JWSP Tuesday

[tweegster]

Great shots and narration guys. Wish I would have found the Taco place.

[gabrielb]

Great photos. I always wanted to try that area for surfing, seems like a long, long right, no rigging needed.
Dave when you think it' s worth the cross for sup/surfing I'll join.

[C36]

Excellent story telling guys. Doesn't sound like too far of a drive. Less than 2 hours and you were rigged?! That's pretty good. Looks like a fun place to sail/kite. Hope to score a session one day.
Thanks for sharing.

Most welcome.

Love the story, pictures and effort you put into all of your posts........you too Chuck Nice to vicariously share the sesh between both of your posts. Catch it on a 4.2ish day where the wind has blown for 4-5 hours and I promise you will be amazed

Thanks and I am looking forward sharing one of those!

Great shots and narration guys. Wish I would have found the Taco place.

Thanks. Not Tacofino, but good and fresh. Its right on the east side of the highway in town just south of the traffic signal with the Shell station where you turn off for JWSP.

Great photos. I always wanted to try that area for surfing, seems like a long, long right, no rigging needed.
Dave when you think it' s worth the cross for sup/surfing I'll join.

Thanks. Look forward to sharing some waves!

[C36]

Excellent story telling guys. Doesn't sound like too far of a drive. Less than 2 hours and you were rigged?! That's pretty good. Looks like a fun place to sail/kite. Hope to score a session one day.
Thanks for sharing.

This comment has nagged at me a little and I'll try and explain why. 2 hours doesn't sound too bad, but be careful. There is something about the drive to Whidbey Island that I find 'long' - maybe it is because it is the same route to the Gorge (and I find that a long day of mind-numbing I-5 driving), maybe it is the two lane sub-50 kmh winding road along the island itself, but more than likely it is the skunk factor. I try to spend more time on the water than driving (not always possible, but its a target). Easier with local spots where one-way travel time is usually an hour or less and 2+ hours on the water is usually doable (although increasingly challenging lately). But Whidbey is a longer drive (~2 hours each way) so you have to score 4+ hours on the water plus with Whidbey I am running a ratio of about five trips down and for three trips with sessions (four sessions if your count the morning and afternoon as seperate sessions on the last trip). Some have had better luck, but others have had even worse luck. So now I its even harder for me to 'break even' - almost seven hours on the water. Thats a tall order.

Would I drive down again for a the promise of a west wind?
Yup.

Would I drive down again for a the promise of a SE wind?
Not likely unless I was headed down early for a west wind. I would like to sail Double Bluff one day, but it's even further, so that might have to wait for a Whidbey Island 'staycation'.

Sorry for the rant - just I have found Whidbey Island a hard target to hit.

[Chris Klohn]

Hey Dave,

I totally agree that the trip to Whidbey is really only worth it on a big JWSP westerly forecast, 35+ mph or better, or if you're absolutely desperate for wind in the winter months. I don't know how it stacks up to Locust in terms of wind strength and frequency but I guarantee it's way more than anything locally October-March.

I didn't know about Locust 20 years ago and wouldn't have made so many damn trips to Whidbey on SE days from what I've heard so far. From the sounds of it Locust is pretty flat compared to Ebey given the same wind strength. I haven't heard anyone talk of head high swell on the 30-40mph days yet.

On a different note, how long does it take to go from your door to rigged up when you make a day trip to Columbia Beach? Is the cost similar with the Ferry and reduced drive time?

Cheers,

Chris

[AdrienGrelon]

My 2 cents from my one island (Comox Goose Spit/Airfield Base) trip and my one wind chase to the Marine Park launch in Bellingham:

- A day trip to the island is about the worst thing a broke, funemployed student can do to their credit card Even buddying up, the day trip was ~$120 per person.. thank god it was cranking 30knots all day on site

- Door to rigged up about 3 hours for Comox if everything goes to plan. I believe Columbia cuts 45mins off that.

- Frequent Locust trips can actually be cheaper than Boundary Bay trips, if you keep filling up at Fred Meyers

A Whidbey trip would be shorter for me door to rigged, and about a third of the cost of an island trip.... hence why I can't wait to go.

[C36]

...I don't know how it stacks up to Locust in terms of wind strength and frequency but I guarantee it's way more than anything locally October-March.

I didn't know about Locust 20 years ago and wouldn't have made so many damn trips to Whidbey on SE days from what I've heard so far. From the sounds of it Locust is pretty flat compared to Ebey given the same wind strength. I haven't heard anyone talk of head high swell on the 30-40mph days yet...

All good points/questions Chris and I think we both have to remember the wind being offered up at Whidbey (and other places) now is not what it was 10 years ago.

So lets start with the easy stuff - Squamish is 'flat', Locust isn't

Locust is a very similar set-up (on-shore waves breaking on a shallow beach) to Crescent Beach in Oak Bay (from what I have seen from distance) or White Rock East Beach (but WREB can be larger and gets over head high on 40 mph days)

• seems to be almost as frequent as Ebey, based on this comparison
• is often waist high wind swell and can get chest high wind swell (you might have to sail south to get it on low tide days)
• fun mix of mini-swell trains and some standing lines (backside riding and frontside tries)
• I have heard rumor of larger at Post Point, but haven't seen it

...On a different note, how long does it take to go from your door to rigged up when you make a day trip to Columbia Beach? Is the cost similar with the Ferry and reduced drive time?...

Although trip to Columbia Beach is also an all-day commitment, I find the trip to Columbia Beach a different vibe all together

• Door to rigged can be done in 3 hours (leave at 6 am, sailing by 9 am)
• 20 minutes to Horseshow Bay and 30 minutes up to CB
• The difference is time on the ferry and waiting for sailing(s) can be used for other stuff (like eating, checking forecasts and editing/uploading pictures)
• Cost is higher $100+ return (if you stay overnight your average costs per/day decreases)
• CB/Comox are more reliable in my limited experience (10 for 10)
• Comox offers the comfort of having a "Plan B"
• Mini-down-the-line opportunities offered at both CB and CAFB
• Plus you get to hang out with the Mutts (priceless)

Its nice to have options!

[tweegster]

Not Tacofino, but good and fresh.

mmmmm Tacofino....