Paddle Intra Coastal South FL.

Advice
#1

I live in south FL & I am thinking of paddling the Boca Inlet then paddle south to the Hillsboro Inlet & return via the intra coastal.

Since preperation is very important with knowledge of tides & currents can someone advice me on the best time to make this easier & safe for me.

High tide at the Boca inlet on 7/11 is 9:06AM, low tide 3:40 PM.

High Tide at Hillsboro Inlet is 8:45 AM, Low tide is 3:07PM.

The winds have been out of the SE.

Distance around 14 miles.



Thanks,

Robert G

#2

I Can Help Some
My general rules for negotiating inlets:


  1. Don’t try to go from ocean to inlet as the tide is rushing out.


  2. Try to time it so you negotiate the inlet at high or low tide so water is fairly calm.


  3. If you can’t time it so there’s little or no current, at least time it so the current is WITH you.


  4. If the water looks dicey, land on the beach at a calm spot and ‘walk the dog’… pull your boat with a rope in the shallows.
#3

Amen, that is our method also
Jack L

#4

Hey Jack
I’m on vacation this week. Might head to the salt water for a day or two.



One of my buddies was kayaking at Shackleford Banks last weekend. He had his VHF on and heard chatter about someone getting drunk and sinking a rented houseboat at Beaufort Inlet. Doh!

#5

We were out in Badin Lake for the …
weekend, and watched every day as the Sherrifs patrol and the Wold life patrol boat was pulling over and writing up the various party boaters.

If anyone ever wanted to try their luck on washing machine type waters from all the crazies zipping back and forth and cutting across each other wakes this was the place to do it.

I saw one very big pontoon boat take a wave right over the front and come out the back over the motor.

I thought sure it was going to sink.



Jack L