Big Winds
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Established in the Columbia River Gorge in Hood River, Oregon in 1987, Big Winds is one of the largest windsurfing, kiteboarding and stand up paddleboarding product and accessory stores in the United States. Our staff members are experienced players who are passionate about their sports and equipment and ready to offer expert advice. In addition to an enormous rental/demo fleet for all skill levels, our windsurfing and stand up paddleboarding school is one of the best in the Pacific Northwest and our lesson programs include kids camps, junior camps, and private and group lessons for men and women of all ages. Visit our retail shop or give us a call today for a relaxed, informative talk about windsurfing, kiteboarding and stand up paddleboarding gear and accessories.
Duration: < 1 hour
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
14 reviews
Excellent
11
Very good
2
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Daniel A
Washington DC, DC57 contributions
Jun 2014 • Couples
We went to Big Winds for an introductory windsurfing lesson.
First, they called us an hour before the lesson to tell us there wasn't enough wind to have a good lesson that day (which is pretty unusual there). We appreciated the honesty and they were flexible about rescheduling. The clerk at the shop (didn't catch his name) was very helpful.
When we actually got out on the water we had a fantastic experience. Our group was very small (just me, me wife, and one other woman) and our instructor (Heidi) was clear, fun, patient, and really knew what she was talking about. She had us up on our boards and surfing back and forth across the hook in under an hour.
It was the highlight of our trip to Oregon.
First, they called us an hour before the lesson to tell us there wasn't enough wind to have a good lesson that day (which is pretty unusual there). We appreciated the honesty and they were flexible about rescheduling. The clerk at the shop (didn't catch his name) was very helpful.
When we actually got out on the water we had a fantastic experience. Our group was very small (just me, me wife, and one other woman) and our instructor (Heidi) was clear, fun, patient, and really knew what she was talking about. She had us up on our boards and surfing back and forth across the hook in under an hour.
It was the highlight of our trip to Oregon.
Written 17 July 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for giving windsurfing lessons a try with Big Winds! We're thrilled to hear about your experience and hope that you'll be back again for more lessons. We look forward to seeing you on the water!
Written 5 August 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MrsO_5
Troutdale, OR12,875 contributions
Jul 2014 • Couples
Big winds has their hands on almost all outdoor activities from Hood River to the Mount Hood Territories and they know their stuff!
They had a facility set up at Event Park and taught classes in SUP and windsurfing. I thought they were extremely well priced.
They offered my Grandson a real deal on a class but with an earache it wouldn't have been the greatest choice. So we passed.
There wasn't anything to dislike here. The people there were extremely informed about the sports available in the CRGNSA and even teach ski lessons on Mount Hood off season..
Next time!
They had a facility set up at Event Park and taught classes in SUP and windsurfing. I thought they were extremely well priced.
They offered my Grandson a real deal on a class but with an earache it wouldn't have been the greatest choice. So we passed.
There wasn't anything to dislike here. The people there were extremely informed about the sports available in the CRGNSA and even teach ski lessons on Mount Hood off season..
Next time!
Written 14 November 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Margie M
Portland, OR7 contributions
Aug 2017 • Family
This was my first paddle boarding lesson and I'm glad we went with Big Winds. We had a 1 hour lesson with Jojo and Brian who were both great teachers. We practiced on a nice calm lagoon instead of the Columbia River which made it a safe and enjoyable experience for the whole family. We also had 30 minutes of practice time after our lesson to explore the lagoon at our leisure.
Written 28 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eddie Gray
Winter Garden, FL681 contributions
Jun 2015 • Family
We were going to take the kids to another company in Hood River that does windsurfing lessons but my wife thought this would be a good place after reading reviews online. The check in location (their main headquarters downtown) is very nice and the people working over there were very nice and helpful. 5 star experience so far. So we drive down to the location that they teach and the lady instructor (I think her name was Anna? - short blonde hair with straw hat) told us the kids were in good hands and that she would instruct them for the next two hours and then they would get one more hour on their own. We decided to leave and give them some alone time and check back to maybe take some video of our kids windsurfing.
We come back two hours later and our daughter is in tears. The instructor basically ignored her almost the entire time. Our daughter got going once but could not figure out how to turn around and got stuck on the other side of their secluded training area. The instructor would not come over and help and was simply standing far away and yelling at her. Our daughter could not hear a word she was saying. After about 15-20 minutes our younger son had to figure out how to go over there and I guess eventually they both got her back to the starting area.
Their was no other people being taught so this instructor had ZERO excuses as to why she could not offer any real instruction. When we showed up two hours later the lady instructor had vanished already. The kids were frustrated and did not really learn that much (my daughter learned nothing and now we probably have a zero percent chance she will ever windsurf or kite surf or anything like that after this experience).
The ironic thing is if the lady would of done a good job and had actually been there when we showed up I would of tipped her well. You would think that this is how they would be able to make a living.
Oh well, we travel enough to know that not all of the experiences are going to be positive......but at least we get a chance to let others know = DO NOT do lessons with the mean older lady with short blonde hair.
We come back two hours later and our daughter is in tears. The instructor basically ignored her almost the entire time. Our daughter got going once but could not figure out how to turn around and got stuck on the other side of their secluded training area. The instructor would not come over and help and was simply standing far away and yelling at her. Our daughter could not hear a word she was saying. After about 15-20 minutes our younger son had to figure out how to go over there and I guess eventually they both got her back to the starting area.
Their was no other people being taught so this instructor had ZERO excuses as to why she could not offer any real instruction. When we showed up two hours later the lady instructor had vanished already. The kids were frustrated and did not really learn that much (my daughter learned nothing and now we probably have a zero percent chance she will ever windsurf or kite surf or anything like that after this experience).
The ironic thing is if the lady would of done a good job and had actually been there when we showed up I would of tipped her well. You would think that this is how they would be able to make a living.
Oh well, we travel enough to know that not all of the experiences are going to be positive......but at least we get a chance to let others know = DO NOT do lessons with the mean older lady with short blonde hair.
Written 25 June 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear G8RED,
We are very sorry to hear about your daughter’s experience with our windsurfing school. We are used to hearing nothing but rave reviews about our program and instructors so we certainly take your comments and concerns very seriously. I would invite you to please give us a call and ask for the lessons/rentals manager, Jason. We certainly would like to speak with you about this lesson and try to make things right.
We would also like to address some of the concerns brought up in your review. During our introductory lessons, participants learn how to sail in the Hook (an enclosed area) where they often only learn to go up-wind during the first lesson. Once upwind, participants often have to walk their gear back to the starting point. Windsurfing has a steep learning curve and its difficult to master everything in one lesson which is why we encourage guests to sign up for multiple lessons to maximize their progression.
Again, we are very sorry to hear about your experience and we hope that you will contact us directly to discuss this situation.
Sincerely, Jason
Written 1 July 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
UncleTravellingRich
Sydney, Australia147 contributions
Jul 2017 • Family
Kids did 4 day afternoon camp in July. Loved it. Instructors were great.
Perfect spot for learning, waist deep lagoon. 7, 9 and 11 year old all hooked!
Perfect spot for learning, waist deep lagoon. 7, 9 and 11 year old all hooked!
Written 4 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maria R
Seattle, Washington185 contributions
Jul 2015 • Family
The end of July our Grandchildren had a wind surfing lesson with Big Winds in Hood River Oregon. The lessons are in a safe area in the Columbia River Gorge especially for beginners. The Gorge is a major wind surfing area and can be very busy so as beginners this was the best way to go. Skilled staff and decent equipment.
It is worth visiting the Gorge in summer just to see all the wind surfers and kite boarders....beautiful sight.
It is worth visiting the Gorge in summer just to see all the wind surfers and kite boarders....beautiful sight.
Written 1 September 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
elle_oregon
Oregon98 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
A friend and I had a wonderful time in Hood River on the Columbia. We scheduled a Sup yoga class with Rayna from Big Winds and weren't disappointed at all....more amazing than I would have guessed. We paddled out into the river for a spectacular view of the gorge and a fish jumped right beside my board! We had class out there (because there was very little wind) and at one point while in a upside down yoga pose, my heart kinda sang with how beautiful the gorge is from that view too! It doesn't matter what skill level you are, we had never done Sup Yoga before, but Rayna is a great instructor and all the equipment is right on the beach. When the wind did pick up a little we paddled back into the basin and finished up class. There are bathrooms, food and parking very close by. You can also rent other equipment, take lessons of all sorts and then just hang out all day on that beach. So go out and enjoy... you'll be hooked. I already can't wait to go back at least once more before the summer is over.
Written 12 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you elle_oregon for joining us for a SUP Yoga session on the river. This is a popular class that's new this year. We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience and we look forward to having you join us again!
Written 14 August 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
krlynn
Tucson, AZ228 contributions
May 2014 • Friends
On a recent trip to Hood River we happened upon Big Winds. Our goal was to do some shopping. We found a great selection of beach/water related clothing, hats, sunglasses, outerwear and shoes so shop we did. While there we also found out that this was the place for any river related activities on Hood River. They sell and rent gear for a variety of water sports-- kayaks, stand up paddle boards, and wind and kite sailing. Big Winds also offers lessons in these sports including kid camps and women's clinics. All this is tucked away in a charming building on a hill overlooking the Columbia. There is parking available in the front and back of the store.
Written 28 May 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
river.trout
Salida, CO273 contributions
Jul 2021
Excellent shop. Very knowledgeable and pleasant staff, esp. TJ from the foiling department helped us out a lot.
We took SUP-wing lessons with Sean at The Hook location -- a great way to learn how to fly the wings. Lesson was conducted on water protected from the waves and on big (200L) windsurfing boards with a center fin. Sean was a great instructor, going through all the fundamentals in a group setting and then giving us sailing time with one-on-one instruction. Highly recommended!
As we wanted to also get the basics for being on the foil, we signed up for the e-foiling lesson. It was held on a lake 8 miles away, as the winds were too high in Hood River. Fred took the time to walk us through all the steps of how to get up on the board, then on the foil, safe practices and more. Another great class.
I highly recommend Big Winds -- check them out.
We took SUP-wing lessons with Sean at The Hook location -- a great way to learn how to fly the wings. Lesson was conducted on water protected from the waves and on big (200L) windsurfing boards with a center fin. Sean was a great instructor, going through all the fundamentals in a group setting and then giving us sailing time with one-on-one instruction. Highly recommended!
As we wanted to also get the basics for being on the foil, we signed up for the e-foiling lesson. It was held on a lake 8 miles away, as the winds were too high in Hood River. Fred took the time to walk us through all the steps of how to get up on the board, then on the foil, safe practices and more. Another great class.
I highly recommend Big Winds -- check them out.
Written 24 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tim C
Hobart, Australia22 contributions
Nov 2017
Are there are lots of big winds to be experienced. The best winds are the ones that blow hard and which comes with thunderstorms.
Written 30 November 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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