Except for the whirlpool part. That looks scary.
I was at one of those places this fall - the Reversing Falls on the Sheepscot River in ME. Just as he describes, a narrow channel funnels the outgoing tide through this drop . It’s not as big as the stuff in this video, but it is probably a 3-foot drop.
This is what it looks like at high tide
This is what it looks like at low tide
I’d like to go back and try it in the summer when a swim isn’t as cold.
No tides here on the Great Lakes, just the occasional seiche, so that looks pretty major to me, Erik. Are there tide tables for rivers? That sure would add a new dimension to trip planning.
Also impressive was that scene in the video of the ships rising and falling at dock with the tide.
I just wish the sea kayaking video had better flow. I like more than just a nanosecond glimpse of each scene.
The reversing falls in the Sheepscot is where I got my first river combat roll (I was paddling a sea kayak, not that it made any difference in rollability). The capsize didn’t occur in the drops, but when looking a bit too long at a strong eddyline barely next to me. Next thing I knew, I was upside down. And then I rolled up, which surprised me as much as the unexpected capsize. Before that, I had failed when capsizing in a river. But in that week, I got my first successful rolls in surfing waves, and then in the Sheepscot River. And yes, it continued when I got home and was paddling at the WW park. So Maine has some fond memories of reaching for–and holding onto–that next level of skill I had been working toward.
Crossover is a good thing.
Rookie, if you get a chance to go there, check it out. The tidal stream allows you to paddle to the falls, play in the reversal both on the flood and ebb, and then paddle to the same place you started. Park, paddle, play, and paddle!!!
@Rookie said:
No tides here on the Great Lakes, just the occasional seiche, so that looks pretty major to me, Erik. Are there tide tables for rivers? That sure would add a new dimension to trip planning.
Yup the tides are like clockwork, and there are schedules. We paddled down on an outgoing tide, and back up on an incoming tide. No fun to try to paddle against the tide. The falls are the biggest if you can catch them at the peak of low tide, and we didn’t. Still pretty impressive.
@Rookie said
Also impressive was that scene in the video of the ships rising and falling at dock with the tide.I just wish the sea kayaking video had better flow. I like more than just a nanosecond glimpse of each scene.
I know that area reasonably well as my wife is Nova Scotian and her sister lives close to Hall’s Harbour which has a 47’ tide.
For better videos Google up “Walton Whopper”. Mostly the videos will be from the Bay Of Fundy Sea Kayaking Symposium - BOFSKS. Cool stuff!
By the way, that whirlpool looks a little scary to me too! :o
@kfbrady
Took your advice and watched this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEq_kHEc974
Crazy - but yeah, pretty cool. Some of the scenes reminded me of the hot dog snowboarders doing flips, etc.
@pikabike - did a bit of reading about the Sheepscot and checked it out on Google Earth. Beautiful area - lots of water up there in ME. Shortest route is little over 1,000 miles taking the Trans-Canada Highway. Sure would be a super road trip.