Kayaks under the Peace Bridge (US-Canada)

[ALGonquin Bob]

Some friends and I paddle our kayaks on the Niagara River under the Peace Bridge (Buffalo-Ft. Erie) 2 or 3 times a summer. I recently uploaded a 5:50 video that I shot in June. It's a lot of fun doing that in the fast turbulent water. We launch at Buffalo's Erie Basin Marina, paddle out onto Lake Erie, and ride the current back to another car that we left in Tonawanda, near my house:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcIeThORJBQ

 

[IndianChris]

Cool video. Looks like a lotta fun. Heart rate must've been up a little, hey.
Had a similar experience on the Hudson not long ago. The big rivers can be pretty wild!

 

[coldfeet]

Hey Bob, that was nice...liked your comment about you having a lot of experience, sometimes the newbies should be careful when they go out

Hey Chris, remind you of something a few weeks ago? My video of going downstream would have included some under water video

Bob, will keep in touch next year when we continue our nfct.

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

Yes, it's a lot of fun. We're used to it now, but the first time we did it 2 years ago, we were all pretty tight. One lady even wrote out her will!

David, I hope to acquire a Kevlar canoe by next season, so I'll be ready for some long tripping.

 

[Rick]

I used to live along the Niagara, 1 block from IsleView Park in Tonwanda - that current moves at least 10MPH if I recall. We used to waterski the course under the North GI Bridge. It looks pretty cool from a kayak bow...Thanks..

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

Cool. I live a few blocks from the river, closer to "Old Man River" and "Mississippi Mudds". The current in most of the river is slow enough that we have no problem paddling upstream, including when I do the 24-mile paddle around Grand Island. The flow under the Peace Bridge is much faster than under the G.I. bridge, oweing to the fact that ALL of the water coming from Lake Erie funnels beneath the Peace Bridge, vs. the 2 sets of Grand Is. bridges that each span about half of the volume in wider sections of the Niagara. We managed to paddle upstream under the Peace Bridge last year, on the Canada side, but it took a couple tries and very fast paddling. Fun? Wow!