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Deception Pass Challenge 2021

alexsidles

alexsidles

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Joined
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602
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Seattle WA
This year's Deception Pass Challenge race (formerly, Deception Pass Dash) sounds like a bit of a goat rope:

"Coast Guard 13th District watchstanders received reports at approximately 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, that several kayak and paddlecraft users capsized during the paddling and rowing race through Deception Pass, according to a Coast Guard release Monday. Callers estimated that 15 to 20 out of the 75 participants in the race had capsized and were in the water due to high winds, the release stated, and many others needed assistance getting back to shore."

https://www.theolympian.com/news/state/washington/article256570326.html

"The Coast Guard, which dispatched two patrol boats and a helicopter to the scene, pulled seven people from the water and helped another 30 kayakers get off the dangerous water. Multiple 911 calls reported the scene about 9:30 a.m. Saturday. Nearly half of the reported 75 participants were in need of rescue. In addition to the Coast Guard, a Skagit County marine rescue unit and two North Whidbey Fire Marine Rescue units also responded."

https://www.goskagit.com/news/coast...cle_3a1e3087-94e9-5b12-a34e-16bb8b80d4ef.html

Two coast guard patrol boats, a helicopter, a Skagit County rescue boat, and two fire department rescue boats! What a zoo!

And from race participant Matt Kearney:

"By the time my wave started, the wind and waves had already picked up a lot and I made it just over a mile (which took forever) before the race was shut down. 10 foot waves had already formed out there and bounced off the cliff faces in various directions. As I battled my way out towards the island we were supposed to go around for the first turn, I passed paddler after paddler from the first wave that needed rescue from the safety boats. Thanks to the race organizers, there was no shortage of boats out there to help them. In the end, there were at least 2 coast guard cutters, a police boat, a bunch of zodiac boats, a jet ski, and multiple kayak safety paddlers. A coast guard chopper even made an appearance to be sure everyone made it back. Word is 15-20 paddlers were picked up and brought back to shore. Probably more were assisted. There were a lot of people that were too inexperienced to be out there in the first place. But everyone was safe because Rob Casey and crew were prepared. A bunch of us hardy paddlers were loving the big stuff to play in and hated having to turn around, but cutting the race short was the right call considering the large number of struggling racers present."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5IAVAXM0XI (in the description of the video).

10-foot wind-waves seem unlikely given the sub-15-knot winds that were being reported in Anacortes that morning. I apply the standard 50% discount to Kearney's report that I apply to all kayaker reports regarding windspeed and wave height. But I don't doubt that it must have felt like ten feet and very scary!

Alex
 
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When I first read this post, I jumped to the conclusion that it was a dire situation that should have been avoided. Remember Rick, don't jump to conclusions.

Here's another video link same event. This one seems to show some pretty big waves in the middle section and then calming down out toward the Islands. The reports state is was calm and pretty flat when the first wave started. It also seems that the organizers had a pretty good safety plan in place. Participants were kitted for emersion and no harm came to anyone. Perhaps the Coast Guard and Sherriff's Department came out as support for the race safety crew, rather than anyone being in serious danger? At least that is what the narrative in the videos seems to indicate.

The conditions look pretty frolicsome. But I did not see any breaking waves or conditions that looked overly extreme. This race is perhaps a place where folk were pushing their comfort zone, but I guess if you are going to do that, this was a good event to do it at, proper equipment a requisite of course.

Watching the videos made me wish I could have been there myself. I love doing down winders in either my Lootas or my Ocean 17. And have often gone out in similar conditions just for fun. I see the videos were done by folk in sit on top craft, an outrigger and a surf ski.

The second video shows that the event was pretty well policed from a safety perspective, no one got hurt and the rescuers all got a lot of practice in apparently.

Thanks for posting this Alex.

Cheers, Rick
 
I agree the media reports exaggerate the severity of the incident. The coast guard calls everything it does a "rescue," whether it's something as minor as escorting a boat to safety or something as major as extracting an unconscious swimmer by helicopter. So thirty "rescues" does not necessarily mean thirty drowning kayakers were hoisted to safety. Most of these thirty "rescues" were not what you or I would call rescues.

The main thing missing from the media and coast guard reports is that the coast guard vessels and at least some (or all) of the other government agency boats were previously staged at the race as part of the safety plan. It is not the case that a flotilla of rescue boats had to come charging in from over the horizon to save the day. The race organizers were prepared for something like this to happen.

Still, the figure of fifteen to twenty capsizes does appear to be accurate. Even if most (or none) of these paddlers were in danger of drowning, and even if the coast guard only extracted seven of these capsized paddlers from the water, leaving the others to self-rescue or be rescued by event staff or other government agencies, that still strikes me as an awful lot of capsizes for such a short course. When I went to the Dash in 2012, I don't think there was a single capsize. This time, one-fifth to one-quarter of the paddlers capsized.

My verdict remains: goat rope. But, much like an actual goat rope, this metaphorical goat rope appears to have been a well-planned event with plenty of safety support!

Alex
 
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alexsidles said:
When I went to the Dash in 2012, I don't think there was a single capsize. This time, one-fifth to one-quarter of the paddlers capsized.
Click to expand...

These were probably the biggest conditions for the event. 2008? had a lot of capsizes, too. I don't think that the percentage of capsizes was really that big of a deal. Precautions had been taken and even if the CG hadn't been there a lot of people would have swam but contestants were dressed for the occasion.
 
alexsidles said:
The main thing missing from the media and coast guard reports is that the coast guard vessels and at least some (or all) of the other government agency boats were previously staged at the race as part of the safety plan. It is not the case that a flotilla of rescue boats had to come charging in from over the horizon to save the day. The race organizers were prepared for something like this to happen.
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Thanks for the link to the Coast Guard post Alex. You are so right, if you just read the media messaging as well as the Coast Guard messaging, this comes across as a sea kayaking "cluster f!%k". Without knowledge of the sport, the context and the event planning in place, you don't have to jump to conclusion, they are implied.

The media coverage and the Coast Guard messaging both are misleading about what really happened and do a disservice to our sport and to the event, intentional or not. The general public will simply read, a lot of expensive tax payer resources spent on a bunch of folk who should know better. Not happy with that outcome.

Cheers, Rick
 
SalishSeaNior said:
The general public will simply read, a lot of expensive tax payer resources spent on a bunch of folk who should know better.
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I mean, they did call in a helicopter. And you've seen the videos: wind and waves were simply not that big, yet some large percentage of the paddlers flipped. This may not have been the total disaster the reporting makes it sound like, but it wasn't exactly sea kayaking's finest moment, either.

wind reports.jpg


Alex
 
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But what a great learning experience. Too bad more kayakers couldn't "rescue" the others and just head to shore.
I recall one class where the instructor said we'd soon be pushed to claimer water and an instructor's aide would assist with reentry. But in that case, it wasn't the wind; it was just the usual tide change.
 
What are the tidal conditions they shoot for for this event? The web site talks about timing toward slack, but what are the conditions like for when most competitors are going through?

I know that Deception Pass can get strong currents, but it sounds like this event is avoiding that.
 
Here is a post which Bill Vonnegut (PacificCoastalKayaking.com) just sent to an email thread on the Bay Area Sea Kayakers list on this subject:


I actually know a few highly skilled people in the race. I have herd first hand local comments like, people getting off the water with a great story to tell. This is a quote from someone who was actually there, quoted from the local surfski group, I personally don’t know this guy but it sums up what I have heard from others:

“Okay, again- these reports are sensationalized and do not accurately portray what went on at Bowman Bay (in the Deception Pass region, but not Deception Pass proper) on Saturday. It's blatantly obvious that nobody who is writing these reports has actually talked to any of the event participants, organizers, or other safety volunteers.
I am glad to see that the article was corrected to state that the CG was already on site, but there are other flagrant mis-statements or mis-representations still present.
To go directly through the article:
(1) Dozens of kayakers were not "rescued" by the CG. Many participants either self-recovered/ remounted, or were assisted getting back in their boats by other racers
(2) Conditions were ok to race in during the couple hours prior to race start. Conditions then changed rapidly (and unpredictably) shortly after the race began. This is normal for this part of the world. It was flat 2 hours later.
(3) Yes, many people capsized. That's why we practice remounts. Capsizing is normal.
(4) CG already had two (not 1) boats on scene. In addition, there were multiple other power craft and 6 of us in kayaks/ OC/ SUP in the water for safety
(5) No calls to 911 were made from race organizers, participants, or safety craft that were already on the water. These calls were made by other observers on shore.
(6) "Nearly half of the reported 75 participants were in need of rescue" WTAF???
(7) Every single race participant was dressed appropriately for the conditions, with immersion gear, high-vis clothing, and PFDs.

What ACTUALLY happened is a great example of a professionally organized event, with experienced participants and abundant safety already on scene. Less than an hour after the race was called off 100% of participants and paddle safety personnel were on shore and accounted for. Maybe 1 or 2 cases of mild hypothermia, but that's it.”
 
Peter-CKM said:
What are the tidal conditions they shoot for for this event?
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The big gimmick with the Deception Pass Dash is that the ebb current flows westward with increasing force throughout the race. You launch at slack current or shortly thereafter, and the current builds in strength as the race progresses. The faster you get make it through the pass on the outbound leg, the less adverse current you face. But if you are slow getting through the pass, the current against you builds and builds and builds until soon it's impossible to make it through at all, and you must crawl home in defeat. You're not only racing the other paddlers, you're racing Nature herself!

yellow route 1.jpg


At the time of the December 11 launch (9:00 to 9:15), the paddlers would have faced negligible current. Even as late as 10:00, current in the pass would have been around 1.8 knots, with currents in Bowman Bay (where most the racers were turned around) clocking lower speeds than that.

There seems to be a big disconnect between some of the race participants saying the whole thing was no big deal, while media and coast guard reports are calling it a "mass rescue." I agree the reports have been sensationalized. There is no excuse for leaving out the detail that the rescue boats were already staged as part of the race plan. The coast guard’s sweeping definition of what constitutes a “rescue” makes the coast guard sound more heroic than it is.

On the other hand, I'm not persuaded by those paddlers who insist that everything went according to plan. "Capsizing is normal," writes Peter's friend, above. Is capsizing normal in winds under fifteen knots and currents under two knots? Is it normal for there to be so many capsized boats that the race organizers can't account for all of them afterward and have to call in a helicopter to do a sweep? I usually defer to the witnesses and participants who were on the ground, but in my original post above, I quote one of these witness/participants describing "ten foot waves," when his own video shows waves that are three feet, four if we're generous. I do think it's possible that several dozen participants were overmatched by relatively mild conditions.

To be clear, I actually approve of inexperienced paddlers finding themselves overmatched by relatively mild conditions! The Deception Pass Challenge may have been a goat rope, but goat roping is part of being an outdoorsman:

“Once we outlaw the motors and stop the road-building and force the multitudes back on their feet, the people will need leaders. A venturesome minority will always be eager to set off on their own, and no obstacles should be placed in their path; let them take risks, for Godsake, let them get lost, sunburnt, stranded, drowned, eaten by bears, buried alive under avalanches — that is the right and privilege of any free American. But the rest, the majority, most of them new to the out-of-doors, will need and welcome assistance, instruction and guidance.”​

Ed Abbey, Desert Solitaire.

Alex
 
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cougarmeat said:
How about cougars - I don't know. I'd like to see a cougar up close. But not too up close.
Click to expand...

Gotta say cougars do make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Mostly because if they're hunting, the first clue you're gonna have one's around is feeling their teeth sink into the back of your neck...
 
alexsidles said:
To be clear, I actually approve of inexperienced paddlers finding themselves overmatched by relatively mild conditions! The Deception Pass Challenge may have been a goat rope, but goat roping is part of being an outdoorsman:
Click to expand...

Old codger that I am, I had to look up the term "goat rope" and now find it most appropriate to this discussion: "A confusing, disorganized situation often attributed to or marked by human error". Been there, done that many times over the years and thankfully learned a lot every time. That is the nature of "outdoor adventure" in the real sense of the term.

I thoroughly agree with what Alex wrote above. If you never challenge yourself, you aren't going to learn, or have real adventures for that matter. Running an event with 75 people entered under changeable conditions, and in winter no less, is a challenge and an adventure in itself: and so the choice is to continue to run these events, even when they turn into "a bit of a goat rope", or to outlaw them to protect people from foreseeable risk and real adventure that can help them learn and expand their skill sets with competent, professional backup. The issue comes when folk on shore, media and others with no experience or context for perspective jump to conclusions. It would actually probably be beneficial if one of the event organizers or an experienced participant offered to do an interview with the media outlets who reported on it, in order to provide that type of knowledge and context to give the public a knowledgeable reputable account and report. The media outlets might even jump on a story like that?

IMHO it is far better for a novice or intermediate paddler to enter this type of event where there are safety checks and precautions in place and then push their limits. This is the safest place to learn, even if it turns into a "goat rope". The alternatives, are stay home, or to go out on your own and have your own personal near escapes and dire learning experiences. That, to a large degree is how I learned, thankfully without any near death experiences.

We can all sit here at our keyboards and opine on the reports and videos. At least many here have experience enough to be somewhat objective about the event. But bad press for our sport is not helpful. This story should really be about how good the outcome was, in spite of all the capsized boats. That is the actual "sensational news story".

Old Goat signing off,

Rick
 
According to the Deception Pass Challenge race organizer’s website, “The 2022 race will be limited to vetted 50 racers.”

Compare with the 2021 website, which allowed, “Advanced paddlers who are familiar paddling in tidal rapids at Deception Pass. Never paddled DP? Take my DP class for learning how it works!”

Or better yet, the 2012 website, which did not specify any skill threshold at all, much less “vetting.”

Or the 2010 website, which said, "This annual paddling event is open to all paddlers ages 16+. The race will be held on Saturday, December 4th, 2010. You don't need to be an expert paddler to participate."

That's quite an erosion, from "open to all paddlers" twelve years ago to a limited number of vetted experts today. Safetyism, that plague of the sea kayaking community, has struck again!

Alex
 
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