The go to spot for wind surfing, foiling, standup boarding, biking gear in Hood River OR! read more

Big Winds - Foil boards - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Hood River, Oregon

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Gear, clothes, water and wind toys to select from abound at Big Winds! The only thing more memorable is the great service and attention from the team. We always feel like family whether we're together in the store or sharing the stoke on the river. read more

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I had some trepidation coming in here, as I'm no kiteboarder or anything. I just wanted to ask some really basic questions about wetsuits. Some specialty shops in Hood River are less than welcoming towards noobs. But my experience here was really great! I was given some great information, and treated like a valued customer that's been spending money there for years. I am certain I'll be back! read more

We are very fortunate to have three great watersports shops in Hood River, each with a different line of products. Big Winds' customer service is pretty outstanding. You can count on them for reliable follow up, sound advice and friendly service. read more

Big Winds is the best SUP shop in the PNW. Bruce, T.J. and Alejandro were instrumental in getting me on an Starboard 14'x26" AllStar SUP race board. After talking with Alejandro and T.J. a few times, my wife and I drove 6 hours to Hood River for me to test ride the AllStar and possibly buy it. Bruce met us as we walked into Big Winds. He was engaging and excited to share his knowledge of SUP, discuss the board and comparable boards in detail, and pushed me to take the AllStar for a test paddle. Bruce helped me load and unload the board from my car. After a little lunch and time to think about the board I retuned to Big Winds to let Bruce know I wanted to buy the board. Bruce let me know the total, which lead to a little confusion about the cost, and which version of the board I had come to test. The Allstar they had was the one and only in the shop. Bruce was a champ! He and T.J. understood my the situation and didn't want me to leave empty handed. They made a sacrifice to get the deal done and I paid up meeting them in the middle. I can't thank the team at Big Winds enough. This is the second SUP race board I've purchased from them (the first being an SIC X14 Pro) and know I'll be back for future purchase. (Bruce put me on to Black Project paddles, which I'm looking into and sound amazing. https://blackprojectsup.com/) You can't go wrong working with Big Winds on your SUP, windsurfing, foil, kiteboard foil, surfing, and e-bike needs. https://bigwinds.com/about/ Tim McGinnis Sandpoint, ID read more

I took an eFoil lesson from Big Winds. Everything I needed was provided: really nice equipment, wetsuit, helmet, PFD, perfect conditions and venue, great instructor (Tre). At age 68, I had some reservations, but the whole experience turned out to be a blast. The private lesson seemed kind of expensive ($350 for two hours) but this turned out to be a case of "you get what you pay for." Also, Big Winds is very easy to deal with in terms of how they handle details like scheduling, and rescheduling or refunds if a lesson is cancelled due to weather (if need be). Their 48 hour cancellation policy seems fair. I recommend the eFoil lesson from Big Winds for everyone who wants to try this new sport. read more

These folks are amazing. I wanted to replace my old board (Mistral flow) and Mark said I will work with you and get you on a board you are happy with. HE DID. I walked out with a brand new board to try out. "If you don't like it, bring it back, we have others. Wow! Who does this to make sure you have the right board. Mark knows a ton about boards, fins sailing sites etc. I can't say enough about how well I was treated. I waited to write this review. It's a great board! Love it! I've had it a couple of months now and meant to write the review sooner. Thanks Mark. Thanks Big Winds read more

I was very disappointed to hear that Big Winds no longer rents performance windsurfing gear, only beginner gear. I get it that if that sector of the business is not making money then it's subject to be dropped. But we are talking about Hood River here. Windsurfing put this town on the map, and now if you don't bring your own gear you can't even windsurf. I'd have preferred they somehow change their rental protocol so they could make this profitable rather than dropping it entirely. I called the shop and was told the reason they dropped it is because their ebike business needed the space. Don't even get me started about ebikes. read more

I inquired about a Fanatic Sky Wing. The next day they contacted me saying they have one coming in. I told them to send me the invoice so I could pay for it. I paid the invoice within 40 min of receiving it. Then after the payment was made I got a confirmation that it was being prepared for shipment. About a hour later I got a email from eddy saying the board was sold to someone else. Eddy said he was sorry I was disappointed. Big Winds should be disappointed they lost a customer that is just getting into the sport. read more

Big Winds is one of the many places to rent windsurfing and kite surfing gear for Hood River, widely considered one of the best places to windsurf in North America. I'm giving the actual windsurfing experience four stars, but, the customer service at Big Winds 2.5 to 3 stars. As a windsurfing destination, Hood River is everything it's hyped up to be. The sand bar that people windsurf and kite surf around is incredibly beautiful. The water stays kind of shallow in places (only about 4 feet or so within 100-200 feet of the shore) and because of that it's surprisingly warm. The wind is warm too. Amazing place. I've crossed it off my wish list of things to do before I die, and at the same time, I'll probably go back once per year... I have mixed feelings about the customer service at Big Winds. We orginally wanted a short board since my friend and I both had a few years of sailing experience in lighter winds. But, the salesperson insisted that using a longer board without a daggerboard was the way to go, and my friend and I went with it. That was a mistake; this was just a salesperson looking to rent out all of his gear. Plus, the guy offered a lot of unsolicited advice to me. As someone who is a counselor, I don't really deal well with free unsolicited advice. It's just not my style anymore; it destroys more friendships than it creates. But, hey, I'm stubborn. If the dude was that concerned about our safety, a helmet would have been nice. * If I did it all over again, I'd: rent a short board, bring some energy bars (since you're probably burning 400-700 calories/hour), and wear a helmet since there's a ton of traffic on the river later in the day. At one point, I counted the kites of 55 kite boarders. All the same, amazing, amazing experience. Gorgeous part of the earth. Did I say AMAZING?!!! read more

I've been a contented customer of Big Winds for 10 years - the advice, gear, and service in the shop is great. This review is for Big Winds windsurfing lessons, given at the Hook in Hood River. The instructors are usually part time and seasonal employees, so there is a large variation on the quality of instruction one can receive. This summer my kids took lessons several times and I was able to witness a disparity of engagement with the students. In a nutshell, the more mature instructors really connected with the kids and struck a balance between instruction and letting the kids play with the gear. My kids had fun at each lesson, but as an avid windsurfer I want them to actually learn to sail. The younger instructors were just not providing much of value in the water besides keeping an eye on the kids. Also problematic was how customers were received when they arrived at a lesson. Often it seemed nobody had a clue who was doing what and nobody was overly concerned about this. When I brought my kids to the Big Winds lessons truck, I wasn't concerned about the confusion as I know the sport and took initiative to suit up the kids in the appropriate gear. This past weekend my wife took our 11-year-old for a lesson and told me about her frustration at getting things started. When I picked the kid up, he had been strapped into an adult PFD that was heavy and restricted his movements. I understand how things work during the summer in the Gorge, but for a respected business like Big Winds I expected better. read more

I went SUPing in Hawaii for the first time last summer, and now that summer is emerging in the PNW, my husband and I decided to try SUPing in Hood River. The weather forecast showed a high of 102 today, so decided to arrive early (around 10 am). There are two parking options. You can either pay for the day-use lot, or you can park in the free area right off the road. We parked in the free lot, and it was less than a five-minute walk to Big Winds. We were greeted by a nice guy named Ford. He was helpful while we completed our waivers and paid the deposit. He also explained that we could leave personal items (keys, shoes, etc.) with them. Once we were ready to get in the water, he showed us to our paddle boards, gave some quick tips, and we were off! We spent exactly two hours on the water, returned the gear, and made our final payment. It's great that you only have to pay for how long you spend on the water. We honestly didn't know where we were going to rent paddle boards when we headed to Hood River, but I am glad we stumbled upon Big Winds. The rental process was simple and the customer service was superb. read more

True Story. Eddy was there for me. I was living in darkness and despair with little to no water fun in my life. I was at the end of my rope and Eddy saved me. Cliff notes for my inspiring story of overcoming the odds to find love in the water: - I always rented SUP equipment before I met Eddy - I had a board in mind, but wasn't sure if I had the guts or money to make it happen - I had a trip planned to a place with lots of water--but the trip was only about a week away - Eddy assured me that there was a way to get the board I wanted, even though it wasn't in stock - He patiently walked me through the other gear I might want to get--no pressure though - He worked with me on the price-level I had in mind--a salesperson-yet-a-friend - All the gear was delivered to my house within 4 business days Honestly, it's a bit ridiculous how happy I am with this transaction. Mostly because it felt less like a transaction and more like a friendly exchange. I was lost, but now I'm found. Thanks Eddy! read more

Big Winds made my fiancé the happiest guy in town! He has been an avid windsurfer for years and recently bought a new kit. We didn't bring it to Hood River and instantly regretted it, but Big Winds came through with exactly what he needed at incredibly reasonable pricing. The wind was incredible that day, so thank you for helping him check something on his bucket list. We'll be back and know they have our backs! read more

Great staff with excellent help from TJ and George in purchasing my new Stand Up Paddle Board after traveling over an hour and a half to see what they could do for me. In addition to the great service I received a great deal by purchasing a previous year's model and got a nice discount on my paddle and bag. I do have to add I find it funny when reading the other Yelp reviews for this store that in sadly a typical arrogant style of some Yelpers someone else complained about being provided too much unsolicited advice especially when it sounds like they were venturing into a sport they knew little about. I personally find it refreshing to have the staff at a business in such specialized sports provide all the information possible but I guess that is just not the case with some know-it-all types that love to tell people how to run their business. We all know these type of reviewers immediately and I totally disregard their comments as all should. As for Big Winds if you are looking to get into Stand Up Paddle Boarding, Windsurfing or Kite Sailing I would say give them a try since I found them very pleasant, knowledgeable and willing to provide a fair deal. read more

I've ordered online form Big Winds, so when we were in town we decided to stop in. They have a great shop on a nice piece of property that has great views of the river. Staff was friendly and we found some good bargains. Great selection of wetsuits and sailboard equipment. Kiteboarding equipment covered the basics. read more

Great customer service and decent selection. Mainly have cabrinha and north stuff, which in my opinion are some of the better brands- albeit a bit pricier. Big Winds seems willing to work with people on prices, especially if they're buying a package deal. I just picked up some booties and an O'Neil wetsuit. In my time there Matt and Eddie were a big help. Picked up some great tips on gear usage and local kite spots from employees as well. read more

Great experience renting kiteboard gear. Would recommend to anyone in the Hood River area in need of watersport gear.

Super friendly and knowledge people. They have a lot of SUPs in stock, so you don't have to worry about running out if it gets busy.

The Kids Camp is very good. I'm told that the number of kids can vary quite a bit. In this case there were about 12 kids between the ages of 9 and 12 with four instructors. The camp goes from Monday through Thursday and lasts for three hours each day. They have a punch list of basic windsurfing skills that end up with beach starts and harness use with a long board. I don't have any complaints and there were a number of things I thought were particularly good: They normally had 2-3 of the instructors in the water at the shore and 1-2 instructors out on a board coaching the kids through turning around and sailing back to shore. All of the kids received a steady diet of suggestions and encouragement. They had plenty of wet suits for the kids. Many of the kids wore 2 to 3 wet suits, which helped keep them warm. Nothing is fun when you are cold. All of the kids seemed to be having a good time and having fun with each other. By the last day it looked like all of the kids were able to keep up wind and sail back to where they started. My daughter's enthusiasm for windsurfing increased noticeably each day. read more

As a kiter, I totally trust these guys for sound advice and fair deals. Jason and TJ have been super friendly and helpful over the years and I always go to them first for help. Because of these two, and their friendly, honest service, this is the best shop in the Gorge. read more

First time trying SUP. It was super fun! Easy process to rent equipment. Enthusiastic staff with good tips. Great way to spend time on the river. read more

I spent the 80's with girlfriend and who became my wife windsurfing throughout California and Hawaii and spent way too much time and money in dozens of windsurfing shops...advance to 2012 and our oldest kids wanted to jump into windsurfing for the first time...we hung out at Hood River on a couple of languid days and spoke to more than one lesson/rental operation...we went with Big Wind and I will say they were top notch...great attitudes, great prices and the kids spent the weekend having a great time and getting the basics-in-hand for a future trip back to the Gorge or Maui...Huge Shout-out to instructor Keith who is personable, smart, and a great teacher- After one day with Keith the kids managed strong 20+ winds and advanced to the next level in very challenging winds. read more

Nice people. But they actually only rent equipment if you are an "expert". Otherwise be prepared to pay big bucks for lessons. And short time equipment rental in a pond. read more

Awesome friendly staff and quick, hassle-free rental procedure. Ease access from shop/tent to water. Very affordable as well.

Amazing and friendly staff, everyone I spoke to was extremely knowledgeable and engaged in finding the setup that best fit my budget and abilities. read more

I purchased my first Stand Up Board from these guys and got a really great deal. Large selection of the higher end boards (they only sale the good stuff) and extremely knowledgeable staff made my buying experience easy. I got home and unwrapped my board to discover some damage. I was able to bring it back the next day and exchange it for another identical board. Jason was extremely helpful and even though I was being a bit of a pain in the ass he wouldn't budge on his stance of ensuring I had a great experience and the best customer service. He hooked me up and made my experience great. It's difficult these days to find great customer service, so I was blown away by my Big Winds experience. I will ONLY buy from these guys!! Please visit them for any water board sport needs. They ROCK!! read more

Top notch people. Friendly and prompt on phone. Excellent prices. And when I had a warranty issue to replace a couple of SUP bags 9 months later and the manufacturer was being arrogant and difficult, BigWinds stepped up to the plate. I've delt with Ben, Jodie and Jason. One can't ask for more than all this. Again, top notch. read more

I had a fantastic first lesson with Joel and Russ. They were great at adapting the lesson to the various proficiency levels of the participants. Plus they totally let us stay out longer than our lesson time. (Score!) Also, I felt that they gave us a thorough safety briefing. When I did go in the water I knew exactly what to do and wasn't scared at all. (Honestly at a certain point you get super hot paddling around and want to get in the water.) Overall I highly recommended and will be back! read more

Really nice young people staffing the business, who were very helpful from start to finish! Excellent location for putting into the Columbia River, and near 3 great food shacks right on the waterfront for a perfect picnic. Total fun! read more

I ordered windsurfing equipments and stand up boards from Big winds from California and Matt Sweeting help me most of the times and they give me advise what to buy , Mat also give me discount and all the gears arrived on time as promised , there are many stores in Southern California which they only care to take your order and they do not even know how to rig the windsurf or sell you something I can not even use . Now my first option is Big winds because I feel confident and trust to place the order to this company, It is very hard to find a trustworthy vendors these days read more

This summer, after tearing a sail, breaking booms, and realizing my JP wave board was extraordinarily heavy, I basically revamped my entire quiver of sails, boom, mast, and high wind board! All of my equipment was about 10 years old, so I was pretty out of touch with the latest generation of gear. I did all of my purchases through Mark who guided me through each purchase with incredible patience, gave me very fair prices, and helped me with the set up of each piece, all over the phone! When he wasn't in, I got great advice from Daryl who also emailed me some rigging videos! As a result, my windsurfing addiction has reasserted itself in full, as every piece of equipment I got is incredibly forgiving, fun, and has amazing range! I'd been shopping at Big Winds for the past 20 years and have always been happy with their service but now I'm simply blown away! They're the best! read more