Canadian Current Atlas Update - Salish Sea

[alexsidles]

Even a two-knot current is nothing to sneeze at. For a four-knot paddler (a speed which, in reality, most sea kayakers do not sustain throughout an entire paddling day), a two-knot adverse current will still cost you at least half your speed—and that's before you get into the chop problem, which will slow you down even further. That seven-hour "full day of kayaking" in the original trip plan can turn into an exhausting, fourteen-hour hell trip in reality, swept miles off-course and racing against a setting sun.

Currents do end eventually, as you say, but not always as quickly as "[no] more than a few hours, if that." Below, for example, is a visualization from a current station for June 16 of this year in Rosario Strait, a popular summertime kayaking ground here in Washington.

The ebb that morning lasts for nine continuous hours and peaks at a speed of 5.7 knots. The period during which the ebb current is moving at a speed of at least two knots or faster lasts from 6:44 AM until 12:55 PM—a six-hour window during which the ebb current does not drop below two knots. If you're planning on heading north in Rosario Strait that morning, I wouldn't recommend shrugging off the current just because you are physically capable of propelling your boat faster than the current is moving. You won't get far with that attitude!

Any current greater than about one knot is worth incorporating into your trip planning, if you are planning to go a long distance or be on the water for a long time. These seemingly small differences in speed are negligible over short distances and brief times, but over long distances and long times, they become significant.

Of course, we all get caught out by unexpected currents from time to time and end up having to soldier onward in the face of adversity, sometimes for many hours. But that's no reason to just give up on planning for currents. They make a difference and they aren't really that hard to plan for.

Alex

 

[CPS]

If you go to DeepZoom and check out July 12, 2025 you can see the currents that I decided to disregard as I departed Glacier Bay. A 7 mile straight-line crossing turned into about double that distance when wind and currents came into play. Here's the track showing my route across.

Keep in mind I had a very battery-efficient GPS unit helping my 'speed made good' stay as high as possible. Toss a few cruise ships into the mix on the horizon and things get a bit stressful. Though I did have the privilege of seeing a Fin Whale (I think) pop up right beside me, so sometimes a delay isn't all bad.

I aim for 3.5 knots sustained over the day, it seldom looks like that. If you are curious, check out my Garmin tracks to see what my touring speed ACTUALLY looks like. You'll have to click the "View All Tracks" button and zoom out a bit, as my last track was my 24 hour nonsense. That's slow for entirely different reasons than what you'd encounter on a trip. You can click on individual points and hit "More" to see what speed I was going at that snapshot. Ideally there would be a way to see the average speed for each day. Maybe there is and I just don't know.

All of this is to say that a few times I didn't know/remember/bother-to-check the currents and I came to regret it.

 

[dimit]

With an expedition load I paddle around 3.0 kts in slack water. A 1.5 kt current agin me halves my speed to 1.5 kts and doubles my paddling time. With me it brings my speed up to 4.5 kts. I'd much rather paddle 15 nm at 4.5 kts than at 1.5 kts. The difference in time and effort is not insignificant.

More importantly, paying attention to the tides and currents informs me of when I should be hugging the shore to catch the back eddies or moving a bit off shore to catch a ride.

Most importantly, in my mind, is Alex's point about wind & waves against current. Understanding how water flows around obstacles, including shallows, and how it interacts with winds is as important as being able to read a chart and use a compass. These are essential elements of good seamanship, and key to avoiding difficult or catastrophic conditions.

 

[SWriverstone]

Thanks again all–good info! (And sure, I'd love to check out your tracks Pascal!) I never meant to suggest i'm fine paddling against currents all day. I'm not oblivious and do pay attention to the most efficient way (and time) to paddle. At the risk of sounding repetitive, here's really what I was wondering. In the two current maps below, would the one on the right (which doesn't have all the smaller, more erratic currents) really get you into big trouble?

.

When you're actually out there paddling, are you constantly staring (at a device or map) at every one of those tiny, thin arrows (on the left) while you're paddling? Or are you simply looking at the water, observing the waves, eddylines, eddy patterns, and adjusting your course accordingly?

Again, I might be an idiot...but if I were out there at the time of this map, I'd look at it and think:
"Okay, the main current is going strong to the east of Victoria, heading to the southeast...and there's an enormous eddy circulating clockwise (as expected) below Victoria, and that enormous eddy has a significant upstream flow so be careful of that." And the rest I'd infer from watching the water.

One thing I've noticed (in my admittedly limited experience paddling in Puget Sound and the San Juans) is that the way water behaves (e.g. hydrodynamics) is very similar regardless of scale. When I'm out in the islands looking at tidal currents, they behave exactly the same as currents on a swift river behave—just on a much larger scale. I haven't seen water doing anything I'm not already familiar with from rivers. (The obvious exception being the interaction of wind and water, which has bigger impacts on the ocean than a river.)

But again: I recognize the the themes of this forum are:
1. The ocean can kill or maim you.
2. You can never be too prepared.
3. More knowledge is always better.
4. We are all ultimately insignificant gnats compared with the sea.
5. The moment you let your guard down, you're toast.
6. None of us know as much as we think we know.
<said without sarcasm>

I'm just comparing what I've observed and experienced so far with what others have observed and experienced and learning from it.

 

[alexsidles]

In the two current maps below, would the one on the right (which doesn't have all the smaller, more erratic currents) really get you into big trouble?

I've kayaked in that current. The largest of those islands southeast of Victoria is named Discovery Island, and I've paddled between Victoria and Discovery (crossing Baynes Channel) and between Discovery and the San Juans (crossing Haro Strait).

The current in Baynes Channel between Victoria and Discovery is strong enough that if you cross at the wrong time, it can be impossible to reach Discovery Island. One of the islands in Baynes Channel is even named "Strongtide Islet." I once had to pull over and wait for an hour behind Strongtide Islet, because—you'll never guess—the tide was too strong! If I'd tried to cross, I would have been pulled out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, unable to reach any other island.

The current in Haro Strait between Discovery and the San Juans is not quite as strong, but it flows in the opposite direction than expected, due to the eddy. The eddy extends halfway across Haro Strait, so it's actually more of a significant factor than the main current is. At a time when you would expect a helpful current pushing you up Haro Strait, you instead encounter an adverse current pulling you down Haro Strait. The eddy adds hours of additional crossing time even if you do expect it. If you don't expect the eddy, and you fail to plot a course and heading that account for it, then it adds both hours of additional crossing time and miles of additional crossing distance!

It's not so much a matter of the current off Victoria getting you into "big trouble." The current off Victoria does produce tide rips, which can be a little bit dangerous, especially if there wind-waves are also present. But overall, the current is not something to be afraid of. It's more that the current can make whatever trip you've planned impossible to achieve, or, even if not impossible, it can turn what should have been a pleasant afternoon jaunt into a miserable nighttime death march. This isn't exactly the end of the world, but it is the end of the fun.

When you're actually out there paddling, are you constantly staring (at a device or map) at every one of those tiny, thin arrows (on the left) while you're paddling? Or are you simply looking at the water, observing the waves, eddylines, eddy patterns, and adjusting your course accordingly?

Neither, and both. When I'm planning a trip, I study the tides and currents in advance, while I'm still at home, using maps and tables. I calculate my distances and times in advance on that basis.

On the water, I don't usually refer back to these planning documents, and I don't constantly stare at a device or map. But it's also not the case that I simply look at the water and adjust course on the fly. The effects of a moderate current are often subtle enough that it's difficult to account for on the water. You will probably notice (eventually) that you are off-course from what you expected, but it can be very hard to figure out how much you need to adjust your heading to account for the change in track, or how much your arrival time will differ from what you expected. By the time you figure out that a major change was needed, it can be too late to implement that change. Ironically, a strong and obvious current would in some ways be easier to deal with, because you'd at least have noticed it earlier!

In these situations, it's very helpful to refer to a GPS (or, if you must, a map and compass) to come up with a new plan promptly. It's not the case that you have to stare constantly at a GPS or map. Rather, a minute or two spent studying your actual track in comparison to your course will usually be enough to show you what adjustments are needed—whether that's a different heading, a new course altogether, or simply an adjustment in your expected time of arrival. Timely referring to the GPS or map will allow you to come up with an appropriate new plan with enough time that you will actually be able to carry out the new plan, as opposed to waiting until it's too late. Simply "observing the waves, eddylines, and eddy patterns and adjusting accordingly" is better than nothing, but it's not as good as stopping to formulate a new plan.

Sea kayak navigation looks different from either of your scenarios. No one is slavishly gazing into a current atlas on the water to track all the little tiny arrows. At the same time, no one—or at least, no one wise—is simply launching into the currents and figuring it all out on the fly based on whatever the eddies seem to be doing. I think you can get away with doing that on a river, but on the saltwater it's better if you navigate.

But again: I recognize the the themes of this forum are:
1. The ocean can kill or maim you.
2. You can never be too prepared.
3. More knowledge is always better.
4. We are all ultimately insignificant gnats compared with the sea.
5. The moment you let your guard down, you're toast.
6. None of us know as much as we think we know.

I don't think it's quite that dire. Well, OK, maybe in some people’s mind it is! But don’t let safetyism intimidate you. You can definitely just go out there and wing it. Just don't be surprised if you're caught on the water after dark, or swept off-course such that you can't reach the island you intended, or you can't get back to your car and have to sleep out on the ground somewhere, or you get carried a mile out to sea and have to fight your way back an inch at a time, or the waves against current are incredibly larger than you expected and you just have to crash your way through. All of these things have happened to me more than once—and that's even with planning!—but none of them were the end of the world. I would suggest that navigation is a good thing to try, but it's not like you die if you don't do it. You just suffer, that's all.

What really kills you out there is the wind. You can survive almost anything as long as it’s not too windy.

Alex

 

[JohnAbercrombie]

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Baynes+Channel+Victoria

 

[SWriverstone]

Thanks @alexsidles - great general information. And wow @JohnAbercrombie - Baynes Channel can get rowdy! Nice collection of videos.

I've always said to my whitewater friends: the ocean scares me a LOT more than any whitewater river! (Even when the ocean is relatively calm it scares me, precisely because of what could happen if it suddenly gets whipped up.) That said, one lesson you learn in spades in whitewater is to be decisive. On big rivers, you have to act FAST or (at best) you'll be a mile downstream in seconds, and (at worst) you'll be dead.

I tend to paddle the ocean with a whitewater mindset—which is to ATTACK! And no, "attacking" won't work if you have miles to go in rough conditions, LOL. But I do believe the mindset can be very helpful in the ocean—and I see many sea kayakers who simply don't have the "killer instinct" that whitewater teaches (because they've never really needed it in the same way). They're just (in my opinion) too laid-back. (I'm painting with a very broad brush here–obviously there are exceptions!)

And of course, being on an expedition changes everything—safety and energy conservation become your top priorities. Attacking the water endangers both. I get that. In a place like Baynes Channel? The "attack!" mindset could work extremely well, especially when those waves get big. You don't float around out there and hold on—you pick a point on the other side of the waves and you go there FAST.

I'm sure many of you may be smiling to yourselves and thinking "The poor guy–he just doesn't understand the power of those waves and water." LOL That may be partially true...but I spent many years (and likely thousands of hours) playing at the exact spot (at the same river level) as in this video...so I'm (at least) very familiar with ridiculously powerful waves and current and big gnarly eddylines. This place can make Deception Pass (or Skookumchuck or most other BC coastal rapids) look puny when it comes to sheer force, speed, and power of the water. Though yes, it's in a much more contained/constricted area. (The video, as usual, flattens it out—in real life it's monstrous, borderline Grand Canyon-size water, especially at higher levels.)

 

[cougarmeat]

There was a time, paddling from Patos to Jones, where the GPS was on deck and just displaying number information - like speed, time till sunset, estimated arrival, etc. But that didn't tell me the direction of speed. And in the middle of the channel, checking my motion with respect to fixed objects was compromised.

Eventually, after seemingly staying the same distance from Flattop Island, I realized that when I stopped paddling, that 1 to 1.5 knot reported speed was going "backwards". I changed my direction more towards the two legs of a triangle rather than the hippopotamus, and was able to make way.

SWriverstone - I do understand your "laid-back" statement. I've paddled with some people who only have one speed. There were times when, were I alone, I'd get through a particular section as fast as possible. But when you are with someone, the decision dynamics change. You accept that you'll be in a situation longer because there's the higher goal of being closer to a paddling partner should they go over and/or panic.

 

[The GCW]

I’ve been looking into this new tide atlas and for now will keep using the annual Captain Jacks (Paradise Pub’s) Tide & Current Almanac with the Sea Trails Marine charts & Waggoner Tables with Canadian Current Atlas. I’m mostly just in the San Juan’s…

Cougarmeat,

I can relate. One time while reaching Turn Is. in a tiderace, I could have paddled through it efficiently enough but a slower paddler in the group behind Me was going nowhere and I paddled just enough to stand still together till He finally slowly made it through (in what seemed like 20 or 30 minutes).

Other times, I’ve been the week paddler wishing My partner would slow down to be near Me.

Last season, I had a different experience a few times. There were 3 of Us of different abilities and I was the middle person. When in challenging water, I had to decide if I should stick with the stronger more skilled paddler who was not staying close (I could keep up with Him but He had greater rescue skills) for My safety OR should I stick with the week / slow paddler too far back to offer help in case He needed it. I often chose to paddle with the stronger faster paddler but it was mentally difficult to paddle far ahead of the weaker paddler and at times a long way back. I felt selfish thinking of Me.

 

[cougarmeat]

Yeah, the problem is, most kayaks don't come with a rear-view mirror.

Where I live, years ago, there was a popular XC Ski instructor. She did NOT work for Mt. Bachelor, teaching all those Lycra-clad young adults how to ski faster. She worked with Parks and Rec, taking "older" adults out for basic lessons with a lunch break. I was just learning myself, so I'd be a student the first day and an assistant, teaching the same lesson on the second and subsequent days (same lesson 3 or 4 times a week).

She knew I wanted to be an instructor and one day she told me I wasn't ready; that I loved XC skiing too much. That on a beautiful, cold, sunny day (i.e. Bend Winters - or used to be), I'd want to ski free like a bird and not plod along with a group of old people. And she was right, sort of. It took that poignant insight to remind me that when you are with someone, or someones, you are with THEM.

I see the same situation with others. My partner's son is half her age, very fit, and skis or mountain bikes every day. He needs to understand that, when he's biking with an <This Age Left Out on Purpose> year-old woman, he's not going to be peddling at his usual pace and needs to consider the terrain he'll be traveling over.

It creates interesting dynamics. The usual lore is, "Don't paddle alone." But sometimes I feel I'd be safer alone because the potential partner has no rescue experience and tends to freeze up in stressful situations. Rather than take the attitude of, "I won't paddle with that person." I plan routes/locations that match the "group" skill set.

But it's all situational.

Hum, speaking of situational, I guess further discussion along this line belongs in the Safety Topics category.