Rough Water Play

August-September 2005

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
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by Nich Schade with photos by Carl Tjerandsen

On a typical day, Watch Hill Reef off Rhode Island remains hidden below the surface, but somewhere off Bermuda, a storm is giving birth to swells that today are showing us parts of the ocean floor. I decide discretion is the order of the day so just paddle around in the boiling soup as the breakers have their way. Normally I would try to get in the thick of this, but today it’s a joy just to be out watching forces beyond my control.

The Long Island Race is an outlet in the glacial moraine that formed New York’s Long Island and Connecticut’s Fishers Island. Twice a day the 1320 square miles of Long Island Sound lose 3 to 7 feet of their depth as the tide flows out. Most of the water flows out through the east end of the Race or through Fishers Island Sound. At the outlets, the current accelerates to 5 knots when it squeezes in between underwater constrictions in the middle of the Race. Numerous factors—tides, wind and swell—contribute to exciting rough water conditions in places like Long Island Sound. Any one of these factors can suffice to provide good conditions for rough water play, and it’s even more interesting with a combination of two or more.

TIDES

For tides to be a significant factor in creating exciting rough water conditions, they need to create a current of at least three knots. But current alone won’t do: it needs to interact with something. The Long Island Race and the reefs off Watch Hill are shallow, so when the tides run over this constriction, they accelerate, gaining energy. In the larger volume of ocean beyond, they decelerate, but the energy remains, creating waves.

Currents for Eastern Long Island Sound showing flow rates in knots|near max ebb.

Carl hits the smooth water ahead and accelerates into the churning seas. He leans forward as he hits the first wave and digs in with several strong strokes to break through. By the time I drift into the rip Carl has turned and is waiting, the tell-tale lift of his stern indicating a big wave. As the wave builds below him he accelerates and cuts towards Race Rock to avoid punching his bow into the breaker sweeping in from the right. The kayak bucks as he jockeys on to the sweet spot of the wave. Another wave sweeps in over his stern, knocking him over. After a short struggle to get his paddle under control, he pops up. I push by to have a go.

The biggest waves are immediately downstream of such constrictions. After a really tight constriction you can get a beautifully formed standing wave that stays in place as long as the current is flowing. As you get farther from the constriction, the current continues to slow, the waves diminish and become chaotic. In large rips, the waves are rarely so well formed, and you end up with a large area of jumbled chaos crossed by multiple wave trains.

In a tidal falls you can approach the main current from an eddy, drop in next to the wave and accelerate the boat to catch the wave just below the drop. If your timing or boat placement are a little off you get flushed out. In wider rips, where eddies are less evident and the current differential less pronounced, you may need to use the more confused wave trains to make progress up through the chaos.

WIND

In an opposing wind and tide situation, the wind waves proceed up from the slower moving water toward the faster water near the constriction. As the waves enter the faster water, the wavelength is compressed and grows in height. These wind-generated waves offer the ability to surf and progress against even very strong currents.

SWELL

Ocean swells come from weather out to sea and may appear when the local weather is calm. These waves need a coast exposed to deep water all the way out to the storm. For the Long Island Race and its reefs, ocean swells generally come from southern storms.

The currents at the Race produce good action on the ebb and the flood. Most current charts provide velocities for the Valiant Rock area. Trip planning should be based on examination of these current tables. From the Connecticut shore, the most accessible playground is near Race Rock. The lighthouse provides a significant eddy that will let you enter the current near the rock, ride it for a while and then catch the eddy for an easier paddle back. Care is needed, as the eddy diminishes as you drift down current. When waves are really popping, an assisted rescue may be nearly impossible in the steep, breaking, chaotic waves until you have been flushed far from safety. A strong roll is mandatory.

The last wave stampedes in toward Doug only to dissipate just before it engulfs him. He looks over his right shoulder and waits for the long, straight face sweeping in that indicates a wave with some meat on it. Such a face starts off as little more than a discoloration, but Doug starts paddling. As his stern rises, he digs in twice, leans forward, and shoots ahead. All I see of Doug as the wave approaches Napatree Point is his grab-loop peering back over the froth.

The water temperature in Long Island Sound varies significantly throughout the year, from good swimming in the summer to floating ice in the winter. For active paddling during cool months you must insulate sufficiently to protect yourself in a swim, but not to the point of overheating. The standard uniform includes several fleece layers under a breathable drysuit. This should give you time to rescue yourself, but is not necessarily enough for prolonged immersion. A diver’s hood will protect your head. Personal preference will dictate your hand protection, but short-cuffed neoprene pogies plus thin neoprene gloves are a good combination of warmth and dexterity.

There are several other locations throughout New England that offer rough water paddling experience. They are associated with either large tidal bays, or rivers that generate currents at their mouths. With all these locations, good play conditions are associated with significant risks. Ebbing tides can pull a disabled or tiring kayaker far out to sea. Paddlers venturing out into these places should be prepared to paddle much farther than the distance indicated on the chart as they paddle against strong currents in rough water. There is often little or no safe bailout spot accessible from the play spot. A safety kit, including VHF radio, signal flares, and tow- ropes, must be accessible and ready to use. Self rescue and group rescue techniques must be second nature and debugged for rough water. A solid pool-roll may not be sufficient. Practice in controlled conditions before venturing into these risky areas.

© Nick Schade runs Guillemot Kayaks of Glastonbury, Connecticut: www.KayakPlans.com/L