A Paddler's Guide to the Salish Sea.: noaa

Showing posts with label noaa. Show all posts

2/16/17

Elwha River Mouth - Washington's Newest Beach (Seattle Times article) Trip #40

I've had the opportunity to watch the Elwha River dam removals over the past few years. I surfed the river mouth pre-removal when the beach was cobble. Over the years, soft sediment began to not only cover the cobble but also extend the beach into the Strait several hundred feet. The sediment changed the river mouth from shallow reef style waves preferred by short boarders to sandy beach waves better suited for paddlers. Pre-removal, I was able to paddle up the river mouth nearly a quarter mile to a class 2 rapid, now the sediment has choked the mouth to where it's nearly impossible to make that trip. The sediment is so thick that you lose sight of your hand just below the water's surface.

Paddling the mouth is best at high tides when you can skim over shallow submerged sections of the delta. At low tides, you can paddle around the entire delta.

Be watchful of waves. The Strait can be flat calm, or not. Despite the differences in wave types, large waves can break on the west and north sides of the delta at any tide level. If you prefer a calm no wave day, use the following sites to forecast swell 4' or less, and no or little wind. A NW or W swell over 4' can deliver substantial waves to the delta. Or a strong W or NE wind (over 15kts). Use surf etiquette if other surfers are present.

Launch from Place Road (right fork) but be prepared for a 10 minute walk on gravel to the beach. Check out the book for additional launches. Trip #40

Read a great article on the post-release Elwha delta.. (posted 2/14/17)

Surf Forecast Sites I Use:
Surfwater.org - PNW surf forecasts
NOAA - Puget Sound to WA Coast Marine Forecast
WindAlert - Real time wind data

Looking west towards Freshwater Bay and Striped Peak (courtesy of Doug MacDonald) / Seattle Times

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

1/11/17

Seattle Beach Park on Perkins Lane - Trip #15 & #18

A few years ago, I was leading SUP tours from the 32nd Ave W put-in on Magnolia (south of the village). Right before our turn-a-round spot at Four Mile Rock, a small 'pocket park' suddenly appeared accessed from Perkins Lane. From a quick glance, the park had rock rip rap to prevent erosion and a gravel path leading to the street.

Parking, road access

Today I was in Magnolia and thought I'd take a peek at the park from the road. Perkins Lane is famous for it's disastrous 1996 landslides that took out several houses pushing them into the Sound. There's still evidence of the house foundations on the beach halfway between 32nd Ave W and the current end of Perkins Lane.

Perkins lane itself is a one lane curvy road that borders the SW corner of Seattle Magnolia neighborhood. Homes of all sizes can be seen on both sides of the road ranging from junky old homes to huge mansions and a more modern yet well designed small homes tucked in between. A friend who live along there says the walled home with the multiple security cameras was Mackelmore's right hand man, Ryan Lewis's house. It's now for sale.

There's no public access to the water aside from the pocket park. Driving along Perkins from Discovery Park you can see West Point through the trees, then Alki and Harbor Island from the south side.

The park has about 3 parking spots alongside the road. The carry in is about 100 yards down a gentle sloped gravel pathway which leads to a paved patio or sorts with a boat ramp on the west side. Though I was winded walking without a board/boat up to my car. Four Mile Rock is just offshore to the west. There's private signs on the east side of the park with substantially large homes above.

Path to road

Four Mile Rock History - An erratic boulder, it was left here during the glacier age. Native Americans called the rock LE'plEpL, also written La'pub, and also called it Tele'tla (meaning "rock"). A legend says that a hero named Sta'kub could throw a giant cedar and hazel branch dragnet over the rock while standing at the beach Read more about the rock

The Magnolia paddlers I know don't launch there but it could be a good spot to take a break or evac in case of a emergency. The drive in from the Discovery Park access takes about 10-15min. Raye Street would be a shorter access point. The park would be difficult to access with waves and wind given the rock border. Freighter waves do break pretty big on these shores even at higher tides.

Four Mile Rock, looking West

Paddling Info for Four Mile Rock, the ebb current will pull your around the corner past the rock into the bay leading to West Point. When we did tours here, the rock was our turn-a-round spot. If we dilly daddled to much, the ebb would pull us north, making for a hard paddle up current back around the point (with beginner paddlers).

The point by the rock that leads towards West Point is great for freighter waves at lower tides. I've seen 5' sets jacking up here (it's a point break) and firing all the way into the bay below the bluffs at Discovery Park. If you don't like waves, watch for freighters and time passing this area before/after the waves. You can use Marinetraffic.com to spot boats before they come to you.

In the book..32nd Ave W to Four Mile Rock is part of Trip #15 / Ballard to West Point is trip #18
Location: 47°38′20″N 122°24′48″W

West Point Webcam (operated by a kite surfer on Perkins Lane)

Real Time Marine Weather for West Point (NOAA)

Four Mile Rock Barge Dive

Park Directions

Paddling Distances:
2 miles from the West Point Lighthouse
1 mile from 32nd Ave W put-in
3.5m from Elks Beach in Ballard.

Any questions give me a holler: salmonbaypaddle@gmail.com / 206.465.7167

Check out our Kayak and SUP classes in Seattle - Beginning to advanced instruction including freighter and tug wave surfing, coastal surfing, rivers and racing, plus PSUPA Certification.
Get the Book

1/4/17

8 Tips for 2017 Paddle Trip Planning

Tis the season to recycle the 2016 tide and current charts and bring on the New Year of explorations and possibilities! I've been working for over a week planning out my 2017 classes and tours which is quite a project with surf camps on the coast, surfing classes on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, tidal rapids classes in Deception Pass and freighter wave classes in Seattle, plus a few tours on the Strait and elsewhere. My dyslexia pops up occasionally when I find non matching data between my website, Google Calendar and social media marketing. And it's always tricky when like region tide tables don't match - even being 1-2 hours off from another guide. This is common on the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

These are the guides I use..

Pre-season prep for Salmonbaypaddle.com

Captn' Jacks Tide and Current Almanac - Spiral bound guide perfect for figuring out current and tides for Deception Pass and coastal regions. I find it easier to use the book than using online option. I have two of the books, one in the office and one in the car.

Evergreen Pacific 2017 Seattle and Port Townsend Tide Graph Calendars - This one goes on the wall as my main print calendar. As friends know, my daily schedule is based around tides which are beneficial to my favorite types of paddling, freighter wave surfing and downwinding in Seattle.

Online..

Mobile Graphics has a nice online site for tidal current predictions.

NOAA Tide Table Mobile App - Easy to read tides on my phone.

WindAlert - to check real time wind speed (and forecasts). I use the free version, kite surfer buddies have the paid version for more detail in kite surf spots.

Surfwater - PNW based surf app for local wind, surf (size, period and direction) and tide real time data and prediction (free).

NOAA West Point Lighthouse Station - My backyard per se - I use daily for air pressure, wind speed and direction, air temp (14F wind chill today), water temp. The Marine Forecast (clickable at top) is 95% correct for surf and inland waterway predictions. Marine Forecast Search your local spot.

In Person Water Check..
If the above doesn't work for you then use a in-person check of your beach. That's always my tool for final confirmation on whether to run a class or not, or whether to go - is it flat or too big?

2/8/12

Find NOAA Nautical Charts Online

If you're seeking charts for trips, check out NOAA's online site for a quick peek and/or to download.

Check it out.. http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/OnLineViewer.html