Paddling the Salish Sea 80 Trips: kayaking

Showing posts with label kayaking. Show all posts

2/8/21

Touring Surf Skis – Not All About Racing and Surfing

Surf skis have a reputation for being all about racing and downwinding but there are stable touring surf skis with storage hatches which are ideal for day trips, overnights and performance paddling.

I turned to surf skis as an alternative to sea kayaking.

After a near drowning stuck upside down in a closed deck skirted surf kayak 18yrs ago, I began to look for smarter sit-down and open cockpit kayak options.

And I was tired of hauling around 60lb kayaks and having a special hydraulic lift to get my kayak on the car.

There are a few stable surf skis like the Carbonology Cruze, Epic V6 and Stellar Sit on Tops (also surf ski’s) with storage hatches for day trips and overnights. But are still 2x faster than sea kayaks and are also great for touring, casual paddling, downwinding and surfing.

The stable 22" wide Carbonology
Sport Cruze has 2 hatches.

Advantage of a Surf Ski over a Sea Kayak for Trips?

Skis have super light weight options making it easier to carry by yourself thus also go faster with less weight to glide.
Open deck means you don’t have to have specialized skills for wet exits and re-entries.
Like a SUP, you can throw your legs over the side, sit in the cockpit sideways and pop out anytime.
2x as fast as sea kayaks! Better for up-winding.

Tip: Super light skis are not tough like a heavy sea kayak. Strengthen with a keel strip under the hull.

Check out my video showing the details for the Carbonology Cruze.

The stable 22" wide Carbonology
Sport Cruze has 2 hatches.

What to Look for for Touring Surf Skis?

Not all surf skis are tippy. Look for 21-23" wide, same width as many sea kayaks. Stable means you’ll you'll have more fun on flat water or while surfing and downwinding without the feeling of being tippy.
1-2 storage water tight hatches that can carry overnight gear.
Older Fenn Mako 19' touring on the
Strait of Juan de Fuca in WA State.
There are plastic cheaper skis but they’re heavier often as much as 50-60 pounds. Can you carry this solo and car-top it?
You can use a kayak paddle with a ski. You’re not required to use a wing paddle. Even a canoe paddle works!
Try before you buy if you can.
Cruze cockpit

Surf Skis for Bigger Folks..

Tall folks like me (6'-5") have less skis to choose from if you want to do the leg drive common in surf ski paddling.

The Carbonology. Cruze does fit my 32" inseam and could do 33".

Stellar Kayak's ‘Sit on Tops’ which are stable surf ski’s with hatches that do fit tall folks. Check them out..

I found the Epic V6 too short for me and tight on the hips.

Are Surf Skis Wet?

Surf skis have scuppers in the cockpit that drains water while moving. Surf ski scuppers have 'ventruli's that stick out the hull and create an eddy and suction when moving.

Yes the ride is wetter but you're not stuck in a cockpit requiring a wet exit and/or roll. You can easily get out and it's fairly easy to get back in.

Like a sup, you can sit sideways with your legs over the side. Fun for wildlife viewing

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Get Carbonology surf skis from Sitontoppros.com in Bellingham, WA. Mention I referred you for 5% off.

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Check out my year round surf ski, kayak and SUP classes in the Pacific Northwest – www.salmonbaypaddle.com

1/30/17

The Salish Sea Marine Trail

Reposted from Wild Coast Magazine...

Trans Canada Trail (TCT) and BC Marine Trails Network Association have come up with the perfect recipe for connecting Vancouver Island and the rest of Canada by trail. Just add saltwater and stir with a paddle.

The result will be the Salish Sea Marine Trail, a blueway – a saltwater route designed for paddle craft and small beachable boats – that will connect The Great Trail (the new name for the Trans Canada Trail) from Horseshoe Bay on the BC Mainland to Kilometre Zero of The Great Trail at Clover Point in Victoria.

Salish Sea Marine Trail

The 257-kilometre trail will snake north from Clover Point along Victoria and the Saanich Peninsula into the Gulf Islands, then north past Nanaimo through the Winchelsea and Ballenas islands across to Lasqueti and Texada Islands, then down the Sunshine Coast and across Howe Sound to

end at Horseshoe Bay.

From there it will connect to the Sea to Sky Marine Trail to link to Squamish by water plus connect with The Great Trail land trails in Vancouver and the rest of Canada.

The Salish Sea Marine Trail will not only provide the link, it will create an incredible new paddling route in its own right, providing a human-powered connection spanning the Canadian side of the Salish Sea.

Spearheading the Salish Sea Marine Trail is the BC Marine Trails Network Association (BCMTNA), an affiliation of British Columbia's kayaking and paddling clubs along with private members and business members. Formed in 2009, its mandate is to develop marine trails along the British Columbia coast through a network of access points and campsites developed in association with government agencies, First Nations and stakeholders.

Other partners coming on side for the Salish Sea Marine Trail include the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea, which will provide the marine ecology interpretive component for the trail as it develops. Read More..

Learn more about my book Kayaking Puget Sound and the San Juans, 60 Trips. I also offer SUP and Kayak lessons available throughout the year at Salmon Bay Paddle. Questions about paddling on the Salish Sea, give me a holler anytime at salmonbaypaddle@gmail.com or 206-465-7167

Support the Washington Water Trails Association and the Cascadia Marine Trail. The wwta works to create and protect access for paddlers on Puget Sound as well as provide an extensive network of over 60 paddle-in camping sites - www.wwta.org

1/12/17

Aerial Photography Sites for Planning Paddling Trips

Whenever I get an idea for a paddling trip, race or finding a new surf spot, I immediately think of the general location, then open Google Earth to start scouting routes, beaches, access points or in the case of racing, figuring out mileage for the race course.

Dept of Ecology - WA Coast

Before Google Earth, I used a Dept of Ecology site called Washington State Coastal Atlas. The site covers all shorelines, saltwater or fresh in the state. With this site, you bring up state image then click on the red dot of the area of interest, then zoom in. You scroll left to right or vice versa to explore the shoreline. There's four choices of which years of footage you want to view which is great for comparing shoreline change. The years are 1970's, 1990's, 2001 and 2006. Click here to check it out.

In recent years, I've mostly switched to Google Earth which breaks out of the left right scrolling to pulling or scrolling anywhere you want to go. Google has 'street views' which is seeing the image 1-1 vs from the air. The only downside is when you zoom all the way in, a forest begins to look fake or photoshopped. Same issue with some street views. Perhaps that's the result of the current technology with pixels being re-created to allow us to scroll any direction up or down, etc. Military locations are shadowed out and some areas which are not sensitive may look cloudy.

Google Earth 5 mile race course (Seattle)

Google Earth does allow you to save a jpg of a place and save that to your page as well. I use the Ruler a lot to determine distance in miles, nautical miles, km, etc. That's all I use it for, I'm sure you can take advantage of more of it's features if needed. When I have a race, I'll save the race course (ruler path showing course route) then open it in Photoshop to lighten it and/or add arrows, text and other directional items.

Sometimes I use both Google Earth and the Dept of Ecology sites. Then checking web cams and local weather stations (NOAA) to get a history of weather in a specific area

Here's a few examples of how I use Google Earth and the Ecology site...

Google Earth with Photoshop directions

Dept of Ecology - WA Coast

Rob Casey is author of Kayaking Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands, 60 Trips and Stand Up Paddling Flat Water to Surf and Rivers, both by Mountaineers Books. He owns Salmon Bay Paddle a SUP school in Seattle. Get in touch: rob@salmonbaypaddle.com

1/5/17

High Winter Daytime Tides of 2017

Tis the season for big daytime high tides and a few King Tides, the highest tides of the year on Puget Sound. The image below was from November 2016, about a 12.5' high tide. King Tides usually go to or above 13' heights creating problems for low bank housing, docks and marinas. Seattle area tides have a smaller range than those of the South Puget Sound. Whereas the Strait of Juan de Fuca and outer coast have ever smaller ranges than Seattle.

Notable daytime high tides in 2017..

1/2-4 - 12.5'

1/13-15 - 12.9'

In contrast, in Spring and Summer leading up to and just after summer solstice we'll get into big tidal exchanges going from a -3.6 on 6/25 at noon to a 12.4' high that same day at 7:49pm. Pretty cool and fun to watch the change. Get out there and explore the low tide beaches and note how every ridge or depression effect incoming tidal flow and/or waves.

Follow tides using the resources listed on the following post from earlier this week. Click here to view

12.5 high tide in Seattle, Nov 2016

12/7/16

Exploring Freshwater Bay on the Olympic Peninsula - Trips 40 & 41

I was first introduced to Freshwater Bay in my early kayak days via the WA Kayak Club while on day trips and a few rock gardening classes with Deb Volturno and George Gronseth. From day 1, I knew this was a place I'd be going back to often. Now I lead SUP tours there mostly in summer months.

A 3 hour drive from Seattle and just past Port Angeles, FWB as we call it for short, has good conditions 99% of the time. The boat ramp put-in is in boating terms, a good gunk hole, meaning it's very protected from most wind and swell. A sandy bottom and shallow for some time, makes it a great launch for paddlers. We generally prefer to launch adjacent to the busy boat ramp on the beach.

Routes:

If a wild weather or mellow day, you can have plenty of fun exploring the interior of the bay by the boat ramp, with it's tide pools and rock formations on the west side of the bay to the erratic boulder right of the boat ramp. You can also head east into FWB and in a few miles you'll hit the Elwha River mouth (watch for surf). In summer there's a one mile long kelp bed in the bay. Usually quiet from other paddlers and don't expect to see anyone on the beach.

For experienced paddlers, take a left at Observatory Point and Bachelor Rock (seastack below) threading yourself through the reef (SUPs-recommend kneeling). Or go round the rock. Swell does get in there and on an ebb the currents can rip strongly around the rock. Follow the coastline for one mile or the 6 miles to Salt Creek Rec Area. Explore the pocket beaches, amazing rock formations, caves, arches and abundant sea life below you. There's a stinky seal rookery about 3 miles west and Hidden Cove, another gunk hole about 2 miles from Salt Creek.

Alternatively, you can launch form Salt Creek, go over or around Tongue Point and start your journey from the west, going east.

Avoid if you can't handle waves, swell, high wind or don't have endurance for strong current. It can be glassy calm or gnarly. The water is cold most of the year do dress for immersion. SUPs, I recommend a rubber fin to avoid getting stuck in the extensive kelp beds and to better explore the rock shoreline. Also a helmet for kayakers, not much fun to capsize in shallow reefs.

The section can be cold too as the sun rarely gets over he big cliffs aside from in summer.

Read more in my book, Trips 40 & 41

Learn more about my book Kayaking Puget Sound and the San Juans, 60 Trips. I also offer SUP and Kayak lessons available throughout the year at Salmon Bay Paddle. Questions about paddling on the Salish Sea, give me a holler anytime at salmonbaypaddle@gmail.com or 206-465-7167

Support the Washington Water Trails Association and the Cascadia Marine Trail. The wwta works to create and protect access for paddlers on Puget Sound as well as provide an extensive network of over 60 paddle-in camping sites - www.wwta.org

1/15/15

Paddle in to Coffee or a Pizza in Port Townsend

I love places where you can paddle to a beer or a snack. There's a few spots like this on Puget Sound - the Tides Inn in Gig Harbor and the Boat Shed below Manette Bridge.

In Port Townsend there's several places you can paddle to..

- Paddle to the Pourhouse for a pint of local craft beer. I heard you could get a $1 off for paddling in. This is my kinda of town.

- Paddle to downtown 'PT' for Waterfront Pizza or coffee at Better Living Through Coffee. Both are adjacent to a great little beach with drift logs to set your gear on.

Wetsuits welcome at Waterfront Pizza

Beach and picnic table below coffee and pizza spots

Beach below Better Living Through Coffee (on left)

2/16/13

Ghost Forest, Sucia Island, Trip #50

Ghost Forest in Shallow Bay

Sucia Island is one of several of the outer San Juan Islands, just one mile north of Orcas Island. Known for it's interesting geological features, protected coves, and in summer - very busy. Shallow Bay is on the west side of Sucia providing a very protected gunkhole (protected anchorage) for boats. The pic below is of the Ghost Forest on the southern part of the bay. There's a portage on the left side of the pic giving walkers and paddlers easy access to Echo Bay.

Take the Sucia Island Ferry from Outer Island Expeditions on Orcas to access the island via foot or kayak/sup. The channel separating Sucia from Orcas can be idyllic and calm or very rough with strong tidal current and rips. Check with Outer Island or Shearwater in Eastsound for local travel info before setting out.

Sucia with detail of Shallow Bay

The island is open all year and is uncrowded fall through winter but quite crowded with kayakers and boaters in summer. This blog has some great historical and geological info on the island. Boater blogs provide good info even if you're travelling via kayak, canoe, or sup. http://windborneinpugetsound.blogspot.com/2009/10/destination-sucia-island.html

6/23/12

Paddling Central & Eastern Wa - Guidebook

If you're thinking of planning a trip to paddle Central and Eastern Wa check out "Paddle Routes of the Inland Northwest." Authors Rich Landers and Dan Hansen have compiled a comprehensive guide not leaving any rock unturned. The book covers epic trips down the Palouse River, through the glacier flood carved canyons of Dry Falls, and venturing into Idaho and Montana.

Check it out here..Paddle Routes.

6/15/12

60 Trips Book Launch Party, 6/27/12 Noble Fir / Ballard

60 Trips Book Launch Party! June 27th (2012)
& WWTA Pub Night at The Noble Fir / Ballard / Seattle

WWTA friends and supporters at The Noble Fir in a benefit for Washington Water Trails Association on Wednesday, June 27, when $1 from each tap pour (pint of beer or cider) goes to WWTA throughout the night!

When: Wednesday, June 27, from 6:30pm until midnight
Where: The Noble Fir, 5316 Ballard Ave. NW, Seattle, WA 98119 http://thenoblefir.com/events.html

6/1/12

Kayaking Bremerton - Trip #13

Bremerton is a town of interesting Naval sights, old neighborhoods, and much like Seattle winding waterways and the bridges that connect the land together. The current can run fast through the Port Washington Narrows providing a free ride or uphill battle to those who aren't paying attention.

Trip #13 originates 13 miles to the west in Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge. The trip takes you through Rich Passage to Bremerton.

5/31/12

Trip #26 - La Connor & the Skagit River

Known for it's rich agricultural heritage and busy maritime scene, the Skagit Valley has several picturesque paddling trips. In Trip #26 you have several options to choose from. On the ebb, launch from Blake's Resort and float down downstream past Fish Town and thread your way through the swamp like tide flats below the Skagit River. Visit the interesting geological rock formations of Ika Island (no landing permitted) or the World War 1 era coastal fortifications on Goat Island.

Using a flood current paddle up the Swinhomish Channel to La Connor and enjoy the town's various shops, enjoy a beer at the La Connor Brewery or a gigantic cinammon roll at the Calico Cupboard. Camp at the Cascadia Marine Trail site in Pioeneer Park below the Rainbow Bridge.

Take the tail end of the ebb back down the Swinhomish Channel to the mouth of the Skagit, then paddle up the river on the flood tide back to Blake's.

5/30/12

Seeking Navigation & Marine Weather Training?

If you're seeking marine navigation and weather resources, books, online courses or apps, check out the Starpath School of Navigation in Seattle. Owner David Burch is the author of Kayak Navigation and several other publications on marine weather, GPS, and other cool stuff.

Sample Topics Covered:
- Celestial Navigation
- Modern Marine Weather
- Inland and Coastal Navigation
- The Barometer Handbook

More info here..Starpath

5/8/12

-3.4 Tide on Shilshole Bay in Seattle 5/7/12

4/18/12

Lummi Island Ferry - Bring Cash!

If you decide to take the Lummi Island ferry make sure you bring exactly $13 in cash. No cards are accepted or checks. We found out en route as they were collecting before we landed on the island. Luckily we had enough. A fun ride, this tiny ferry is a 10 minute ride each way.

1/30/12

Washington Water Trails Association - WWTA

Since 1990, the Washington Water Trails Association has been helping secure public access and human powered watercraft campsites throughout Puget Sound, Willapa Bay, the Columbia River, the Snake River, and the lakes bordering Seattle.

Trails include:

- Cascadia Marine Trail.
- Lakes-To-Locks Water Trail.
- Willapa Bay Trail.
- Lower Columbia River Water Trail.
- Northwest Discovery Water Trail.

The Cascadia Marine Trail, one of the more popular water trails of the WWTA includes over 140 miles of water from Olympia to the Canadian boarder. By becoming a member (starts at $35 a year), you can have access to their online maps, travel info and details regarding each site. Below is a the page for the San Juan Islands. The triangles are the WWTA campsites for the region.

San Juan Islands:
http://www.wwta.org/trails/CMT/campsites/san_juans/

1/10/12

Paddling to Vashon Island from Des Moines State Park - Trip #11

There's few places in Puget Sound where you can portage across an island. On Vashon Island, you have the opportunity to do this whether it's to escape rough waters for calm, access other parts of the island, or get to other destinations nearby without having to paddle all the way around the island.

Vashon's Portage seen from Maury Island.

Native peoples used Vashon's portage to save time in traveling throughout Puget Sound and by Captain Vancouver's accounts, used the narrow strip to funnel and catch birds using tall poles and nets. This view is from above the tiny town of Dockton on Maury Island, Vashon's southeastern extension.

Trip #11 originates from Saltwater State Park in Des Moines south of Seattle, and crosses Puget Sound to the Pt Robinson Lighthouse on Maury Island.

There are Cascadia Marine Trail campsites at both Saltwater State Park and Pt Robinson.

Use the Marine Traffic app to track boat traffic before your crossing. Currents run strong through the squeeze between Pt Robinson and Des Moines, a narrow section of the Sound.

12/16/11

Discover Paddling Freshwater Bay to the Elwha River, Trip #40

Freshwater Bay going west.

A new trip in the book, I've been paddling from Freshwater Bay (aka FWB) to the Elwha River for a few years. Located along the Strait of Juan de Fuca west of Port Angeles, this trip offers on calm days a beautiful paddle through several miles of kelp beds and undeveloped shoreline. We rated the trip Exposed, as it can also get quite rough mostly towards the Elwha end, so strong paddling experience is required to do the whole trip. The one way distance Freshwater Bay boat ramp to the Elwha River mouth is 4 miles.

Launching at the Freshwater Bay boat ramp, a Clallam County Park, there's plenty of parking for day use only. Paddle east either along the shoreline or 'Bee' line it to the Elwha straight across the bay. If you choose not to go to the Elwha, the bay provides lots of exploring and can be done so with less experience on mellow days. You'll experience different conditions there - either super mellow or huge seas requiring expert paddling skills. The bay can get rough on northerly winds, and I've actually surfed waist high waves at the FWB boat ramp. Friends who guide kayakers through there for Adventures Through Kayaking in Port Angeles, talk of a bay wide gyro or eddy formed off Observatory Point on the west end of the bay from westerly swell or westerly winds. If you feel you're 'bucking' or going against current - adjust your strategy or course direction to get out of the current.

Jory paddling the Elwha.

The Elwha River's two dams are currently being removed as part of the largest dam removal project in North America. Many hope the sediment built up behind the dams will flow to the mouth rebuilding it's now rocky beaches. Watch the dam removal process in real time from web cams, Here.

The river's mouth can like FWB be either glassy or quite rough. Surfers who love big hollow fast waves surf here. Waves break in very shallow water as little as 3'. If you wipe out, you're falling on knee high rocks. I've seen 6' faces come out of completely flat water off the mouth - scary! The surfing vibe here can be quite 'local' and rather aggressive, so make sure you know surfer's etiquette and can negotiate large surf in whatever craft you're paddling. A rip can occur off the mouth on the ebb - remember to paddle perpendicular to the current to escape the pull out to the Strait.

On small or now swell days surfers usually aren't present and you can paddle right up the mouth with ease. About an eighth of a mile up stream, you'll encounter a small class 2 rapid which be surfed at higher water levels. Stay off the shore on the east side of the river as it's Lower Klallam Tribal land and is often enforced.

In May, the Da Fuca Downwinder, a 13 mile paddling race goes from the boat ramp at FWB to Port Angeles. Click HERE for race info.

(Pre-dam removal) Mouth of the Elwha on a calm day.

Prior to launching for this trip, check the ocean swell size and direction. Also check wind direction and tides. The Strait winds goes most often East or West, and in winter North or Northwesterly. Large ocean swell can seriously affect your paddle, particularly closer to the Elwha. Summer low tides at the FWB boat ramp can mean a long haul to the water. Low tides at the Elwha are great for exploring the gravel river channels at the mouth.

Alternative Trip: #41 FWB to the Salt Creek Rec Area. Exposed.

A few sites to look at to help prepare for your trip:
Surf WA
NOAA La Perouse Buoy at the mouth of the Strait. Check for swell size.
NOAA Marine Forecast for WA State. Check for 'Central Strait' wind conditions.
Surf Etiquette - There's several sites available, here's one to get acquainted with.
Adventures Through Kayaking - This Port Angeles kayaking shop offers tours of FWB.

Getting There: Drive west from Port Angeles on Hwy 101. Take the Hwy 112 junction (at the Junction Roadhouse) right and follow for approx 10 miles. Look for FWB boat ramp signs on your right. Follow Freshwater Bay road to the shore.

(Pre-dam removal) Elwha River mouth on a stormy day, looking east.