Situational: comfort in swell and 5-10 kt wind

A different twist for today.  Let's explore your comfort level in swell and wind.  There is a 5-10 knot wind in the same direction of the swell.  You're going out for a day of fishing and will paddle/pedal though this in all directions.  For each wave height listed below, at what period do you start getting uncomfortable?  And at what period do you hit your "no go" threshold?

For a 4' swell, at what period do you start getting uncomfortable?  And at what period do you hit your "no go" threshold?

For a 6' swell, at what period do you start getting uncomfortable?  And at what period do you hit your "no go" threshold?

For an 8' swell, at what period do you start getting uncomfortable?  And at what period do you hit your "no go" threshold?

Do your numbers differ depending on what kayak you are on.  Which kayak(s)?  Explain.

-Allen

You didn't mention launch conditions which has a big impact on my go/no go. For example, If I have to surf launch/recover, an 8' swell could make a surf launch dicey...on the other hand, If it was out at La Push where I launch from the river and drift into the Ocean, an 8' swell is pretty doable.

As for period, my general rule of thumb is I like at least twice the swell height

When fishing in the ocean I only use my Hobie for it's stability and accessibility...I'm not organized enough to fish out of my SINK. I'm always rummaging around in my fwd hatch or the milk crate behind the seat. Plus, I use my hull as a fish hold...a couple good Lings/Cabs and a limit of Rockfish can push 80-100 lbs. I'm not sure where I'd stuff that much flesh in my SINK.

You didn't mention launch conditions which has a big impact on my go/no go. For example, If I have to surf launch/recover, an 8' swell could make a surf launch dicey...on the other hand, If it was out at La Push where I launch from the river and drift into the Ocean, an 8' swell is pretty doable.

That's an different situation.   

As for period, my general rule of thumb is I like at least twice the swell height

That's a pretty good rule, but how far do you push it below that, and when do you hit that no-go threshold?  6' at 11 seconds.  6' at 10 seconds.  etc.

Or put a different way.  6' at 6 seconds is absolutely a no-go in my book.  6' and 12 seconds it a go in my book.  Somewhere between those I cross the boundary.

-Allen

You didn't mention launch conditions which has a big impact on my go/no go. For example, If I have to surf launch/recover, an 8' swell could make a surf launch dicey...on the other hand, If it was out at La Push where I launch from the river and drift into the Ocean, an 8' swell is pretty doable.

That's an different situation.   

Huh??? If it's an 8' swell with a surf launch, I've already decided not to go 

I like to fish areas that give me outs to fish in bad weather. For a full face surf launch 6 foot at 8-10 is about my limit. I am more of a go and see how it looks kind of person. If the surf is thundering that is definitely a no go.....

I like to fish areas that give me outs to fish in bad weather. For a full face surf launch 6 foot at 8-10 is about my limit. I am more of a go and see how it looks kind of person. If the surf is thundering that is definitely a no go.....

Keep in mind that a 6 foot swell in the surf is much smaller offshore.  For this thread, I'm talking about offshore swell and offshore conditions.

-Allen

Manly-men wouldn't blink at less than 3 to 4 meter swells!




 
Oh! You said feet!

Actually, those were conditions that I WOULD NOT have gone out in if I were not subject to peer pressure and circumstances. (trapped on a tiny island with a bunch of adrenalin junkies suffering from cabin fever) That was a solid 3m+ (10') swell with maybe a 10-12 second period. The wind was blowing pretty good too. Once out there, it really was not that bad. But it was still a real sphincter tightener transitioning between the shielded bay and open water. (To be honest, mine was fairly squeaky most of that day) 

 I was in an OK trident 14 (?) and it handled it with aplomb. I don't think I'd have been as comfortable in the Big Game though, as it was a bit of a beast to paddle, but Jesse and Lucian did fine in them (and caught more fish). The long period, unbroken swell and lack of a surf launch made that doable at all.
 It was really bizarre looking at the huge valley of water between peaks. Then looking up at the approaching mountain from the troughs. But it was fairly smooth and kinda like going up and down on a carousel. Still it was a bit disconcerting when the other guys would periodically disappear completely between waves. Bottomline, we were well prepared for the conditions, properly equipped, and had a chase skiff with us to help if necessary.
(land big fish).

So Would I do it again?  HELL no!
Yeah, I did it and nobody got dead or hurt. But that was stupid. The operative words being "peer pressure" and "circumstances". I managed, but I couldn't concentrate properly on fishing (which was why I was there in the first place and probably why Lucian and Jesse caught more fish). I worked myself over to the lee of an outer island and caught some very nice Lings, then paddled back across the roller coaster and eventually to camp.
But we were there to chase Chinooks. That entailed trolling through those rolling mountains. I could have stayed in the protected bays and caught lings and rockfish. I've since kicked up my paddling skills a few notches since that trip, but I'm still not sure I'm ready to roll that troll.

So what's the moral of the story? If YOU are not comfortable with the conditions that you see. DONT GO! Don't let "circumstances" or even perceived (nobody was twisting my arm) "peer pressure" get you in over your head. (long period or not) Let your sphincter be your guide.

Ever wonder what is reported as the wave height forecast?

http://www.mxak.org/weather/pdfs/waves.pdf

This example walks you through an example of a forecast of 10 foot swells.  It shows that the average height would be 6 ft.  However, 10% of the waves would be 12.7 ft or higher.  1% of the waves would be 16.7 feet or higher.  The max wave height that could be expected is 20 ft.

Good stuff!

-Allen

The sweet gentle roll of the Pacific doesn't bother me, however when the white caps are more then 2 ft it makes it uncomfortable to fish. I think that if you have a port landing, and you can still enjoy fishing its a go. Surf launch and you are putting 20 ft of excess line on the bottom of the ocean every time you hit the trough, no go. But I think if I had to schedule fishing around anything but my own choice,  such as wife kid or work, I would probably put in a little more effort.
So to paraphrase my rambling,  I've fished 6 by 10, but its how desperate you are to get your fix, I mean fish.

The sweet gentle roll of the Pacific doesn't bother me, however when the white caps are more then 2 ft it makes it uncomfortable to fish. I think that if you have a port landing, and you can still enjoy fishing its a go. Surf launch and you are putting 20 ft of excess line on the bottom of the ocean every time you hit the trough, no go. But I think if I had to schedule fishing around anything but my own choice,  such as wife kid or work, I would probably put in a little more effort.
So to paraphrase my rambling,  I've fished 6 by 10, but its how desperate you are to get your fix, I mean fish.

So here's why I pic 5-10 in my situations.  Whitecaps just begin to break at 10 knots or slightly higher.  So for 5-10, you have the potential for whitecaps.  It makes you think more about what swell period.

-Allen