Time of day for calmer water in Juneau

[zelker]

There may not be a difference in Juneau but am going to ask anyway -- does the water tend to be more calm in the morning or the afternoon to go out whale watching? We're used to Maui, where it's pretty predictable that the water is more calm in the morning before the tradewinds kick up. Since there aren't any trades in Alaska, is it a crapshoot?

 

Thanks!

[wolfie11]

Well, there is often a difference. It can be blowing a gale at 8am and calm by 3pm or vice versa, but it's pretty hard to predict. Winds in Juneau are generally associated with weather fronts moving thru. Water can be choppy for 12-24 hours after the storm clears. On the other hand, the waters around Juneau are so protected that you generally don't get very high seas even in a good storm.

[halibutk]

As a local I fiond Wolfie11 comment to be pretty spot on, but if I was to pick it would be the morning.

 

Sometimes the local winds are driven by what happens up Lynn Canal at Skagway. With a long fetch down Lynn canal the afternoon s can get pretty choppy here. A common pattern on warm sunny summers like we are having this year is that as the day progresses the winds get stronger. Morning are sometimes flat calm and about 3pm its blowing 15-20.

[zelker]

As a local I fiond Wolfie11 comment to be pretty spot on, but if I was to pick it would be the morning.

 

Sometimes the local winds are driven by what happens up Lynn Canal at Skagway. With a long fetch down Lynn canal the afternoon s can get pretty choppy here. A common pattern on warm sunny summers like we are having this year is that as the day progresses the winds get stronger. Morning are sometimes flat calm and about 3pm its blowing 15-20.

 

Thanks for the info. It seems to me that most places have calmer water in the morning but I know there's never a guarantee. That said, I think I'll book a morning trip and hope the odds are a little more in our favor. ;)

[westlab]

Is the whale watching a rough trip? I am very prone to motion sickness. I do use Bonine and the "watch" which gives electrical shocks.. that helps, but doesn't cure it. I am fine on a cruise ship, but get me in ocean and watch out.

[tee_harbor]

There may not be a difference in Juneau but am going to ask anyway -- does the water tend to be more calm in the morning or the afternoon to go out whale watching? We're used to Maui, where it's pretty predictable that the water is more calm in the morning before the tradewinds kick up. Since there aren't any trades in Alaska, is it a crapshoot?

 

Thanks!

 

Are you concerned about becoming seasick? Because it doesn't really make any difference otherwise.

 

Unfortunately, there's no way to gauge it. Yesterday, the wind blew very hard all day. I watched the whale watching boats fighting their way out through the waves and thought, ugh, that wouldn't be fun. I don't get seasick, but it would be hard to be out on the decks with the sideways rain and it would obscure the views out the windows too.

 

I noticed the kayaking place at Auke Bay was closed too. Just not a day to be out on the water. Today, it's fine. *shrug* There's rarely anything that you can use to make a judgment as far out as you'll need to book. Just hope for the best.

[zelker]

Are you concerned about becoming seasick?

 

Yep. I take Bonine which helps a lot but if it gets really bouncy, I've found I can still get a bit queezy. :(

 

Am surprised that the whale watching boats went out yesterday if it was that bad and the viz was that lousy. Bet there were a lot of less-than-happy people that couldn't cancel and get refunds. If it would have been as you described in Maui, the boats wouldn't have even gone out.