Best kite school in Hood River?

jackZ · Since 13 Apr 2008 355 Posts Devon Alberta ca. Obsessed

Hi Lurk ,
There are some good points or opinions here and you know whats said about them !
As far a short lines go I must agree with Inept and Forrest . The gorge is a busy place and adjustments needed to be made for safety I'm sure . That said , here's another opinion .
I took lessons in several locations and of course different instructors . There are site specific details . Crowds at the gorge = short lines . Places that could get you a long way out or in a current definitely need to use jet skis , etc.
There are schools out there for the money ( or so it seems to me ) ie , the outer banks , I saw a place there with what looked like a hundred kites laying around and a multitude of instructors that if you added their ages would come out at less than ...., well you get the point I hope .
Check out several sites online as best you can , go to the sites and see the instructors . How they interact with their students . Do they teach etiquette and safety along with kite knowledge before getting you on the water ?
I had lessons in my home location , it sucked ! I had lessons in Hood river , Great ! I took a lesson on SPI , great ! Haterass , Great ( from a small outfit near Avon ) Also on StLucia also Great! The reason I took them more than once is due to the fact that I couldn't get out regularly . It would help , as I like to tell people , take a two week holiday for kiting and get some skills , not just a lesson or two and don't get out again for six months etc .
A licensed kiter who you get along with and can be around for a while is my best advice . It will be of a great benefit to yourself and other kiters .
This is just like an AA meeting Lurk , take what advice you need and the rest is just a nicety .
Oh and I must not forget the most important item , People like Forrest and Inept and Sol Flyer and maybe even me are a great source of info . Talk to the local kiters and watch them , it's awesome what that will do for you too .
Enjoy , and good kiting . Very Happy

I think my favourite would be ........ wherever you have the most fun !

Lurk · Since 04 Apr 2009 355 Posts Obsessed

Yeah its all good.

airpadre · Since 15 Apr 2009 25 Posts

Respect to all the kite schools teaching up in the Gorge!

If you are ever in warm South Padre Island though, look up Air Padre Kiteboarding ...

_____________________________
www.airpadrekiteboarding.com

forrest · Sat Dec 04, 10 10:10 am

I took my lessons from Air Padre, I'd highly recommend them!

Lurk · Since 04 Apr 2009 355 Posts Obsessed

Well if you need short lines to be able to teach a frickin lesson that says a lot don't you think? Thought you guys were joking...

Also the Gorge is expensive and hard to book in the summer. Hatteras is dirt cheap in the spring and fall and the houses are PIMPIN'. They go for half price! Still cant understand why someone would choose the Gorge for lessons unless they live there and can't afford to travel.

I remember the time a windsurfer hit me from behind at the spit, never even saw the guy. So yeah, people do "bear down on you" while kiting in the Gorge. Not to mention launches thatwill test even the most expierenced kiter.

Also gonna call bullshit on the hundreds of kiters in Hatteras Ive counted maybe 70-80 in a 10 mile downwinder at the the peak season, and all one had to do was go out another 1/4 mile and then there is NO crowd ever. After all it is a huge sound with hundreds of square miles, and still shallow water!

Only advantage SPI has over Hatteras is you never need a wetsuit.

But hey some of you have an agenda and I don't so you must be right....

Inept_Fun · Since 14 Apr 2005 1417 Posts Hood River XTreme Poster

Lurk that windsurfer must have bumped you a little too hard in the head when you got in his way at the spit. The question is where the best place to learn to kite in the gorge is. If you wanna see the same 20 people all summer, then by all means head to HATER ASS. If you wanna learn to kite, while also being able to take advantage of other great recreational activities , along with a cool town, with cool people, come to the gorge.

mxwllms · Since 26 Jul 2006 110 Posts Boring, Or Stoked

Well said Inept... Hood River is just a fun place to be with a huge variety of activities and people to meet and befriend. also Brian's Windsurfing and Kitesurfing has done a complete overhaul on the lesson plans, gear, and instructors for the 2011 season so dont overlook them.
"If you learn in the Gorge you can kite anywhere"

Lurk · Since 04 Apr 2009 355 Posts Obsessed

Well Inept, if you read a little better you would have noticed the windsurfer hit me from behind. That pretty much makes it his fault. Huh? If you want ti pimp the Gorge fantasy that its great for learnin..well I respectfully disagree. If you want to hike, snowboard or whatever then the Gorge is obviously much better.

But to learn the sport of kiteboarding takes a certain dedication to get past the steep learning curve, and I think I outlined WHY Hatteras is better in the previous posts.

Cool people and great hiking didn't mean much to me when I was learning... Laughing

Inept_Fun · Since 14 Apr 2005 1417 Posts Hood River XTreme Poster

haha you act like a kite lesson is going to take more than 3 hrs. What are u going to do in Haterass the other 12+ hours of your day. Why dont you stick to the real kiteboarding forum or something on the east coast and pimp ur crap there?

windslayer · Since 30 Apr 2007 153 Posts Stoked

You get a lesson Yet Lurk?

Macboy · Since 28 May 2011 32 Posts Edmonton, AB, Canada

(I know this is an old thread but wanted to chime in for any other newbies out there like me)

My vote would go to Kite the Gorge but I know nothing about Hood River. I only know of Kite the Gorge because my last instructor was headed there right after our lesson n the Keys (another nice place to learn). Look for Jeanice or Mike - you won't regret it.

As far as "where" to learn? Well, I tried for a year or two to get local lessons here - no dice. We travelled to Oahu and I took a BAD lesson there. You have to body drag out 20 yards before you're allowed to even attempt a waterstart and the instructor was on the beach with a 2-way that I had strapped to my helmet. (?!?)

Needless to say not much gained other than learning to fly an LEI (I'm a foil flyer).

Fast forward to the next year - went to Malpeque, PEI for the most brilliant lesson location thus far. Waist deep as far as the eye could see and clean wind - cleanest I'd ever experienced. Lots of oysters underneath but that's what booties are for. Discovered then and there that shallow water is THE BEST learning environment.

Next up - Florida with Jeanice. Waist deep WARM water and CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN winds. Not a lot of room to rip (current channel just outside of the shallows) but with the clean winds I was able to learn what I needed.

Moral of the story? Learn where you can.

Lucky for me, vacations have lined up right for my learning. If I'd had to wait to get lessons at hoe I'd STILL be waiting. You're fortunate to have options down there. More important in my mind - clean wind.

I've heard it said that I'M the lucky one to have to learn in gusty, shifty winds because when I hit clean wind locations I'll be a rock star. Same prob goes for learning in the Gorge. If you can kite in strong, gusty winds WITH a strong current underfoot I bet you'd be throwing it like Hadlow in clean wind and still waters.

jackZ · Since 13 Apr 2008 355 Posts Devon Alberta ca. Obsessed

Justsmile · Since 20 Jul 2009 1530 Posts Not Portland XTreme Poster

Go to Floras and have andy or will hook you up. I have taken lessons in the gorge(from 2 schools) along with floras and maui. In HR, It appears that you spend half your time of your lesson time walking out to the end of the sand bar and waiting for a window to get out. 3 seasons ago I wasted numerous trips to HR due to too strong a wind, not enough etc. Floras appears to blow more steady in the afternoon although this year has not been the best but Andy will tell you he has had many good days down there. .I know that is blown out of proportion but you have much more waisted time for your money. Floras is great- instructors are top notch, no waiting for "pros" playing in the inside to get out of your way, steady winds etc. I feel you get way more kiting for your buck down south and then you can come to the gorge and play. I went to maui and took lessons there and it was not the greatest as I had 4 foot reform hittng the shore due to the surf advisory. After doing that launch and rotation the gorge did not seem too bad. I would much rather kite in the gorge at the place no one can talk about as a newer kiter than go to HR. Find a buddy that will hang with you. Jones is no doubt the second best place in oregon to learn. Mile long beach, steadier winds and when you get good enough you can head to the ponds etc. and truely be away from people. I am not comfortable going over there yet. just my 2 cents..... maybe as I progress and cut my umbilical cord from kiting with others I will have more fun in the HR area ie heading up wind to wells etc and hitting the swell.

soundwave · Since 02 Jul 2010 21 Posts Astoria

I took my lessons last year with no crowds and steady wind out at Jones Beach. I know the gorge is famous for wind but by far my favorite place to kite, espically since I'm still a bit of a newb is Jones Beach on the way to Astoria. had a small shallow spot and tons of room to go down wind.

Check out Air Pirates Kiteboarding I got my lessons from Nate. There out of longview, wa and very close to Jones beach. i had a great time in my lessons and what I learned has been priceless, especially self rescue. It sucks to do it but is needed.

MarkWorth · Since 02 May 2011 149 Posts Hood River Stoked

I have taught over 40 lessons on the sand bar this year without my students feeling crowded.
In more than 30 lessons of the lessons we were alone or almost alone.
In 6 lessons it there were other instructors teaching who worked with me to maximize the spacing between students and keep everyone safe. We had no conflict of any kind.
In 3 lessons there were some strong riders using the log as a slider and it took 5 minutes for my student to become comfortable with the experts passing 40 - 60 feet down wind of the lesson.

Because I teach kite control first, the students know that they can keep the kite low on one side. Since the kite is under control, the students do not panic, and the traffic becomes a non-issue in a small time.
Note: this is not an invitation to buss my students at full speed; it is recognition that a positive learning experience is possible in Hood River.

The strong and gusty winds allow my students to learn to fly the kite. They learn to park it low in the gusts, and fly precise power strokes in the lulls. There is no question that my students learn to fly the kite well. This kite control then allows the student to learn to ride the board without big out of control crashes. If the student’s goal is to ride the board before learning to control the kite, SPI or Florida are good spots for instant gratification. If they want to become confidant kiteboarders, there is no better place to learn then in Hood River with Gorge Kiteboard School.

Kite School Rufus · Since 26 May 2011 16 Posts Rufus, OR

It's Kite School Rufus of course!

DangleMaster123 · Since 01 Aug 2010 38 Posts

hey guys. instead of taking some expensive lessons i took out my five meter fuel for a few hours at rufus to get the hang of it. the nice part about it was that i was the only one there so it made for a lot of room too learn. it made me realize how over rated lessons are. pretty cold without a wetsuit though