Surfski Knowledge Base

Erik Borgnes
06/04/10 #8597

Kathleen,

I'm new to the Port angeles area since February, so I'm not an expert on local conditions - but, the hospital where I'm working is on the de Fuca course so I look out on that stretch of water many times a day when I'm out there working. As expected, it varies from flat to high winds and rollers moving in from the Pacific. So far, I really haven't seen bigger than what looks like 4-6 ft swell coming in from the west with wind waves mixed in with that. I'm sure that it does get considerably bigger, occasionally. I suspect that if conditions are really big, then the race course will be moved to somewhere more protected - like right in the PA harbor, and the harbor is large, so if there are 6 footers from the west in the strait, then expect the harbor to be 1-3 ft.

I paddled the course 3 weeks ago and it was “flat”, but flat was mixed with 1-2 ft current waves, wind waves, and some very small swell, all of which changed every mile or two. With a mid-day start, there should be some texture on the water, and west winds and waves are the prevailing direction. Check the weather and marine report, though. Today, I believe, it's calling for 18 knot west winds with 2-3 ft waves, and 1-2 ft waves for the next few days.

For the race, I'm expecting to see 1-3 ft waves with lots of complexity / changes due to current waves/eddies, influence of the Elwa river mouth, and the swell coming in from who knows which direction, plus tanker waves from miles away. Current can run up to 3 knots in there, and that much moving water creates its own wave patterns.

Also, the rum-line from start to finish takes you about 1.6 miles from shore during a several mile stretch, so you're well off-shore for probably 4-5 miles.

We encountered minimal pockets of floating eelgrass near the start, so bring regular and weedless rudders just in case. The course is also outside of the shipping lane which is marked with big buoys that are about 2 miles out from shore.

Erik

Re: juan de fuca downwind
James Schulz
06/04/10 #8604

Washington State Department of Ecology shoreline photos. The Freshwater Bay boat ramp is in the middle of this picture, pan left.

http://apps.ecy.wa.gov/shorephotos/scripts/bigphoto.asp?id=CLA0254

Jim

Re: juan de fuca downwind
Erik Borgnes
06/04/10 #8605

Don Kiesling and Gabe Newton know more about the area than I do, but here's my take on it:

Look at that photo link and just keep panning left - that's a great resource.

The first few miles of coast is sand / pebble beach from freshwater bay (start) past the Elwa river mouth and that appeared beach-like though the east end of freshwater bay often has dumping waves in a west wind. After the Elwa river mouth, the shore is pretty far away but it looked to be all typical sand / pebble beach. The problem is that it's all high cliff, so you would be on shore but you might have a walk to town. The Ediz Hook breakwater comes next. It defines the PA harbor. It doesn't look very inviting as it's made by large sharp boulders on top of a sandbar. You parallel that Hook for about 2-3 miles, so in that area, you don't really have an easy way out for both you and your boat, though I'm sure it can be done if you accept some scratches and such. But, from viewing the photos in the link above, at low tide, the hook might be easy to get out on. Not sure what level the tide will be during the race. After you round the hook, it's a harbor crossing with lots of landing places though they're far off.

I suspect the winning time for surfskis on race day will be about 1 hr 45 min if there's favorable wind and swell and current. We did it in 2 hrs exactly at a medium pace with favorable current but not that much to surf on.

It's an exposed course, though, so I'd use your more stable boat if you have a choice.

Kathleen, noaa, then port angeles
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=48.14776316994868&lon=-123.46847534179688&site=sew&smap=1&unit=0&lg=en&FcstType=text

Erik

PA de fuca
Erik Borgnes
06/07/10 #8623

whitecaps from the west right now - 2-4' outside the PA Ediz Hook harbor on the de Fuca course. I think the forecast for today was only for 1 ft waves. So, if you make the decision whether to race or not based on the NOAA forecast, I think that's only about 50/50. Wind direction seems to be accurately predicted, but so far, wind and wave height is usually underpredicted, meaning wind and waves are usually bigger than forecast. Just a thought.

De Fuca race wind forecast
kathleen petereit
06/12/10 #8649

I just checked the marine forecast for todays race. Looks like it could get very interesting. 15 - 25 knots. Ian is coming down from the island.

Kathleen