Navigate your way through Deception

Fall 2009

Day Trips: Deception Pass

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.

To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: DOWNLOAD

By Erik Schorr

Paddlers launching their kayaks near Deception Pass can expect the same breathtaking scenery and abundant wildlife found anywhere in the San Juan Islands, with one notable exception: no ferry hassles.

Just 90 minutes north of Seattle, Deception Pass State Park is the most popular park in Washington, and for good reason. With 77,000 feet of saltwater shoreline, rugged cliffs, sandy beaches and the famously turbulent Deception Pass narrows, there is a great deal for sea kayakers to see and explore.

Deception Pass.

For beginners: There is protected water to be found in Bowman Bay on the Fidalgo Island side of the park. The beach is moderately steep at high tide, but a large sandy flat is exposed at low tide, making launchings quite simple. Although Bowman Bay is not large, there is plenty of shoreline to explore, and the Coffin Rocks at the mouth of the bay usually hold plenty of roosting seabirds. Huge coniferous trees form the visual backdrop behind a large grassy field. If the weather is nice and there is no swell coming in from the Strait of Juan de Fuca, a beginner kayaker could head north around Rosario Head and into the Rosario Beach area.

Make sure to slow down enough to see the marvelously folded ribbon chert that makes up the headlands there, and ponder the forces that must have shaped them.

For intermediate paddlers: For those who are well prepared, there are many great route options that open up. Continuing north from Rosario Beach there are the tall sea cliffs under Sares Head where several small sea caves can be found. Be careful of boat wake and swell when entering the caves. Turning back south from the caves a paddler can head toward the Deception Pass narrows. Make sure that you know what the currents are doing before getting too close; a strong flood will pull you in before you realize what is happening. Just before you turn the corner into the pass is Reservation Head where you will find a beautiful and rugged shoreline peppered with offshore rocks and large kelp beds. Often seals and porpoises can be seen foraging here. On the west side of the bridge the pass is less than half a mile wide and the views of the bridge are great. If the planning has been done well, and the current is approaching slack water, a paddler can brave a quick foray under the bridge to see the high walls close in above. Do not tarry here, as the currents change quickly and a misjudgment could mean an embarrassing walk over the bridge to fetch your car. If you do not want to risk going into the narrows and you’d rather not retrace your route around Reservation Head, then try paddling into lovely Lottie Bay and take the quick portage back into Bowman Bay.

Another option would be to launch the kayaks from Cornet Bay, on Whidbey Island and east of the Deception Pass bridge. A two-mile paddle to the east will bring you to Hope Island, a pretty little island with an impressive heronry located on it. Be careful of the tide rips that can form near the west side of the island.

For advanced paddlers: There are few playgrounds as friendly and challenging as the narrows of Deception Pass. Most paddlers come out here for the ebbing currents and they tend to stick to the north side, in Canoe Pass, where a nice eddy line forms. Lots of boils and whirlpools can be found just to the west of the pass, a great practice area for bracing and boat control. For folks wanting a little more of a challenge, come on out during the flood. It is much less friendly both in Deception Pass proper and over on the Canoe Pass side, but the whirlpools are incredible! If the wind is blowing from the west and the current is ebbing, then a great place to find surf is on the south side of Deception Island where a shallow reef forces the current to pick up speed and steepen the waves. The surfing is great, but be careful – the current will drag swimmers out to the big lonely waters of Juan de Fuca.

Tips and hazards: Whatever your skill level, please come prepared. The water is cold and the currents are strong. It is always advisable to dress for immersion and have a complete safety kit with you at all times (including flares and a VHF radio). Too many paddlers mistake experience for skill (for example, my grandmother is a very experienced driver at 96 years old, but she probably should not be driving), so try not to overestimate your ability to deal with the prevailing conditions. Get a current weather forecast and know exactly what the currents are doing before you launch. During the summer months the boat traffic can be heavy in the pass making conditions trickier. Weekends are especially busy.

Erik Schorr runs Anacortes Kayak Tours, along with his wife Megan and children Taiga and Tashi. Visit www.anacorteskayaktours.com