Quadra Island - Surge Narrows

Friday 13th - Monday 16th July

We departed Tofino and returned to the east coast, driving up to Cambell River again, and taking the ferry across to Quadra Island. On the east side of the island at the end of a road is Discovery Islands Lodge - a kayaker B&B.

Discovery Islands Lodge

This is a great place for kayaking in the Discovery Islands - accommodation, tours and kayak hire. We were staying there 5 nights and hiring performance kayaks from the Nigel Dennis range - NDK Romany, Romany HV and Explorer kayaks, for our independant trips out to the tidal rapids. I used the Romany which was the smallest of the three (appropriately) and found it very responsive and easy to roll (just as well!)

The wave at Surge Narrows (current is from right to left)

 The wave forms in restricted passages where the water is running at several knots over shallow shelves. It is at its best for about an hour either side of peak flow, but during the time leading up to this Roh took us through the basics of negotiating eddies and applying appropriate leaning, bracing, steering strokes and ferry gliding across the rapidly increasing flow.

Roh on the wave

Me on the edge of the wave

Almost on the wave!

We spent 3 days at Surge Narrows training on what is essentially white water kayaking on the sea. Very exhilarating! I did get on the wave from time to time but most often would get flicked out over the end or not quite get far enough forward - the trick is to get in from the eddy at the right spot and get the stern rudder / paddle like mad combo exactly right.

Once flung off the wave I found I'd either be in the smooth water beyond the eddyline, or right in amongst all the turbulent water. When I got a bit better at coming off the wave (or from near the wave) I was better able to exit near where I'd entered it - much better use of energy rather than having to negotiate the turbulence. Aside from a couple of times near maximum flow (when the wave rolled over me in a side-surf), it was more likely that this turbulence would trip me up as I'd be trying to get back to our sheltered staging area. Number one lesson here is DO NOT ATTEMPT TO LOW-BRACE ON OR NEAR THE CENTRE OF WHIRLPOOLS!   :)  They just don't support the paddle - it gets sucked in and I follow! I know this should be obvious but it's one of those things where you look at something (and they are impressive) and end up going there... This is where all that rolling training with Cheri & Turner has really paid off - in confidence if not in technique at least. I only missed two rolls in the three days (out of quite a few) and recovered those with a re-enter & roll.

This of course is the training ground - the real deal is the Okisollo wave.

Peaceful scene at Discovery Islands Lodge on sunset