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Skookumchuck Viewing Times

Skookumchuck Rapids and Whitewater Kayakers
Image courtesy of A Lakeside Retreat - view the entire album!

Allow 2.5 hours from the Langdale Ferry Terminal, which includes intermediate hiking time in of 1 hr - that's one way.

Please visit the Sechelt Visitor Info Center for
Skookumchuk Viewing Times

Click here to view a short mpg movie
showing experienced whitewater kayakers playing in the rapids
(note: for experienced kayakers only, please make sure you contact the Visitors Center or a local paddling club before going if you are a whitewater kayaker)

Credit: Susy Ball, Pressed in Time Design:
Your "VISION-FRIENDLY Design Studio"
Fresno, California

The Rapids - On a three-metre tide change, 200 billion gallons of water flow through the Skookumchuck, which connects Sechelt Inlet to Jervis Inlet. To view the most spectacular rapids, you want to time your hike so you arrive at the viewpoint when the tidal surge is at its strongest. The hike in takes about an hour from the parking lot.

REMEMBER: the Skookumchuck is dangerous at any tide change. All visitors should stay clear of the water and keep a close eye on children and dogs at all times. There are two fenced viewing areas suitable for families or those with pets, so make use of them to be safe.

BOATERS: especially sailors, should be familiar with the tides. To ensure a calm trip through the Inlet, it is essential to travel as the tide is turning. Of course, there will be those crazy kayakers who chose to run the rapids when they are wild. People have been lost in the cavernous whirlpools, so do not take this ride without due caution!

What's the difference between Tides and Currents?

Courtesy of Sunshine Coast Tours
Tidal predictions for the Sunshine Coast are based on the Point Atkinson tide port. This one port is common to most of the Georgia Basin area. The predictions are listed in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) publication (Canadian Tide and Current Tables) and reproduced in several places. Secondary stations around the basin are shown in tables in the DFO book. These tables give time corrections for alternate areas.

Times in the government publication are all Pacific Standard time. No corrections are made for daylight savings time. Other publications may vary. Apply the appropriate time corrections for secondary stations. Corrections are generally small. Here are a few examples for low water corrections:

Gibsons deduct 2 min
Irvines Landing add 4 min
Egmont add 9 min

Once you go into Sechelt Inlet the observed tides are quite different from Point Atkinson and corrections are large. Tide water gets into this area through narrow and relatively shallow channels. This restriction slows the rise of the water. Observed high and low water are off cycle with Point Atkinson by as much as 3 hours. The tidal range is greatly reduced from the 16.6 feet that is seen at Point Atkinson.

Another effect caused by these restrictions is a strong tidal streams in the approach to Sechlet Inlet. Skookumchuck Narrows is a unique area; a world phenomena. The fastest tidal flow here occurs in an section of Skookumchuck Narrows named Sechelt Rapids. Specific current tables are generated for this location and published in DFO Canadian Tide and Current Tables Volumn 5 publication. Be sure to look under the correct station name when using this book; i.e. Sechelt Rapids, not Skookumchuck.

When depth of water or high or low slack water is the critical factor you want to know consult the tide predictions and make the local correction necessary. Keep in mind that the actual event may vary significantly from the prediction. Many factors affect the observed tide. Nothing can substitute from due diligence, local knowledge or good luck.

Boaters looking for easy passage through Sechelt Rapids should consult the current tables and travel close to the time marked as "Turn", the period of still water. It is possible to calculate water speed at a given time between turns. There are computer programs available to do this for you. The formula is not difficult and can be learned by reading through an appropriate reference.

Sightseers wanting to view the spectacle at the Skookumchuck should time their visit to be at the observation point close to the time marked "Maximum". Current speed is shown in knots (1 knot equals 1.15 statute miles per hour) with a "+" symbol noting a flood stream and "-" symbol noting an ebb stream.

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Skookumchuck Viewing Times

WHERE TO STAY

WHAT TO DO

DINING

ABOUT THE COAST

TRAVEL EXTRAS

CONVENTIONS/ GROUP TRAVEL

CONTACT US

SEARCH/HELP

ADVERTISE ON THIS SITE

Skookumchuck Viewing Times

ABOUT THE
COAST

CONVENTIONS/
GROUP TRAVEL