When is it too cold to sail in the Gorge?

gorgewinds · Joined: 17 Jul 2001 Posts: 9

I have a 5/3 wetsuit and want to know when it is too cold to sail in the Gorge and if there have been people at Stevenson on the weekend? I typically sail May,June, July, August; but have started to feel the need again.

laudermouth · Joined: 25 Oct 2000 Posts: 55

Dude, check your grapes white grapes ok, blue or purple grapes no good- find warmth fast stay warm and do not return to the water.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

You wouldnt catch me in the Columbia today in a wet suit, but it was sure fine in a dry suit almost all day today on a 4.5 in the eastern part of the Gorge. Bare feet, bare hands, polarfleece hood, and I was toasty even when we finally had to swim back in. Yesterday was 4.2 much of the day, and just as comfortable.

Two winters ago we sailed barehanded into mid-January; last year the water plunged into the low 40s by about Thanksgiving and switched me off until late March. I dont do gloves.

In a good 5/3 steamer with an over-the-head inner flap Im good from some time in May until some time in October. A dry suit adds easily 3-4 months to that, and those months can have some of the biggest swell simply because they can have some of the strongest winds. AND THE CROWDS ARE GONE!

Mike \m/

Daveryan · Joined: 02 Apr 2001 Posts: 60

Hi I live in the Gorge and can tell you that for the most part a water temp of 50*f is about my limit In the spring this usually happens in May but for the fall the winds go bad before the water temp drives me out. Our rainy season sets in and east winds take over which is usually just chop and very little swell. While there may be a day now and then to sail it is not as reliable conditions as in the summer So I would have to say late Oct. for the fall is the time to put the boards away and get out the skis.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

NOW, in my book. The air temps dropped about 20 degrees 10-12 days ago, and are likely to stay that way until spring. In that short time the water temp has dropped 8-12 degrees, to 37-42 at various sites. No, thanks. I can wait until March, when the air temps should moderate.

Mike \m/

rasdpm · Joined: 17 Apr 2000 Posts: 149

Good news. There is a fun alternative to winter Gorge sailing. Winter Storm sailing on the Nehalem Bay, about 1.5 hr drive from Portland. Water and air temps much warmer than the Gorge, and often plenty of ramps to enjoy. My last trip there, Dec 1, was full on 3.2 with lots of rain, some drift debris, and a herd of 30 elk and only three sailors! Why arent more people out there? The bonus is you get to swing by the Cheese factory for curds, and the Pacific Oyster Company for fresh sea creatures.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

No (sane) sailors were wearing wet suits Saturday, but about a dozen of them did have a blast callenging the strongest winds they had ever sailed in the Gorge. NOAA issued high-wind warnings, the sun was out, the air hit about 50 degrees, so there was no stopping them.

Dubious? These were all LONG-time Gorge locals, many of whom log over a hundred days a year on sails <5.3 and boards <8-1.

So too cold is an individual call. For me, it was; I consider 42-degree water dangerous when sailing a mile offshore (this was out east, not in the little ol corridor.

But you really should buy a dry suit. It extends your comfort zone by months, including some of the windiest ones, compared to any wet suit or steamer. A dry suit probably increases my water time, especially QUALITY time, by maybe 30% compared even to my steamer.

Mike \m/

charlesbarrett · Joined: 06 Oct 2015 Posts: 0

Well there were many insane sailors along the Maryhill/Rufus corridor, and I didnt see a single drysuit. A suit under a suit, with a hood, gloves, booties, and/or a hooded vest increases your sail time tremendously with a 5/3 steamer. This is actually quite warm, even for 40 degree water.

DO sail with a buddy or two, and be prepared to swim in.

Oh, and by the way, RASDPM missed it as he hiked up and teled waist deep powder. Did he really miss it?

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

By wetsuit I meant a neoprene suit without a dry zipper, not a rack full of neoprene. Certainly one can take the layered approach as well, if they can still bend and breathe. Whatever it takes to stay comfy and safe.

But even in a dry suit or a rack of neoprene, Im still concerned about people who sail a mile offshore, downwind from civilization, in side-off winds, in liquid smoke so rescue is a pipe dream, wearing no hood. Rufus is a womb compared to that. If I were willing to sail wearing gloves, Id be out there too, but at Rufus, not Roosevelt. Or down the street here in the TriCities. I envy the guys who can sail in gloves; Ive given up on that.

Mike \m/

zachweb · Joined: 03 Apr 2000 Posts: 19

I know what you mean about gloves - Ive tried them all and 10 minutes has been the tops before serious (life threatening possibly) forearm fatigue. One of my buddies gave me a pair of dishwashing gloves (they dont have that inner liner), and these actually worked tremendously, and grip loss was minimized - you might want to try it Mike. I was completely surprised.

Going to try the safety at Nehalem tomorrow with 40 knot southerlies (meaning warm) predicted. Time it on an incoming tide, and the water will be warmer then the air. Not bad for winter sailing Wink