 1 May to 31 October 2026. First come, first served, with no reservations.
The Society Hotel Bingen$··Hostel · Across the river in BingenConverted schoolhouse with bunks and lockable storage, private rooms, cabins and a spa with a sauna, a cold plunge and a hot tub.
Viento State Park CampgroundCampsite · West of Hood RiverState park campground open late March to October and bookable up to six months ahead, with a day-use area for river access and windsurfing.

Lessons

Brian’s Windsurfing and KiteboardingSchool · Kite · Wing · WindsurfLessons at the Event Site with jet ski support. The Port closes the Event Site to kite launching from 27 June to October; kites launch from the Sandbar only in that season.
Kite the GorgeSchool · Kite · WingIKO kite courses and wing lessons at the Sandbar.
Cascade KiteboardingSchool · Kite · WingKite and wing lessons at the Event Site. The Port closes the Event Site to kite launching from 27 June to October; kites launch from the Sandbar only in that season.
Gorge Kite & WingSchool · Kite · WingKite lessons in Hood River since 1999, and wing lessons.
Big WindsSchool · Windsurf · WingWindsurf and SUP school since 1987 with kids’ and junior camps and private and group lessons, and beginner windsurf and wing rental at its beach centre at the Hook.

Kit

Brian’s Windsurfing and KiteboardingRental · Rentals at the Event Site.
Northwave Hood RiverRental · Wing · Windsurf · 140 m to the Event SiteSail maker’s shop on Portway Avenue renting AFS wing foil kit by the session or the day, and windsurf gear. Call ahead to reserve.
Big WindsShop · Windsurf · Kite · Wing · 900 m to the Event SiteDowntown shop on Front Street with windsurf, kite, wing and foil gear and a large rental and demo fleet.
Pure StokeShop · Kite · Wing · 800 m to the Event SiteDowntown shop on State Street, formerly 2nd Wind Sports, selling kite and wing foil gear and used kit on consignment.
WindanceRepair shop · Windsurf · Wing · KiteBoard shop since 1984 selling new and used windsurf, wing, kite and foil kit, with a repair service and trade-ins.
Windsurf ExpressRental · Windsurf · DeliveredSeverne windsurf rental delivered to hotels and rental houses in Hood River and White Salmon.

Price band $ to $$$ only where sourced; none shown means none held. Contact details and brands stocked join this table when the operator directory is connected.

04

Per-launch notes

The Sandbar
Low—Mid—High—

A river, not a tide: the Sandbar changes size with the river level. No level data yet.

Event Site
Low—Mid—High—

No river level data yet.

The Hook
Low—Mid—High—

No river level data yet.

Tide data not yet available for this spot. The record holds wind, air and waves, not tide. Until a tide source is connected, the tables above stay empty rather than estimated. What the guide says about tide is on the next page, in words.

Hood River · Kite · April · Generated 22 Oct 2026 from the 2023 to 2026 record4 of 6
05

The current, barges & the Port rules

Every hazard on the spot page, repeated here in full. Read this before you get wet.

Conditions change. Check local rules and conditions before you ride.

Kite launching rulesNo kiteboarding at the Hook. Kiteboarding, wing foiling and windsurfing at the Event Site are allowed only at the times and in the areas an official sign designates. In the busy season kites launch at the Sandbar only.
The Sandbar and the currentThe size of the Sandbar changes with river levels. Strong currents and unpredictable changes in water depth require extreme caution there.
BargesBarges use the river past the waterfront. Coming from the east they are difficult to see from the Event Site. Keep clear of them.
Gusts at the HookThe wind at the Hook is gusty, and Wells Island throws a wind shadow across the cove.
Marina, camping and vehiclesNo windsurfing, wing foiling or kiteboarding in the Marina Boat Basin. No overnight camping on Port property. No driving or parking on the Spit north of the designated parking area.
The river bed and the Sandbar

The Sandbar changes size with the river level, and the Port warns of unpredictable changes in water depth there. The entry at Waterfront Park is slippery. Walk the launch before you rig, and do not assume a line that was clear on one day is clear on the next.

Current, barges and the marina

The Port warns of strong currents at the Sandbar, and spot guides call the current there unpredictable and sometimes strong. Barges use the river past the waterfront and are difficult to see coming from the east. No windsurfing, wing foiling or kiteboarding in the Marina Boat Basin.

06

Getting there, packing & best months

Nearest airportPortland (PDX)Portland International, about 60 miles west by Interstate 84.
SeasonApril to JulyThe months the record shows the most rideable days. May is the pick, and the record is thin.
Getting aroundCarInterstate 84 to Exit 63, then Portway Avenue to the waterfront. Parking at the waterfront is paid.
What to pack
WaterRiver. Nearly flat on the Oregon side; medium swell is possible on the Washington side, per a spot guide.CurrentStrong at times. The Port warns of strong currents and changing depth at the Sandbar.Water temp7 to 16°C. April to July, from compiled research, not measured. A 4/3 in April, a 3/2 in May, a shorty from June.LaunchBy sport. Kites at the Sandbar in season. Windsurf and wing at the Event Site’s west side, the Hook and Waterfront Park.KitRent. Brian’s rents kit at the Event Site. Bring your own spares.
Kite sizes for April

Derived from the 13 to 14 kt mean over rideable hours in the record, April to July, not from a fitted quiver. The record is modelled at 2.5 km with no station check: check the day’s reading before you rig.

60 to 70 kg11 and 13 m70 to 85 kg12 and 14 m85 kg and up14 and 17 m
JFMAMJJASOND

Best months, Kite. Record.

Hood River · Kite · April · Generated 22 Oct 2026 from the 2023 to 2026 record5 of 6
07

Sources, and their limits

Where each section of this report comes from. Record is measured. Modelled is computed by a formula because no measurement exists yet; it looks like data and is not. Written is WindChaser's editorial copy, compiled from the sources below.

§WhatSourceLimit
01Kite month sharesRecordCounted at 12 kt for three daylight hours from gem_hrdps_continental at 2.5 km, cell 1.45 km from the spot, April 2023 to September 2026, 3 to 4 years a month, no station correction.
01Windsurf and Wing month sharesRecordCounted at 13 kt (Windsurf) and 12 kt (Wing) from the same series, by the same rule as the Kite share.
01Direction, strength, when it blowsWrittenDirection from a spot guide (The Gorge Is My Gym). Strength and time of day read from the record.
02The month’s recordsRecordThree to four years a month in a river gorge, with no station check. Treat the shares as a guide.
03Stays, schools and kitWrittenChecked on each business’s own website or a named rider source, most recently on 27 September 2026. Price bands only where a price is published.
04River levels and tide windowsMissingNo river level or tide source in the pipeline. The section renders its empty state.
05Rules, current and bargesWrittenRules from the Port of Hood River’s Ordinance No. 30 and its notices. Current and barges from the Port and a spot guide, not surveyed.
06Airports, access, packing, kite sizesWrittenDistance and exit from a business page. Water temperature from compiled research, not measured. Sizes derived from the session mean.
MapsMissingNo drawn maps for this spot. No surveyed coordinates for the launches.

The record

Hourly wind, 2023 to 2026, from ECCC HRDPS Continental via Open-Meteo: a 2.5 km grid, read at the cell 1.4 km from the spot. It knows the wind over the cell, not the gust on the sand in front of you, and it knows the bearing, not the coastline: "side-onshore" is a rider's reading of the bearing. Each month is counted over three to four years.

What we could not source for Hood River

Crowds by month: no count exists for Hood River yet. A water quality classification, and a first-hand reading of the local vibe. River level data and per-launch windows. A station check on a thin wind record. Surveyed launch coordinates. A measured water temperature. A licensed photograph. Where any of these is missing above, the section says so rather than filling itself.

Conditions change. Check local rules and conditions before you ride.

Compiled by WindChaser, 25 Sep 2026. Hero photograph on the spot page by EncMstr, CC BY-SA 3.0. Report generated 22 Oct 2026 from record version 2026.10; a report and its spot page are rendered from the same data and cannot disagree.

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