Windy days can be a problem for paddlers.    Some insights are offered.

Wind Forecasts

• Environment Canada issues wind forecasts the day before.   The app allows hourly forecasts.
• Forecasts are for the City so if you are heading into the hills, it may be different.    For example if you are paddling at Badger Lake, check the Barriere forecast too.   If you are paddling Lac le Jeune, you can get a forecast for that specific spot too.
• There are also wind-specific forecasts available like Windfinder
• Winds of 20 km or greater mean that paddling will be difficult.

Wind Speed

• Calm – 5 km/h – good paddling
• 10 km/h – some chop – better on smaller lakes
• 20km/h+ – difficult conditions and large lakes are a poor choice

The Day’s Cycle

• Kamloops sits at the bottom of a valley, much lower than the Interior Plateau so there will be difference between the valley bottom and the hills
• Generally speaking winds are light in the morning then it becomes windier after 11:00 am.
• This is mostly because the valley will heat up and updrafts start, then colder air descends to replace it, starting a valley wind.
• Winds may abate in the late afternoon.
• Higher elevation lakes may not see the same cycle if it is a cloudy day.

Places to Avoid on a Windy Day

• Any large lake, but especially Kamloops Lake, Shuswap Lake, Little Shuswap Lake, Adams Lake, Nicola Lake, and Okanagan Lake.
• Any open lake, that is, without any hills or trees around the lake.    Open lakes tend to have no leeward zones.
• Smaller lakes surrounded with trees will have pockets of protection, but at 20 km/h, not enough.

Paddling in the Wind

• If the lake has whitecaps, don’t paddle.
• If the lake has a series of waves, then try to paddle the nose into the waves, where possible.
• Paddling downwind can be unsafe if the waves are moving faster than the boat.   There is a tendency to slide off the wave and then get turned and face oncoming waves.   This is when a rudder makes a big difference.
• If you have to paddle across a lake with the waves coming at a 90 degree angle, adjust your direction direction to paddle at 45 degrees, which may mean a longer route, but it will be a safer one.
• When crossing a large wave loop upwind and watch the waves.   they will come in 3’s or 4’s and two of them will be steeper and larger.    Anticipate their arrival and paddle into the wave, timing your stroke to coincide with the wave.    You may have to paddle on the same side for a few strokes in a row.
• When you are paddling in the wind, use good technique.    Sit up straight, reach forward, and paddle efficiently.

Safety

• If you have no rudder on your boat, avoid windy conditions.
• If you choose to paddle in the wind, you need to know self-rescue and have all the right equipment – a paddle float, a whistle, and a bailer or pump.   If the water is cold, hypothermia could be life threatening.
• On a windy day, paddle near the shoreline, but not too close since rebound waves may make paddling difficult.
• Don’t paddle alone on a windy day.   If conditions are unsafe, land your boat and either wait it out or line your boat from the shoreline.
• The best possible choice is to know the wind forecast in advance and plan accordingly.