I know that your post is more than a year old, but here's a response anyway.
I'm using a really nice sensor from Vaisala in Finland. It's the WS-425A. Rugged and sealed, with no moving parts. It's the ideal solution for harsh environments such as pacific coastal mountaintops.
The sensor measures wind speed and direction, and provides various output formats. Serial data, RS232, NMEA, SDI12, analogue, etc.