Glendhu Bay holiday park lessee Herbie Illingworth said the winds had affected the more than 300 boat owners who were camping at the ground.
He said the run of weather since Christmas was among the poorest he had seen during his tenure as Glendhu Bay camping ground manager.
"It's knocked our fuel sales on the head. They are of the worst I've seen in 16 years."
Boats were parked along the beach, waiting for a break in the wind.
Some boat users were "managing" to get their vessels out in the early morning for water-skiing, while those wanting to go fishing were taking advantage of calmer lake conditions in the evening once the wind dropped, he said.
"It's been very frustrating for everyone."
The MetService weather station at Wanaka airport has recorded consistent wind-speed readings of about 35 knots during the past week.
Lake Hawea service station owner Trevor Hewson said the windy conditions were sending boaties elsewhere.
The petrol station had shifted less than a third the amount of fuel usually sold during the holiday period.
"Everything is directly related to the wind," he said.
The strong northwesterlies meant people were "going mad".
There had been "only" one calm day since before Christmas, which had given him an idea of the amount of petrol he would be selling if lake conditions were calm.
Visiting boaties around Lake Hawea were packing up to get away.
"They [boat-users] want to go boating and will head elsewhere to do so," he said.
Glendhu Bay camper Peter Conder said he had managed to get his boat on the water only once since arriving from Alexandra last week.
He agreed with the sentiments of the camping ground and petrol station operators.
"This wind is getting to people and causing frustration."
Mr Conder and the group of campers he was with yesterday have been camping at Glendhu Bay for 30 years.
They had never seen such an extended period of sustained winds and unsettled weather while camping during the holidays.
Mr Illingworth said it would take only "two or three" days of good weather to make people forget about the frustration.
"Once people are on the water again, everyone will be as good as gold."
