San Juan Islands - Planning a San Juan Islands Paddling Trip

Check out my new article for Kenmore Air Magazine on Planning a San Juan Islands Paddling Trip.

A bonus addition to this article is another piece I wrote on 5 Paddle In Cafe & Stores in the San Juan's (Pg 58).

Read the Story Here

Learn:
- Where to go for your skill level
- Rent vs bringing your own boards/boats
- How to plan your trip for currents, weather, boat traffic, etc
- Who to rent and take paddling lessons from
- Going solo? What to pack, safety gear, etc
- Resources - my book, weather links, tide/current links

Thanks to various local San Juan Island's paddling business for their local paddling and travel info!

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

San Juan Islands - Orcas Island Paddler's Guide to Rentals

Kenmore Air has been in touch with me to provide guide services to one of their charters for a summer day trip from Seattle to Orcas Island. Their group has up to 25 participants which means we need to supply the boats and boards. In planning this tour, I've had a chance to chat with many of the board/board rental operations on the island. To save you the effort, here's a list of the basic rentals and resources I found..

Cascade Lake - a wilderness lake south of East Sound in Moran State Park. You may not think of paddling a lake given the epic paddling spots on the island, but it's actually a very pretty spot and will give more wind protection and opportunities for beginning paddlers not ready for tidal currents surrounding the rest of the island. Check in with Adventure Orcas for sup, canoe, pedal boats and kayak rentals. Nice folks!

West Beach Resort - Located on the west side of the island, West Beach has a string of rustic cabins in a nice bay with a view of Waldron Island. They have a few sup and kayak rentals for guests and run a weekly SUP race Sundays and Thursdays at 5:30pm. Race winner gets an off season night's stay!

Shearwater Kayak Tours - A great shop and professional rental operation, Shearwater also offers tours and/or has a summer base in spots like Deer Harbor, West Beach, Doe Bay and Rosario Resort. They also run tours out to Sucia Island.

Body Boat Blade - If you're looking for the best in sea kayak instruction not only on Orcas but in the entire region, BBB's owners Leon and Shawna are super professional, safe but also fun folks to paddle with. They also have a shop in East Sound. From the basic to advanced paddling including rolling, tidal rapids, adventure trip training to open water classes, they cover it all.  And they have a few sups for rent on the island as well.

Need to get there in a jiffy? Take a day or overnight trip there with Kenmore Air. Avoid the ferries lines and traffic.

* Learn more about paddling in the San Juan's in my article planning for a paddling trip in the SJ's for Kenmore Air Magazine. 

My book, Kayaking Puget Sound also has epic trips covering the entire island and surrounding islands.

Cascade Lake, Orcas Island

From the Body Boat Blade website

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

Paddling Burrows Island by Anacortes, WA - Trip #29

Trip #29 is Burrows Island.  One of my favorite paddles in north Puget Sound.  I teach at Deception Pass so much I never have time to go elsewhere but Burrows allows me to do a quick trip after some classes to decompress.

Exploring the rugged shorelines of Burrows Island

From the Skyline Marina in Anacortes, the crossing to Burrows is about ten minutes, sometimes less. Currents do rip in Burrows Pass separates the island from Fidalgo Island (Anacortes).  Note that the flood goes east in Burrows Pass and is stronger than the ebb.  I've seen it rip with whitewater mostly on NE tip of the island.  There's big eddies to the west of the island, so if you get pushed around there's room for error.  Standing waves are possible as well off the point.  Watch out for fast speed boats heading to the marina many of which kick off big (waist high?) waves which get bigger in opposing current.

Once across, I tend to paddle along the east shore through thick kelp beds to Alice Bight.  The Cascadia Marine Trail has a great campsite in the Bight. Views of the island at this point looks like SE Alaska but looking east you see the developed neighborhoods of Anacortes.  The outhouse at the campsite is one of the more luxurious ones in the region, reminding me of the solar composting outhouses in BC.

Total circumnavigation of the island can take over an hour if you don't stop using the numerous eddies for protection from current of wind.  There's hiking on the island which has a great lighthouse on the west side.

This view from just north of Alice Bight. Park west of Skyline Marina along the road or in the pay dirt lot.

WA Park (top), Burrows (middle), Allan Island (bottom)

Tide Rip off Burrow's NE corner across from marina.

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

Puget Sound Islands for Fitness Training Paddles

Lummi Island

Darrell Bedmark, a pro prone paddle boarder from Seattle who I regularly paddle with, mentioned that he was seeking trips where he could use to train for races.  His hope was to find routes which are scenic and interesting rather than just a straight line or in our urban environment. I recommended the following..

Here's a few suggestions of cool places to paddle if you're seeking a challenging distance or water conditions...

- Squaxin Island (South Sound) - undeveloped and owned by the Squaxin Tribe.  You can't land there but it's undeveloped shores is probably how Wilkes of Vancouver saw the Sound for the first time.

Marrowstone & Indian Islands

- Lummi Island (North Sound) - Off Bellingham Bay, Lummi is partially developed but very interesting with beach homes, reef fishing platforms on it's west side, and vertical cliffs on the south side.  Expect tidal currents.  Best launch is adjacent to the Squaxin Ferry terminal.

Squaxin Island, south side.

- Marrowstone Island & Indian Island (Port Townsend) - One of my favorites while skipping music camp classes to hide in Fort Flagler's bunkers in the late 70's. Both lands have sections of very calm protected water and exposed areas to tide rips, wind, and freighter waves.  Check the book for details.  Best launches are Oak Bay; Port Hadlock; Mystery Bay; Fort Flagler; East Beach.

Determine distances using Google Maps, marine charts or if you can find them, the SeaTrails maps (we think this company has closed).

Prone Paddling: Using a long narrow surf ski like surfboard powered by hand paddling on knees or chest.

Others...
- Vashon Island
- Harstene Island
- Anderson Island

BC:
- Pender Island
- Saturna Island
- Wallace Island

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

Cypress Head - one of my favorites. Trip 42

I first visited Cypress Head (Trip #42) during a Kayak Academy course with George Gronseth about a decade ago.  The swift currents took it's toll on a few of the students while learning to paddle in tidal rapids off the point below the campground.  The campground overlooks Bellingham Channel with distant views of Lummi Island and a feeling of being much further away than you are.

Current rips through the channel, so either time for slack tides or a minimal tidal exchange, or if you have solid skills in tidal rapids, use a flood to get in from Anacortes - ebb to return.

Due to DNR budget issues, the campground at Cypress Head and Pelican Beach to the north are now closed Labor Day through Memorial Day weekend.