At least one person in your group should have a marine chart for the area you are paddling. The chart will indicate the strength of ebbing and flooding currents. You can travel about 3 to 4 knots per hour in your kayak. Paddling against a 3 knot current is no fun. Although this area seldom has fog, having a compass can be important if it does get foggy or dark.
Marine charts are available from many marine stores and specialty marine chart shops.
Three marine charts cover our first 16 launches on the East Coast of Vancouver Island. Check our reference page for more details. Check the wind direction compared to tide flow . If tide and wind are traveling the same direction, water conditions are often somewhat calm. When the wind is traveling against the tidal current, waves will be created.