Sea Kayaking Student Paddle - Skagit & Hope Islands

Sign up for this trip if you are enrolled in any of the Mountaineers Basic Sea Kayaking courses for 2025. The purpose of this trip is to serve as one of the student paddles required in order to complete the requirements for the Mountaineers Basic Sea Kayaking badge.

As with all Mountaineers SK trips, participants need to provide their own boats, gear, food, and water. Dry suits suitable for sea kayaking are required for this paddle due to cold water and air temperatures, as well as the possibility of capsize. Expect to encounter rough water at times, particularly in the presence of power boat wakes, when rounding Hoypus Point, and at the passage between Ala Spit and Hope Island.

Participants should bring their own chart, tide data, current data, and marine weather forecasts for the area.

An inexpensive way to get a chart is to go to the NOAA Custom Chart Tool (https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/charts/noaa-custom-charts.html )to get a readable printout of the area we’ll be paddling.

NOAA Tide Predictions (hint: find the tides at Cornet Bay) https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.html

NOAA Current Predictions (hint: find currents for Yokeko Point, Deception Pass (PUG1629) Depth: 7 feet and Skagit Bay channel, SW of Hope Island (PUG1628) Depth: 10 feet):https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaacurrents/

NOAA Marine Point Forecast for immediate area: https://marine.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-122.56998&lat=48.38971#.YIJRRC1HafA

NOAA hourly marine forecast graph for immediate area: https://marine.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=48.3897&lon=-122.57&unit=0&lg=english&FcstType=graphical

Windy forecast for the immediate area: https://www.windy.com/48.393/-122.572?48.374,-122.577,13,m:eZOacKR

Extra points for marking up your chart with a route, tide, and current data.  Extra extra points for noting the distance, estimated travel time, heading for each leg, noting what the tide is expected to do thoughout the day, and noting what the currents will be up to at Yokeko Point and the channel between the west end of Hope Island and Ben Ure Spit (aka Ala Spit).

We’ll meet at 9:00 am at the Cornet Bay boat launch area, at the kayak launching beach near the restrooms. Please plan to arrive by the meeting time, or earlier if you need more time to get your kit in order. We'll launch one hour later on the dot. We will take a break on Skagit Island and lunch on Hope Island. I expect we will return to Cornet Bay by around 3:00pm.

Remember to bring your Discover Pass for parking, or be prepared to purchase one at the kiosk next to the boat ramp.