Monday Westerly - Local

[Michael]

In two or three tacks your upwind 500 meters off the west facing beach right into the big swell.

With the wind angle today, even if you made it up that far I don't think you would have been able to make it back to Lighthouse Park. If you want to sail up there wouldn't it be better to launch from the end of Gulf road near the cafe? I checked that out once but he shore break looked bad.

[Chris Klohn]

Great point Michael,

Is that Cafe close to where the old Breakers pub use to be? Another option would be a downwinder from the ferry slip to Point Bob. That would give you the most time to explore the shelf without worrying about getting upwind.

Cheers,

Chris

[Michael]

I think it is Breakers Pub I'm talking about, I just didn't know the name.

Another option would be a downwinder from the ferry slip to Point Bob.

Funny I was just thinking about that!

That shelf you are talking about I've seen from the park near my house. It looks great at low tide, I've seen the waves breaking out there and thought about launching from the park but there is a huge set of steps you have to go down to get there.
https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Fred+Gingell+Park/@49.0040935,-123.0768639,3381m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x1ab16762ad11534e

[Chris Klohn]

Hi Michael,

I would be worried about the height of land lifting the flow and lightening the wind close to the beach. It's similar to Ebey in a westerly where the 300 foot high ridge kills the wind when it's onshore.

The downwinder would allow you to launch fully powered up off the beach and out into the huge swell past the ferry slip within two minutes of reaching. You could stay on that shelf all the way to Point Roberts grabbing wave rides every time you came back in over it.

We used to fly by it at Helijet on our low level south route. It's pretty impressive when the wind has more north in it and the waves wrap out of the west. Nice front side rides all the way.

Run a really floaty board and a much smaller fin than normal for a big downwinder. The extra volume is nice and not noticeable when you're riding swell. It'd be nice to try it on a low tide and your SUP first in lighter winds to get an idea of where the shelf is and when you need to start thinking about turning towards the Point.

White Rock to Centennial is a fun one to try as well in a solid SE wind. Great big swell in the middle of the bay Looks like you might get another chance this Wednesday? Strong cold front is supposed to swing through the local waters.

Cheers,

Chris

[Mike]

Chris - You're correct about the current being less (or none) on the west side. I launched twice on the west side only because I was too lazy to walk back to the point. The second time was more towards the boat launch I think you were talking about. In a couple of runs I was working upwind without a lot of effort. At the time I wasn't sure why and there were a few other variables. I ended up deliberately going downwind to the point where everyone was at which time I lost my easy upwinding. The shore break was significant compared to around the point. Although I made it out, eventually things may not go well... The good things was that the wind was strong and reliable so that once you commit to going, you can go. Perhaps we need to scope further north for pathways out. By the way Chris - thanks for all your comments as in past we would have probably settled for the ferry terminal.

[Chris Klohn]

Hi Mike,

Just happy I could show you guys an excellent option to Acadia. Cool to hear Dave's OSR too with the swell size in the top 3 he's seen in the Lower Mainland. Get up into that bay off the shelf and you'll be loving it. Save the point for the big SE days. The small shore break and waves would be tempting though I hope Wednesday afternoon gives all of you another opportunity to try it out.

Cheers,

Chris

[C36]

M: You ever been to Fred Gingell Park located here.

...I can imagine the current would be wicked on the point with all that water pushing up against the shore and then rounding the corner. That's not the tidal current there though...

There was current (call it what you will) well off shore (SW) of the point. Anytime the wind backed you could see yourself loose ground big time to the shore (stronger than Stevenson on and east wind, but not quite as strong as Rufus with all the gates on the dam open).

...Was the shore break too bad to launch on the west shore, make one upwind reach to the south then tack and reach way upwind towards the ferry?

When I first arrived the shore break was bone-crushing material exploding balls of spray higher than the poles at the boat ramp. I would have been amazed to see anyone launching there. Later in the day when the tide had dropped and the waves diminished Mike choose his moment wisely to sneak out on that side.

In the early morning there was less shore break right at the shoulder of the point and getting out was fairly easy. Later in the day when the tide dropped there were less gaps at the shoulder of the point and wave were standing taller and throwing forward. I got rejected twice there (once standing in the waist deep water controlling my gear finally to have it redirected toward the beach by the third wave and then later I launched, crossed two waves and thought I had made it out only to have the next wave stand up and eat me).

..Cool to hear Dave's OSR too with the swell size in the top 3 he's seen in the Lower Mainland...

I may have been caught up in the moment. The wave faces were big and clean for sure, but I was since reflecting back on some other memorable days and top 3 might have been overstated.

That point break keeps haunting me, it was standing and peeling like the south jetty at Florance - difference was you just couldn't get to it (that day).

[Richi]

I've been there David, it's exactly like 1001 steps in white rock. You wouldn't want to forget your harness in the van, it would be a long hike up and down the stairs

[C36]

I've been there David, it's exactly like 1001 steps in white rock. You wouldn't want to forget your harness in the van, it would be a long hike up and down the stairs

Funny I though of 1001 steps in White Rock when I saw it too.

[Michael]

M: You ever been to Fred Gingell Park located here.

Yup many times. That's where I got to check out the wind conditions blowing in the straight. It's like Richi says, a long walk down. Otherwise I would have launched from there before, it's like 2 minutes from my house. I'm still thinking of trying it out though despite the walk. That's where I first noticed that shelf Chris is talking about. I was checking things out on a low tide one day and saw the waves breaking out there. I've been waiting for a big SW, WSW to make it worth the walk. Now that Chris has said it's good for a NW I think that might make it even easier to sail out to from there.