Surfski Knowledge Base

allipp01
07/01/15 #17628

I'm heading up there this morning. Conditions are looking good again with a dumping tide and strong NW winds in the Strait of Georgia. Low tide is -1.9 feet at 11:30 AM, so I'll try getting in the water well before that.

allipp01
07/01/15 #17632

A little morning action.

allipp01
07/02/15 #17633

Repeat. 9:00 AM today. Steve Scoggins, you gonna make it?

Steve Scoggins
07/02/15 #17634

I'm a maybe.

Steve

Steve Scoggins

07/02/15 #17635

Turns out that Mr. Lipp keeps a stable of miniature unicorns at Birch Bay. He's got this figured out. The swell from the north makes for fun rides even with marginal wind. The upwind is easy going. The water is warm. The next time he makes the call, it's worth the drive.

When the winds are from the NW, this is an ideal place to go especially if you aren't totally comfortable in waves. The catchers mitt shape of the bay means you can only end up back at your car. Beginners can go without fear and learn or an experienced guy like Lipp can get a good workout. If its not blowing too hard, you do have to put in a little work to catch the waves. If its blowing, I suspect an upwind workout with almost no paddling downwind.

I was skeptical. Skeptic no more.

Steve

Reivers Dustin

07/02/15 #17636

There's some vehicle overhead due to distances, (the San Fran guys would be disgusted with this comment). For several years Bussinger has tried to get us to explore those areas exposed to Georgia Strait fetch. We've done a couple of runs off Cherry Point and there's action, but it's unfamiliar to me what escape routes are available. Joost joined us for a run up there, but we didn't get the good stuff.

There's a Birch Bay Paddlers facebook group that Denise is trying to get going. Yes, they have invented paddling in Birch Bay - there's a few good folks up there. Maybe we can get condition reports, best routes, etc.

Local sailors talk about getting a whuppin from southerlies pushing into Pt Roberts. Also, there's some current push in/out of the Semiamoo point for SUPs to study on. But the shallow bay and bowl shape combined with really big open fetch could build some greenback waves up there.

It works perfect to send Alan to scope it out. Probably a better play than Skagit Flats.

rd

allipp01
07/02/15 #17638

Birch Bay definitely gets better than Samish Bay/Skagit (mud) flats. Even though the wind in Samish gets higher and looks impressive on the graph chart, the wind only really blows hard the last few miles of the bay so there's too short a fetch to build anything substantial.

Birch Bay, on the other hand, has miles and miles of fetch to build waves. this allows for larger fast moving waves to combine with localized wind swell. These last half dozen or so days I've been out there kind of remind me of Hawaii on a light trade wind day; there's always something to catch.

Kimberly Reeves
07/02/15 #17639

That's why we surf there in November - Awesome fetch waves :)
But damn cold

Kimberly Reeves

allipp01
07/02/15 #17640

Not cold this time of year!

lori & beau whitehead
07/03/15 #17642

Shhh…. There are no waves in Birch Bay, especially in November…

allipp01
07/05/15 #17644

Heads up, it could be good again today. If the Cherry point wind station shows winds in the teens out of the NW or NNW it should have some nice bumps. It could be direct north winds, in which case I'm not sure how it will be.

Larry <lbussinger@…>
07/05/15 #17645

Al, where do put in at? The state park?

Larry

allipp01

07/05/15 #17646

I am headed there ASP!!! Blowing 22-23 right now at Cherry point.

I put in at the State Park in the western most parking lot right by the boat ramp. Tide is dropping, so there will probably be a good walk in after our session, but trust me it will be worth it.

Steve Scoggins
07/05/15 #17649

2 for 2. Good call.

Steve

allipp01

07/05/15 #17650

Here's Steve, perfectly positioned in the one waterspot on my camera lens!

Eric Grossman
07/06/15 #17654

Paul,
Alan, Steve and I had fun on 1-2 ft waves at Birch Bay, water was warm as Hawaii, winds under long fetch from Vancouver Island connecting for 100s of meters, whitecaps outside the bay were plentiful…Two full LIPS, then several partial LIPS, unfortunately Alan couldnt see them from the beach due to quarter km visibility associated with wildfire-smoke. Hold your breath.
Eric

PS And a little later that summer…

Re: Saturday run: Head North my friends!
allipp01
08/21/15 #17851

As I've been saying all along, if it's northerly, and the wind gauge at Cherry Point is above 12 mph NW or W it will be good at Birch Bay. It usually seems to kick up late morning to noonish and only stays good for a few hours. Dawn patrols usually don't bode well (just ask Tom S and Paul C about that one)!

I've gotten at least a dozen good days up there this summer, while everyone else has been complaining about the poor conditions in Bellingham.