Strong Currents, and Rips.....

[RUSS-D]

 I was wondering if strong currents/rips have less effect on SUP's? I ask because my friend and I want to cross Tampa Bay over to a place called Egmont Key. But it is a Shipping channel, and gets deep, ans the water moves realy fast through there. We would have at least one chase boat with us. Reason we want to do it is the Ships blaze through there, and thier wake hits a Schoal that sits off the key. Send a realing waist high wave across it for a couple hundred yards. I just don't wan't to get sucked out to Sea trying this. There might be a bout 5-8 of us trying it, some in Kayaks. Being that I am so new to this, I would rather ask the experienced, rather than living a bad exerience. Thanks for any replies.

[Dwight (DW)]

I have paddle across strong current inlets before. The key is knowing the direction the tide is moving. Worst case, you end up out at the mouth of the inlet, where you break free of the current and continue back to land.

The chop can get confussed and difficult, so having good balance and paddle skills helps.

[RUSS-D]

Cool, thanks for the raply. I am npt too overly concernec aboutit, we will have a chase boat with us, hopefully 2, and a Jet-Ski. I am getting excited, when I get back from South Carolina, this comming weekend, I get my true SUP board.

[Christian70000]

Russ,

I'm thinking about ten miles on Thur - I wanna it out the same day I turn 40.

Have a kick ass day.

[RUSS-D]

I wish I had my SUP board, and the time to do that run with you bro.

[gjbstandup]

Russ D
 I paddle through some strong currents and fast moving tide. Here in South Carolina we have 7-8 foot tidal chances between high an low.tide. That equates to about 1 & 1/2  foot an hour . On the back bays and narrow marshes  inlets the water can move.I've had no trouble with tide currents but paddling into  10 to 15 knot wind  sea
 breeze is pretty tough.  Its  great work out. Its like doing wind sprints. My upper body acts like a sail or wall depending the direction of my paddle.
   I've yet to cross some deep water w/ currents but at times wind and tide can be enough for a great paddle.   Russ, Have you received your SUP yet. Any pics.  Let check it out.   

[RUSS-D]

Thanks for the reply, and yes I have gotten my SUP. Got it a couple of Weeks ago, and love it. I am going to enter a small 1 mile race on Saturday on the EC, and see how I do against People that have been doing this for quite a while. Here is a pic of it when I first got it. I have a C4 deck pad on it now, I'll get pics up soon. I have crossed quite a few strong current passes now, and have had no ill affect from it LOL. I had actualy forgoten all about this thread .

[MichaelF]

Russ-D Looking at you board I see the fin box up higher on your board.  I like it.  I have both a laird and a Starboard 12'6 and have pushed my fin in the middle all the way up. 

are we starting to see these fin boxed cut into the boards higher up.

[RUSS-D]

Since this is my first SUB, I can't realy give you an answer. I have found that pushing the fin all the way up makes it a little more stable for cruising. I learned that on the Windsurfer. I slid the fin all the way back, and couldn't stand up at all LOL. I have not tried pushing the fin all the way back on this board yet. I'll give it a shot tomorrow.

[shapeshifter]

the other day i did a little more than a 5 mile paddle on knee to waist high rollers in a strong current; the waves at about a 45º to my intended course and steady wind from the same direction which i would guess was at about 10 to 15 knots. the round trip took about two hours. it wasn't the worst conditions i have been in yet but by far the most arduous situations i have experienced thus far. i describe something that came to me in my post on the "how do you turn?" thread. the oblique paddle stroke i describe there helped me stay the course at full steam.

here's a street map showing the route from touhy to foster ave., needless to say i took the detour through the water.

through most of the way it seemed more like a battle. then at some point about 3/4's through the journey i stopped engaging all my muscles and began to relax... only relating the 4 "hard points" of both hands and feet that make up the contact areas at the paddle and the board with each other. that was when i realized that i was in the bubble. things became a lot easier... it was like a rock 'n roll dance while in a parallel trance!