Kayaking The Puget Sound: Seattle To Bainbridge (21 Miles)

EDIT: WARNING! This video got a lot more views than I expected and I want people to know that kayaking across the Puget Sound can be very dangerous without proper training and equipment! I myself did this at a time when I was an amateur kayaker with inadequate gear. I survived, but I do not recommend what I did. Please read below for more details on safety concerns.
On 7/19/20, I kayaked from Seattle to Bainbridge Island and back
My route (reverse on return):
Fremont Cut - Ballard Draw Bridge - Ballard Locks - Discovery Park - Rolling Bay - Fay Bainbridge Park
The whole journey was 21 miles and took me 10 hours including breaks. It took just over an hour (3 miles) to cross the Puget Sound each way between Discovery Park and Rolling Bay.

====== SAFETY CONCERNS ======
It is YOUR responsibility to have necessary gear and training. I am not a qualified kayaking expert and I am not liable for your kayaking decisions. This is meant to be an introduction to the dangers of kayaking. Please receive proper training from a qualified instructor and don't do this as your first trip!
Kayaking in the Puget Sound from Bainbridge to Seattle poses many risks. There are at least several issues:
- waves and rocks
- cold water
- currents
- cargo ships
The sound is usually very choppy. I would not use a recreational sit-in kayak because they can become swamped and filled with water, even with styrofoam inserts. Become familiar with your kayak and choppy water. Take a kayaking class and practice self-rescue. Don’t kayak alone, in case something happens and despite your training, you still aren’t able to get back in your kayak. Also, check the weather forecast beforehand. In my experience, the water tends to get especially choppy with strong currents around capes, points, and peninsulas around peak ebb and flow in between high and low tides. These formations also tend to be rocky; you could hit a submerged rock and flip your kayak, hit your head, be separated from your kayak, and drift away in the rip current. I recommend not taking an inflatable since they can tear.
Puget sound fluctuates between 45 and 55 degrees throughout the year. It may be warm in your kayak, but if your kayak flips over and you can't reach it, you will die of hypothermia before you reach the shore if you're any significant distance away. You lose body heat 25x faster in water and you can die in a matter of minutes in water that cold. Simply falling into water that cold can induce a cold shock response where your body locks up and you drown. Dress for immersion, in the event that something goes wrong. It's essential that you at least wear a full-body wetsuit. If the water temperature is less than 50, you should wear a drysuit instead. Check the water temperature before you go. Wear a life preserver as well. Wetsuits are naturally a bit buoyant, but are not a replacement for a PFD. There are PFDs that are engineered to not get in the way of kayaking strokes and only cost marginally more than a normal PFD.
You should consult an expert about currents in Puget Sound and check the schedule for tides and currents where you are going. If you are already pushing yourself close to the point of exhaustion, currents can add unexpected difficulty that make it impossible to reach safety, especially in a slower kayak like an inflatable or a sit-on-top.
Commercial vessels are also very dangerous. Elliot Bay is a huge shipping corridor. Large freighters are like trains. It takes them miles to stop or turn and they go very fast. They also have the right of way in shipping lanes. Don’t assume they can see and avoid you. Don't cross the Puget Sound at night like I did. However, buy deck lights just in case you end up needing to kayak at night. Also, buy a VHF radio and learn how to use it to communicate with the coast guard and other vessels. Powered boats (including freighters) have lights on at night: a forward-facing white light, a green light on the starbird (right) side, and a red light on the port (left) side. However, it can still be difficult to gauge their distance and speed at night.
Quick summary:
- Take kayaking lessons from an expert
- Don’t kayak alone
- It is hard to gauge distances at night and easy to get lost
- Know how to get back in your kayak
- Freighters have the right of way. They are incapable of stopping or turning.
- Inflatable kayaks are slow and fragile, recreational sit-in kayaks can become swamped, sit-on-top kayaks are slow
- Be aware of currents
- Cold water quickly kills with hypothermia or cold shock response
Essential gear:
- Sea kayak, specifically designed for ocean waves
- PFD (personal flotation device)
- Drysuit (preferred) or wetsuit
- Spare paddle
- Waterproof VHF marine radio
- Bilge pump
- Deck Lights
- Kayak repair kit
- First aid kit
- Ample food and water
- Sealed cases and/or drybags, tied to the boat w/ rope
- external battery pack for phone
- headlamp
- Spare ropes

[@N3ur0m4nc3r]

Cool video. Fun Fact. Most old wooden pillings are soaked in harsh chemicals to keep them from rotting in the tidal waters. Eating the occasional berry is fine but not great as the fruit will absorb chemical compounds from the pile as the wood breaks down.

[@IstasPumaNevada]

Thanks for sharing this, and also for putting updated safety info in the description.
I live in western Montana and there are plenty of smaller lakes to explore, but there are also reservoirs that are tens of miles long, as well as Flathead Lake (which gets its own wind and wave forecasts; it's the same size as Lake Tahoe); I hope eventually to take big trips like this (with the appropriate gear you mention in the description, of course).

[@rabago85]

Sweet 80s mix.

[@murdo4243]

That soundtrack is choice

[@danielsimpson501]

Damn dude I thought you would be camping there, when I saw the sun going down, the last thing I expected was for you to paddle back 😨 that looks extremely sketchy lol

[@shethatisnau]

What a lucky find with the blackberry!

[@jlafayet]

You took an incredibly dangerous act and turned it into a really fantastic public service message. Kudos to you for leaving the video up with the really great expanded description. You obviously risked your life doing what you did, but you may well save lives when other inexperienced and ill -equipped kayakers who are considering doing something like this see this video and read the description. I don’t fault you for doing it, though; I think it’s a problem with the sport that people new to it just don’t appreciate the dangers involved, and this video will be a sort of magnet to warn them.

[@ratherbesleddin]

The Ballard draw bridge was built in 1917

[@sailingyemaya9781]

What kind of kayak is this? It does good in the sound. I would like to pull one behind my 20 foot sailboat

[@davidmiller532]

Hey as a Seattle native good job, next time start north more.

[@georgerosca]

how long did it take? also, would a sit on top kayak work as well?

[@andrewdavidson4421]

make sure you read my new, updated description before attempting this

[@draw1951]

It’s great that you amended your video with appropriate warnings. As someone who lives on Bainbridge, one only has to take a ferry ride to appreciate how powerful the waves and currents can be. So glad you made it safely. As a newbie kayaker, my trips will be along the shore and with all the appropriate gear, spray skirt an essential. Stay safe.

[@IstasPumaNevada]

@@draw1951 Sounds great! I hope you have since had many fun trips. :)

[@Lukesh30253]

Creosote BlackBerry nice lol