Some Depoe Bay Info

I put this little map together for last year's event, even though I couldn't make it.  It might prove useful to some.

http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=3710.0;attach=4036;image

After ya radio your intended outbound or inbound intent, do you wait for the CG or others to respond before tooting the air horn?

Also, I still don't have a solid reference to where we are traveling to once we exit the hole.  And without giving away your hidey hole fishing spots,  are we shooting straight out to the bouys and heading North or South to fish, or are we fishing between land and the bouys/reefs?

If you're going to toot an air horn, I'd wait a few seconds to make sure you can hear any response on the VHF. Then, feel free to toot away. One sustained blast of about three or four seconds should do the trick. Technically, the proper signal with a horn for saying: "Watch out" or "Hey, WTF?!" is five short blasts, but most of the horn signals I have heard in Depoe Bay for people signaling that they are going through the channel have been either one prolonged blast (which actually is supposed to mean "vessel underway") or three short blasts (which actually is supposed to mean "vessel operating under astern propulsion"). So obviously the vessels going in and out of this place aren't going by the book.

As far as where you're going, pay no attention to the map previously listed. Those fishy symbols are actually the resting spots of the local Krakens and they hate seeing kayakers above their resting spots! 

What I will tell you is that there are three main places you'll need to be mindful of. The north reef, the south reef(if the swells are on the bigger side, you'll probably be able to see exactly where they are), and the entrance/exit channel.  There is fishy water pretty much everywhere outside of the channel(which is why this place is so awesome!).

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!! Pay attention to where the reefs are if the swells are on the big side! (I would say this is anything bigger than 5 ft.) You may not see any sign of them between sets which makes is very easy to accidentally drift onto one.  Then if a decent set comes through, you may find yourself face-to-face with an 8 ft. closeout that literally comes out of nowhere.  Aside from seeing a wave break from a reef, there are two other ways you can tell where a submerged reef is.  1) If you notice a patch of sea foam that seems to be in the middle of nowhere and not apart of a long trail, that may be a spot where an occasional break may occur.  2) If you see a "foot-print" in the trough of the swells which looks like a boil or upwelling of water followed by a smooth patch on the surface.

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I'm still trying to learn how to read those things... is that good, bad, or manageable?   

I would wait till at least Thursday AM before trying to infer much out of the forecast that can be counted on.

I'm still trying to learn how to read those things... is that good, bad, or manageable?   

As long as it isn't accompanied by 25knt winds, it's still doable.  It is too early to be relied on though.

Think positively folks!  Even the worst forecast I've seen is still waaaaay better than last years.

Forcasts are looking do-able.

if it gets much bigger than this video, then i'll have to go with the T-15
http://www.justkeepfishing.com/media/Stormy_Depoe_Bay.wmv

I was getting nauseous just watching that. 

The guy that took that footage is the same guy that wrote the Depoe Bay Dan article.   

I know this is a little late, but thought it would really help people get an idea of what the harbor looks like from a kayakers perspective.  Given what the forecasts are saying right now, we most likely will not have as nice of conditions, but it still is helpful I think.  I've got another one on the way that will be up later today. I won't have a chance to post that one until this evening, but feel free to follow the link in my signature to see it sooner than that. 

Cheers!

Here's my other video of kayaking through the channel. This will be closer to the conditions we may see on Saturday, but I think we'll be seeing a bit more wind waves so it'll probably look more sloppy.

Cool! Thanks man, that really helps.