I just started kayaking this year and haven’t done much open water kayaking. I am mostly into rivers and small lakes where I can get about a four or five mile paddle in without whitewater or white caps. I have been on the Potomac River and tributaries of the Chesapeake bay at some pretty wide spots but stayed close to shore.
I could see when I put in that my trip was going to be challenging. All the waters I was heading out to where exposed to the northwest from where the wind was blowing. I don’t have a splash skirt but will definitely have one before I venture out on Lake Champlain again.
I headed out of the inlet I was in to increasingly rougher water. The chop started out at about .5 to 1 foot without whitecaps. I was out in fairly open water for about 45 minutes and really had to watch the wave action and be sure I didn’t get broadside to it.
I tried to work the journey so that I could keep myself heading into or getting pushed by the waves. I did not come close to foundering at anytime but definitely caught some serious bow or side splash. I was pretty well wet from the waist down by the time I pulled in. The last two stretches of the paddle were headed into or followed by 1.5 to 2 foot swells. I was happy to get in but probably would not want to try that again by myself.