FATHOM


STORIES BENEATH THE SHOT


Illusion of Control PHOTO BY ROWAN GLOAG


Longtime disciples of the capricious currents at Skookumchuck Rapids, rough water paddlers Rowan Gloag and Costain Leonard knew exactly where—and when—to look for the perfect foam pile.


“We’re interested in finding out how much control we can have in the foam, in a sea kayak,” explains Gloag, a mission that prompted a late summer visit to Skook in British Columbia’s Sechelt Inlet.


When the difference between high and low tide in the constricted passage at Skookumchuck Narrows is less than a meter, the modest current forms the sort


of friendly green wave that is the stuff of surf kayakers’ wet dreams. But when the celestial bodies align and a large spring tide widens that gap to two meters or more, the flood of water can reach 16.5 knots—one of the fastest tidal currents in the world—and a menacing foam pile takes shape. Charging into the recirculating maw of aerated water, Gloag says, develops skills necessary for playing safely in punishing ocean shore breaks. The length


and shape of a sea kayak makes breaking free of all that foaming water a sticky proposition. Still, he says, “There are times during the chaos when we can gain control.”


Gloag took a timeout from Skook’s 10.9-knot current that day to shoot his hapless companion’s efforts to tame the hole. “In this picture, Costain has buried his bow in an attempt to launch himself free,” he recalls. “As you can see, it didn’t work, but you gotta try.” VIRGINIA MARSHALL


www.adventurekayakmag.com | 25


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84