Oregon Ocean Paddling Society upcoming events

Willamette River 2026 Event (August 20, 2026)

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Willamette River

August 20-22, 2026

(Thursday - Saturday)

Join OOPS for a three-day, two-night paddle down a beautiful stretch of the Willamette River from Albany to Keizer. We’ll paddle ~15 miles a day with the current and camp along the river (at Luckiamute and Independence).

You’ll need to bring your own food, water, and shelter (and have it all fit in your kayak!). Please-test your packing plan before Thursday morning. Do you have everything you need?

There is no plan to return equipment to your car from the launch site or either campground. There is no sag-wagon and there is no equipment raft. There is no storage at Bryant park. Whatever you bring on the shuttle from Keizer Landing will have to fit in your boat and will go with you for the entire trip. Again - test your packing plan before Thursday, August 21st.

Equipment and Food

There was an excellent discussion of what you will need for kayak camping. Look for it on the listserve.

Luckimute does not have a water supply, so plan to pack at least one gallon per person per day of fresh water.

Schedule

Thursday, August 20
We’ll meet Thursday morning at the take-out (Keizer Rapids Landing), leave our cars and be shuttled with our boats and gear to the put-in (Bryant Park in Albany).

Watch for an email 1 week before launch for the complete shuttle plan for Thursday morning. This plan will include where you should be, what you should be doing, and when you should be doing it. Please - follow the plan! Communicate with Admiral or Event Manager asap if there is a problem with it.

From Bryant Park, we’ll paddle down-river to Luckimute Landing State Natural Area, camping on the Willamette River across from the confluence with the Santiam River.

Friday, August 21

Friday morning we’ll depart Luckimute and head downriver, stopping for lunch on a gravel bar. Then we will paddle to, and camp, at Riverview Park in Independence, Oregon.

We'll enjoy the festival happening that evening (quiet time at 10pm), as well as food carts and pubs. You can also cook your own dinner. Water refills, showers, and food will be available in Independence.

Your Volunteer Staff:

Event Manager: Tori Wieldt, ‭(415) 519-0860‬, seashanty88@gmail.com

Trip Admiral: Mark Niemann-Ross, (503) 860-2183, mark@niemannross.com

Assistant Event Manager: Lynn Lindgren, ‭(503) 984-8730‬, lindschr@msn.com

August Monthly Meeting - Please join us for OOPS Outside on August 26, 2026 (August 26, 2026)

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 01:45:00 GMT

OOPS Friends and soon to be friends. These meetings are open to anyone interested in OOPS.

August is OOPSO which is short for OOPS outside! Join us at Willamette Park Pavilion located at 1100 12th St., West Linn. This will be an opportunity for hands on practice with Radios, Knots and the Ten Essentials. OOPs will be providing pizza, salad and seltzer waters.

Radios - Marty Martinez will be leading radio practice. He will discuss basic communication terms, what to do in an emergency or when you just need to communicate with the rest of your party. If you have a radio, bring it for real-life practice with fellow OOPsters. If you don’t have a radio, we will have them available for you to practice. Plan to be on or near the water for this exercise.
Knots - Jon Light-Powell will be demonstrating how to tie knots that you may need to repair your kayaking or when you are out on the water. Bring rope if you have it.
Ten Essentials - Mark Neiman Ross will be discussing the Ten Essentials and how to pack them efficiently. Discuss the what, where and why of Ten Essentials. Share stories about the time you had just the right tool to help a fellow kayaker when you are out on the water.

Please RSVP by Monday August 24th so that we can order the right number of pizzas. You are welcome to bring an adult beverage if you choose.

Comments, questions, ideas? Send them our way!
Lynn and Andy programs@oopskayak.org

Orcas Island Event 2026 (September 17, 2026)

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Orcas Island

Sept 17 - 21, 2026

Paddling days will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday

General registration opens May 7th, 9:30 pm

Trip Organizers who have been approved to lead trips for the Event will be able to register earlier

Come paddle with us in the lovely and always popular San Juan Islands on Orcas Island, Washington! This year we are camping at a new location: the Four Winds Westward Ho youth camp. Located in Deer Harbor, the property includes one hundred acres of woods, fields, and waterfront. We will be the only group using the property when we are there, and will be renting a house with a kitchen and inside gathering space. There’s a large area for our tents near toilets and showers and a parking area that includes space for small RV’s. The camp is beautiful, quiet, and spacious. Daytime temperatures range in the high 60s, and it gets into the 50s at night.

Costs for the event is $108.00 for on-site OOPS members.

Paddles to and around nearby islands are plentiful. The popular destination of Jones Island takes you through passes and around small islands to a pretty island park with a resident deer herd, sandy beaches, and trails through madrona groves and meadows. Or paddle to the more isolated and protected Yellow Island, owned by The Nature Conservancy, and is home to amazing wildflowers and frolicking seals, where you can hike with a 360-degree view of the San Juans. Take a trip to the many bays and islets of the horseshoe shaped Sucia Island and gaze at the interesting geology and strange rock formations. Paddles from Orcas give you a chance to see jellyfish, seals, and perhaps its namesake whale. Visit Mt. Constitution, rising above Orcas half a mile high, with its fantastic vistas of other San Juan Islands and Mt. Baker in the Cascades. Orcas has excellent pubs, wineries, restaurants, and shops, as well as the oldest pottery studio in the northwest.

Although we will be there in September, out of high season, we do recommend that you book your ferry reservation as soon as you are accepted onto the event. While it is possible to travel without reservations, sometimes there is a long line, which may mean a wait for the next ferry.

Your Volunteer Staff:

Event Manager: Gay Lewis

Trips Admiral: Tom Waldron

Assistant Event Manager: Nancy Schmidt

Orcas Event: West Sound to Blind Island RT (September 18, 2026)

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 15:15:00 GMT

Full Name:: Tom Waldron
Email address::thomaswaldron1952@gmail.com
Phone:: 5037061505
Activity Title:: Orcas Event: West Sound to Blind Island RT
Date of Activity:: 9/18/2026
Narrative:: Starting north from Four Winds Bay, we’ll paddle along the coast line of West Sound to the Orcas Ferry Terminal. From there, we'll cross Harney Channel to Blind Island Marine State Park, stopping for lunch. There are restrooms on Blind Island and 360-degree vista of Shaw and Orcas Islands. Note that there is no potable water available on the island.

After our stop on Blind Island we’ll travel west, along the coast line of Shaw Island. A half mile past Broken Point, just before Wasp Passage, we’ll cross behind Bell Island to Caldwell Point on Orcas Island. From there we’ll continue north along the Orcas coastline, circumnavigate Double and Victim Islands, before returning to Four Winds.

Paddling around 3 knots, time on the water, including lunch, should be between 5 -6 hours.. Distance approximately 11 miles.

Meeting Time:: 8:15:00 AM
Launch Time:: 9:00:00 AM
Type of activity:: Paddle Trip
Put in:: Four Winds Bay
Take out:: Four Winds Bay
Route Alternative for bad weather:: N/A
Required equipment::
Minimum Immersion protection:: Drysuit
Primary Organizer:: Tom Waldron
Co-Organizer(s):: TBD
Has organizer paddled here before?: No
Has organizer led an OOPS paddle here before?: No
Organizer's first aid and CPR current?: Yes
First Aid /CPR Person::
Maximum number of paddlers:: 10
I certify that I understand and will conduct this activity in accordance with the OOPS Activity Policy:: Yes
Estimated Air Temperature:: 50 - 60 degrees F
Estimated Water Temperature:: 45 - 55 degrees F
Estimated Water Time (including breaks/lunch):: 5 - 6 hours
Tide times & heights:: 9/18/26
Low: 0.36 ft 4:29 AM, High: 6.82 ft 1:36 PM, Low: 5.96 ft 7:05 PM
9/19/26
Low: 0.62 ft 5:31 AM, High: 7.01 ft 2:40 PM
9/20/26
Low: 0.79 ft 6:39 AM, High: 7:14 ft 3:26 PM, Low: 5.45 ft 9:39 PM

Current information:: 9/18/26
Ebb: -1.15 Knots 12:54 AM, Slack before flood 4:43 AM, Flood: 0.89 Knots 8:51 AM, Slack before ebb 1:08 PM, Ebb: -0.36 knots 3:22 PM, Slack before flood 5:53 PM
9/19/26
Ebb: -1.07 Knots 1:36 AM, Slack before flood 5:32 AM, Flood: 0.9 Knots 9:59 AM, Slack before ebb 2:15 PM, Ebb: -0.37 knots 4:44 PM, Slack before flood 7:43 PM
9/20/26
Ebb: -0.95 Knots 2:28 AM, Slack before flood 6:24 AM, Flood: 0.95 Knots 10:55 AM, Slack before ebb 3:01 PM, Ebb: -0.48 knots 5:52 PM

Hazards:: Shipping traffic
Wind strength:: Level 2: 7-12 knots (14 mph) – wind noticeably effects movement of paddle
Waves, Swell, Breaking Waves: Level 2: Waves up to 2', no breaking waves
Sea state:: Level 2: Waves up to armpit; light to moderate chop, scattered whitecaps
Landing types:: Level 3: Bad footing, rocky shores, or surf up to 1.5'
Currents:: Level 2: Mild currents (up to 2 knots): current increases / decreases group speed by half
Total distance:: Level 2: 6 to 11 miles
Open crossing:: Level 1: Less than 0.5 miles
Paddling Environment::
Overall rating:: Level 2
Rating Comments::
Location:: Four Winds Bay, Orcas Island
Photos (Optional)::
COVID-19 Status of Trip:: Participants of this trip may, or may not, be vaccinated for Covid-19
Tide Station:: Orcas Tide Station
Link to map of route (Optional):
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