North River question

[Dabend]

I know, I know, the North River is in Scituate, not the North Shore but there is no South Shore Paddler's Network that i know of.

I am planning to practice rough water rescues at the mouth of the North River with some friends and was wondering if there are any particular safety concerns (such as known rips etc) that could take us by surprise. I have been there with a Charles River Canoe and Kayak surf class and it was just perfect...very rough but no dangerous currents. But I wasn't sure if the trip leader carefully planned out the schedule or whether any time or tide is safe there.

If you are familiar with the area, please pass along your thoughts.

thanks,

david

[Phil Allen]

Hi David-

Two things to watch out for: strong winds or wind swell from the North East and an ebbing tide. The current at the mouth can be large on the ebb; and with N.E. winds you can get some nasty/fun (depending on your perspective) wave action. You can usually sneak around the point in shallow water and land to scope things out before choosing where to play (and it's a good idea to try and stay out of the channel).

You might also ask this question on the "wild turkeys" website (www.wtpaddlers.org) as they're a south shore group.

Phil