Live wind
Water & wetsuit
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About this spot
Hood River is the centre of kiting in the Columbia River Gorge. From about June to September the gorge funnels a strong westerly up the river — often 18-30 knots in the afternoons — and because it blows against the westward current it builds steep, choppy swell, great for jumping and freeride.
Kiters launch from the Spit (the sandbar opposite the downtown waterfront), reached on foot or by a small seasonal water shuttle; the windsurf Event Site nearby is not a kite launch. Local schools teach here, mostly with boat or radio-helmet lessons because the river is deep and the current strong.
The hazards are specific: commercial barge traffic in the shipping channel (always give way), a strong current that carries a dropped kite and rider downstream, cold water in early season, and a crowded launch on peak days. An easterly wind blows down the gorge in the cold season and is not a kite direction here.
3-day forecast
Speed / gusts in knots. Colour = rideability for this spot. Bottom row = recommended kite size for your weight — not recommended outside this spot's 15–32 kn range.
Conditions
- Water
- choppy, waves
- Depth
- Deep river with strong current; shallow only on the sandbar edge
- Seabed
- sand
- Skill
- beginner, intermediate, expert
- Beginners
- Beginner friendly
- Wind range
- 15 kn – 32 kn
Access & parking
About 1 hour east of Portland (PDX) on I-84. Launch on the Spit across the inlet from the downtown waterfront park.
Parking: Paid parking at the Hood River waterfront; it fills on peak summer days.
Amenities
- Kite schools offering boat and radio lessons
- Kite shops, rental and repair in Hood River town
Needs local verification: Compiled in October 2026 from independent spot guides and the general descriptions of the local schools and kite associations. Launch zones, line-length and airport rules, park permits and which school teaches where change from season to season, so everything here needs confirming on site and the coordinates are approximate, not verified launch points. No verified live webcam was found, so the camera links open Windy's webcam search instead of a local feed.
Local hazards
- Commercial barges and tugs in the shipping channel — always give way
- Strong river current against the wind
- Cold water early in the season
- Crowded launch on the Spit
- Easterly winds are not a kite direction here