View of the paddle out. You can see the platform at center. Waves are about another 50 meters down stream.

View from the platform. Pyramid wave is at center. The surfer pictured is on Big Joe.

Never know who you'll see in the parking lot! Steve Fisher explains the ferry out.

Description:

By now, most play boaters have heard of the waves at Lachine. In the Northeast region they are a Mecca for paddlers where many of the world's best play boaters can be seen going huge on any given day. Most rank Lachine amongst the very best features in the world. As seen above, there are two "main" waves at Lachine, Big Joe and Pyramid. However, there are a number of others waves as well that easily eclipse most others anywhere else in the Northeast.

Big Joe is the favorite wave at Lachine. It's basically divided by a ridge just to surfer's left of center. The ridge presents an excellent lift off vehicle for huge moves. Start high on surfers right and carve down across the ridge and you're bound to go big. To the left of the ridge, Big Joe is steeper, deeper, bouncier, and more retentive. To surfer's right of the ridge, Big Joe is a fast, glassy ride with plenty of bounce. Typically, new comers stick here for the first ride or two just to get a sense of the wave.

Pyramid wave, as pictured above, is a steep, fast glassy ride. When I visited in mid-August, there was no foam pile on it (as is basically always the case) and it was more difficult to attain. Once on though, the ride will put a smile on your face. It's not Big Joe, but then again, there's usually no wait to get on Pyramid.

While Lachine offers much more than just two great waves, Big Joe is epic and most folks don't want to waste the long difficult hike back up to the eddy on anything else. Depending on the day, waits can get long for accessing Big Joe, and, although frowned upon, some boaters there take rides that seem to never end. It goes without saying that "normal" etiquette should be observed (i.e., if you're on for more than a couple minutes, try throwing something big and give someone else a shot).

Visit http://homepage.mac.com/cliveseye/iMovieTheater24.html for some excellent footage of paddlers going huge at Lachine. Check out the other videos too while your there!

Access and Difficulty:

Getting out to the waves presents its own challenge. Because of its distance from shore, Lachine is not a spot for intermediate paddlers -- unless accompanied by a group of strong, experienced boaters. If you're not sure, check out Habitat 67 instead. Habitat is an excellent feature in its own right and its consequences are far less severe than Lachine's.

From the parking lot, you'll want to walk across a pedestrian bridge out to a island in the river (it's more like a peninsula). Take a right at the end of the path and go about another 30 meters to a gravel put it on your left. You'll see a somewhat narrow boily eddy in front of you. Hop in there. You can also put in further up stream, but any lower and you'll risk missing the platform. It will take you about 5 minutes to get down to the platform if all goes well.

This is a GENERAL DESCRIPTION!! Once you get in, cross the eddy line and paddle aggressively to river right. To say the St. Lawrence is "big water" is an understatement. Paddle hard! Once in the center you'll probably be in a calm spot with a wave train below to left and a series of waves and holes to your right. Spot the platform (not the tower!). If you go river left, of the platform, beware of the pour over hole just above it and a bit to river left. I personally think the best bet is to head about 20-30 meters river left of the platform and ride through the wave train. There is a jet of water you can ride from that vantage down to the platform. It looked pretty clear. I'd suggest against going too far river right on the ferry out. If you find yourself so far right that you're lined up with Big Joe, you'll have to punch (or get recirculcated in) a significant hole that spans about 30 meters wide, and then make a difficult ferry back over to the platform.

The ferry out isn't extremely difficult, but it does require good river reading skills. An accident or a swim will present a real hazard since you're about a half mile from shore. If it's your first time out, it's not a bad idea to follow a local if one's handy.

Getting back to shore is technically much easier, but it will require ferrying for about 30-45 minutes. Many regulars paddle back to shore using a route near the platform. I find it easier to just ferry back after my last surf. As a consequence, when I finally get back to shore, I usually need to walk about 15 minutes or so back to the parking lot through the park. It's really not so bad.

Eddy Service:

No easy matter. At the end of your ride, paddle aggressively back to river left. Don't let yourself float too far down river! To get back up to the platform, you'll need to pull yourself over a few rock shelves -- one of which requires the use of a rope. When using the ropes, be considerate. Try and keep the line to your right so that others behind you can get hold of it. Don't bundle it on your deck or let it get pulled out of reach. The best bet for first timers is to watch one or two people go ahead of you and you'll see the maneuver.

It takes about 10 minutes to get back up to the platform eddy from the bottom and your pulse will be racing the hole time.

Levels:

The waves are around throughout the summer, but generally lower river levels produce better features. Most people feel that Lachine is at its best in the late summer and fall.

Directions:

Because of the nature of the Lachine's location, it's easiest to just refer to the map above. You can use Yahoo Maps to get you to the general area. Most people coming from New England will cross the St. Lawrence on Auto Rt. 10/15/20. From there, take La Salle south toward Lachine. The river will be on your left. Once you see the waves, continue past them a little ways and look for a parking lot on your left. You'll probably see a number of cars with racks and boats. That's it!

Other Sources:

http://www.kayakmind.com/html/Rivers/Rivers%20Canada/rivercanadastlawlachine.php

http://staff.washington.edu/fullercw/kayak/lachine/index1.html

http://www.jacksonkayak.com/archived-stories/Lachine-Rapids.cfm

Other Considerations:

The group I went with planned the trip at the very last minute - basically the day before. Still, despite the late start, we were able to get a sweet hotel room right in downtown for less than $140 (US) for two nights on Priceline.com. Split that between a few people, and you're looking at the cost of camping. If even that is too rich for your blood, I hear that some folks crash in their cars in the lots of various large stores, like Walmart.

Despite living in a post-911 world, the boarder crossing was no big hassle. However, an ID and a birth certificate are technically required for reentry into the USA. Having a passport will make things easier, but it's not necessary. Don't bring weed or any other contra band. Now is not the time to test boarder security. I have had friends get searched at the US/Canadian boarder. They are extremely thorough! Also note that Canada may refuse entry to any person with a criminal history. A guy I paddle with drove 4.5 hours to the boarder and was turned away for having a prior DUI conviction. It probably won't be a problem, but it's worth noting anyway.

Playspot information and photos provided by Rob Stiles and Northeast Playboating. Posted 08/04.

NOTE: Northeast Playboating allows for the free dissemination of this information for all non-profit purposes, but any republication requires express attribution to Northeast Playboating.