(by Ken Campbell) Deception Pass is home to the wildest salt water in Washington State. There are other places that boast strong currents, to be sure, and when the wind is blowing or the rain is sheeting down, there are more than enough hazardous spots to go around, but this narrow slash of water between Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands remains at the top of the list. Even the strongest paddlers need to be on their best behavior in Deception Pass, and a lack of concentration may result in punishment.
With that disclaimer out of the way, this is also a beautiful spot, a place where immense power and natural wonder are held out as an offering to the prepared paddler. If you are a kayaker with a reliable roll and/or solid self-rescue skills, and are dressed for possible immersion, this is a place that can make you a better paddler. The roiling waters of the pass during a maximum ebb or flood are a great place to practice rescues and towing techniques, and the spectacular views of the surrounding area make any trip here worthwhile. If your choice of vehicle is a SUP, get ready for some surf lessons and big river-style exercise.
The most obvious item to be aware of is the timing and direction of the tidal flow. If the current is flooding, the launch at Bowman Bay, on the west side, is the put-in of choice; if the water is moving in the opposite direction, Cornet Bay is made to order. Hand-in-hand with this first decision is the need to understand that, once you travel from one side of the Pass to the other, it is unlikely that you’ll be going back until the current changes direction. If you don’t have much time to spend in the area, or if you are looking for less adrenaline in your paddling day, consider making your transit closer to the time of slack.
A typical excursion might start at Cornet Bay an hour or so before maximum ebb. Nestled in the quiet backwaters of the Bay is privately-owned Ben Ure Island, and although landing is prohibited, the shoreline is open to inspection from the water. The smaller island out toward mid-channel is Strawberry Island, and you will get almost halfway to it before views of the Pass itself start to open up.
Somewhere between the two islands the massive force of the moving water will likely begin to make itself apparent. On very strong tidal exchanges, it may be necessary to stay along the Cornet Bay shore after launching, breaking for the tip of Strawberry Island only when getting aligned with the direction of the current. Strawberry Island doesn’t have any great landing sites, but there are some excellent little coves and hollows where you can tuck in out of the current and catch your breath.
This watery gauntlet is made up of two passages that cut from east to west. The southerly opening, approximately one hundred yards across, is known as Deception Pass, while the northerly cut, a mere hundred feet from one side to the other, is Canoe Pass. At a maximum ebb or flood current, either side is a white-knuckle ride that calls for skill and anticipation, but the velocity of the moving water can be even more striking as it rips through the steep walls of Canoe Pass.
Essentially, there are two ways to look at paddling through Deception Pass, and your choice will largely depend on your level of comfort. If you want to play in the eddies, surf the ephemeral waves and negotiate your way in and out of the endless whirlpools, you will have no difficulty finding conditions that will challenge you. If, however, your desire is to simply get through the pass with the minimum of effort and drama, and without using the more advanced paddling skills that you may or may not possess, the best route choice is right down the middle of the larger opening. Pick a point on the other side, keep your bow headed towards it using your paddle to make small course corrections, and let the power of the current propel you through.
Either way, once you have made your passage, you will have some time to look around before the current turns. Just to the north, between the pass and Bowman Bay, the shoreline is serrated, the tall cliffs cut here and there with small incisions that can be easily explored. Limpets cling to the walls of the cliffs, while under the water, crabs scuttle quietly through the hanging kelp that grows in spots throughout the area.
Bowman Bay is an ideal lunch stop, with its sweeping protected strand of sand and gravel, and to the north, the coastline continues along much the same. Small outcrops of rock rise above the water’s surface in places, and gulls and oystercatchers scurry about busily, squawking their disapproval if you should come too close. There are several caves just north of Bowman Bay that demand a closer look, and tiny pocket beaches along the way mixed with interesting rock gardens and towering cliffs.
When slack has come and gone, and the direction of the current has changed, the time for your return passage is upon you. (The current may not be evident when you are away from the immediate confines of Deception Pass; use your current guide to make your timing judgments). Deception Island sits just to the west of the pass and is a great place to visit before going back through. Its pristine beaches and overhanging greenery provide a tranquil contrast to the water, which begins to pick up speed in this vicinity. Again, it will be a straight shot through the opening to the other side, over quickly if that’s how you want it. If you are still looking to play, you’ll find the most entertaining waves and eddies either at the western tip of Canoe Pass or on the south side of Deception Pass, immediately below the bridge.
This is, without question, one of the most objectively demanding locations in the state, calling for a high degree of preparation and a healthy dose of respect. Conditions differ radically from minute to minute during larger tidal exchanges and paddling here necessitates an understanding not only of your boat or your board, but also of the water itself.
Access: To get to Bowman Bay from Interstate 5, go west on Highway 20 towards Anacortes. Take a left turn at Dean’s corner (a few miles east of Anacortes), and follow Highway 20 (also signed as Highway 525), south for several miles. Immediately after Pass Lake, which will be on your right side, take the right turn into Deception Pass State Park and follow the signs to the launch area. Parking is ample and convenient to the boat ramp and beach, and there are restrooms close by. A Washington State Discover Pass is required.
For Cornet Bay, follow the directions above, but instead of turning right into the park, continue on Highway 20 as it crosses over Deception Pass. Turn left onto Cornet Bay Road, about two miles south of the bridge, and follow it until it ends at the Cornet Bay parking area. The bulkheads that used to frame the shoreline here have been removed and the gravel beach is returning to its natural state, perfect for human-powered launches. There are restrooms here as well as plenty of parking. Again, a Discover Pass is required.
* * * * *
–-Ken Campbell is an author and paddler living in Tacoma, WA, where he is the Director of the Ikkatsu Project, a small non-profit organized around the issues of marine debris and single-use plastics. He is currently working on an updated paddling guide to the south Salish Sea, due to be completed in 2024. He can be reached at ken@ikkatsuproject.org