Quadra Island - Okisollo Rapids

Tuesday 17th July

For our last day at Discovery Lodge we were dropped off near the northern end of the island at Hole-in-the-wall, location of one of two sets of waves formed in the Okisollo Channel. These tidal rapids are different from Surge Narrows in that they form over deeper water (there is a bar but it has more water over it) and can get up to 3m high. Today we were expecting up to 2m as it was not a spring tide (flow can get 12-13 knots), with the maximum current today expected at 8.6 knots.

Just after slack water

Just a slight disturbance on the water...

Our staging area on an eddy - the moving water past the kelp bed travels to the right down to the rapid

We arrived not long after slack water and the area of the wave was flat an innocuous looking. This soon changed as the current picked up...

Building up - the first green wave to the left then the next two are spilling (overfalls)

The wave built up over a couple of hours into a series of topping waves with the front being a big green pillow with a deep trough in front of it. From the staging eddy you ferry glide out into position and then turn up-current, sliding into the trough backwards. Then paddle to stay on the wave.

Roh in the first trough - this is quite early on - later in the session when he was in there only the top of his helmet was visible

By the end of the session I had got into the correct position twice but hadn't stayed on the wave very long - one I side broached and got whacked by the second line of waves (rolled right over the top of me). The second time (my last run) was the best and no-one noticed... I wasn't there all that long but it was totally awesome. The feeling of sliding backwards into the trough - you glide back and know that you are wholly in the grip of nature.