My local paddling grounds in February.

[Badger]

I spend a lot of time paddling around Great Bay, New Hampshire. It's a tidal inland bay about twelve miles upriver from Portsmouth Harbor.

When the tide is right I can carry my board across the street and launch in the salt marsh creek that runs into the bay.

In the summer the water temperature can be 75 - 80 degrees in certain parts of the bay. Some days are like glass and you can follow miles of shoreline with lots of creeks and rivers to explore.

Downwinders are also possible. The fetch from west to east is about three and a half miles. A twenty knot wind can kick up some pretty good chop. Longer downwind runs of five miles can be had going north and south.

Here's what it looked like this morning where I normally launch across from my house. The ice is about a foot thick. Ice fishing used to be very popular here in the 60s and 70s with over a thousand fishing shacks covering this side of the bay. These days a dozen is about the most you'll ever see.

By mid March, all the ice will be gone. When it finally breaks up there are often large pieces of drifting ice to paddle around. Many can be big enough step on to. You can hang out there and just drift with the tide.

[lucabrasi]

Hmmmm, cabin fever anyone?

[pdxmike]

Hmmmm, cabin fever anyone?

That's probably what the lizard in your jar was thinking.

[supthecreek]

I feel your pain Mr. Shoals... soon the resounding crack will be heard, signaling the big melt is on... and the fishing shacks will sink slowly into the SUP zone.... the good news is.... your season is longer than theirs

[MaineSUP]

DW on great bay? I want to know more.  What wind direction?

[MaineSUP]

I just read your post again and answered my own question about wind direction.

[MaineSUP]

Keep in touch about your New Hampshire Downwinders, always looking for good runs in New England.

[Badger]

Keep in touch about your New Hampshire Downwinders, always looking for good runs in New England.

Hey Maine SUP, somehow I missed your replies. I don't know why but they didn't show up under new and recent posts which I check everyday.

I'll be posting my downwinders all the time once spring gets here and my new M-14 arrives.

Great Bay may not be the greatest downwind destination but under the right conditions it's pretty good. I can tell you where the best launch/landing spots are.

[Board Stiff]

Wow, I've seen some ice on the surfaces of the tidal rivers around here but didn't realize Great Bay froze solid like that!

I can't wait for spring to finally reach us up here this year. Today's weather was just a tease, especially since there wasn't any surf!  I'm looking to pick up a 14' board soon and will be up for local downwinders around here too. I did about a 3 mile run down the Oyster River on a day with a strong west wind last spring. Caught a few bumps and was able to glide right up to a seal as I entered Little Bay.

[Badger]

Yeah, the Bay usually freezes about as far as Adam's Point. Sometimes even Little Bay freezes up. Once when I was a kid in the 60s it froze all the way to General Sullivan Bridge. There are pictures from a century ago when it froze all the way to the Navy Yard and people were walking across the river at Portsmouth.

They've done a lot of dredging in the river since then to allow for bigger ships. The river moves faster now and doesn't have time to freeze like it used to.

I can't wait to see how the M-14 goes in the bay. I have gotten some awesome glides with my 11'2" and 12'6". With a strong southerly against an incoming tide the run from Sandy Point in Stratham to Fox Point can be spectacular. I've seen almost knee high waves in Little bay. The conditions have to be just right. Often it's hit or miss. A reverse of that run could be done on a north wind but I've never tried that. Unfortunately winds from directly north or south are somewhat rare.

I hope to see you out there.