Spot in Lac Saint-Louis: Lachine

Montreal gets 0 to 25 knots, usually gusty, with many days of 7 to 14 knots. The lake is very large and sits in a residential area. The St Lawrence water is turquoise and the Ottawa River water is muddy. Where they meet at Lake Saint Louis, they create turquoise wavy currents. Behind the peninsula to the east, the rapids start. Do not go there or let the eastward current pull you in. Past the lighthouse, you are safe in open water. Beginners can stay between the peninsula and the shore, but the wind is gusty and mostly blows toward the rapids. Go out with care, stay well upwind of the rapids, and ideally have a rescue boat or experienced riders nearby. Coast guard and police boats launch nearby and have picked up people who drifted into the rapids, but do not count on a rescue. Lots of kayaks and SUPs, some wings, a few kites, and very few windsurfers. The launch sits between a canoe club and a sailing school, with a rowing club in the middle, but there is room for everyone. The rowing club lets people use its dock, but many riders prefer to launch from the grass or rocks. At the launch: paid parking, toilets, and a foiler launch at the rowing club dock.

Pinned by Simon L.·Written from riders' notes, edited by NP7