Comments on: 12 Kayakers Rescued In The San Juan Islands

By: Jeff Zbornik

Jeff Zbornik — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 21:03:09 +0000

The specific area of this incident is a challenging spot for currents. Currents wrap around islands and are not linear or exactly predictable. There is a shallow bank where an ebb current against opposing wind can create steep and confused chop. This group was out at maximum ebb (moderate on that date, but still significant) with an opposing wind (as forecasted). This could easily create conditions too challenging for underpowered, loaded tandems. Conditions don’t look bad in the photos, but the group may already have drifted out of the worst of it by the time they were rescued. Mistakes may have been made to attempt that route with the forecasted currents and wind with the added element of weak paddlers. The decision to call for help before things got worse was a good call. Hopefully the guides and outfitter learned from this.

By: martin feuchtwanger

martin feuchtwanger — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 03:11:17 +0000

It’s good that they made the call and were easily rescued.

There’s a lot missing from the story, though. What was their intended and actual route? What were the predicted and actual condidtions? (The image appears to show only light chop.) How many guides were there and what was the skill level of the guides?

By: Garth Ramsay

Garth Ramsay — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 23:35:53 +0000

If the conditions were worse than the least experienced member of the group was comfortable with then they made the right call.

By: David Leaf

David Leaf — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 22:11:56 +0000

In reply to Carole Aldrich. Weather station data indicates that on the afternoon of Aug. 14 there were wind gust around 19 knots on the Strait of Georgia. Not a good situation with kids.

By: Carole Aldrich

Carole Aldrich — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 18:50:44 +0000

I wouldn’t call those challenging conditions at all. Where are the white caps, the six foot swells?