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Trip Report    

Possession Sound

Higher-than-expected winds and waves the morning of the trip forced us to cancel this student paddle.

  • Mon, May 29, 2023
  • Possession Sound
  • Sea Kayaking
  • Canceled
  • Road suitable for all vehicles
  • The channel between Mukilteo and Whidbey can get windy quickly. Southern winds have a ~40mi fetch to gain momentum. When they reach the south end of Whidbey, they split off around the land mass, funneling to either side of the island. This is common in this area in the afternoon and was the case this morning.

    We watched weather reports (NOAA and Weather Underground) leading up to the trip; they consistently reported wind at 7kts and waves at 1ft or less, increasing slightly in the afternoon. NOAA updated their prediction at 9 am the morning of the trip (we were already on the beach), doubling both numbers and confirming what we saw. We also noticed the wind speed and wave height increasing as we stood on the beach.

A group of 11 of us, including two new student paddlers, arrived at Lighthouse Park in Mukilteo on the morning of May 27, only to find that Mother Nature did not heed the weather report. We expected waves at 1ft or less and winds at or below 7kts. We got waves between 1-2 feet and winds at 12-15kts, which increased as we stood on the beach contemplating our planned crossing to Whidbey and backup plans of heading south toward Picnic Point. Our newest students opted to stay on land. As conditions deteriorated, we ultimately decided this was a big ask for a student paddle, so we canceled the trip (even the fishing boats gave up).