We arrived at Deception Pass late in the afternoon to an unexpected afternoon surprise of fog that we ended up navigating through. It was slack tide so, a lot of boats that wanted to get through.
Deception Pass is a strait separating Whidbey Island from Fidalgo Island. It connects Skagit Bay, part of Puget Sound, with the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A pair of bridges known collectively as Deception Pass Bridge cross Deception Pass.
We often use this route to avoid going across the Straights of Jain de Fuca when swells stack up broadside to the boat front the pacific or there are small craft advisories.
Deception Pass is a dramatic seascape where the tidal flow and whirlpools beneath the twin bridges connecting Fidalgo Island to Whidbey Island move quickly. During ebb and flood tide current speed reaches about 8 knots (9.2 mph), flowing in opposite directions between ebb and flood.[7] This swift current can lead to standing waves, large whirlpools, and roiling eddies.
The best time to go is at slack tide. Because of the fog everyone was communicating via the VHF radio and taking turns since the fog was so thick. The funny thing was it was clear and blue sky on the East side but as soon as you went under the bridge it was foggy. The odd part was that it was 3:30pm in the afternoon which is very rare fo July.
