Kayak Trips

  Why select Sea to Sky Kayak Trips?
  Read Tim Ward's article about kayaking with orcas




Our New Kayaking Blog
Curious about us, our guides and our approach to kayaking trips? Take a look at our blog, Kayaking: a connection with Nature and Self. One of our guides, Georgia, has a few words to say about kayaking. She also has a few kayaking photos after many years of guiding with us and many kayak trips.

OUR KAYAK TRIPS

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Our most popular sea kayaking trip is Kayaking with the Orcas of the Pacific, a 7day guided kayak trip that conveniently leaves from Vancouver, BC, in our comfortable 15 passenger van. Orca watching and special native cultural tour ensure a memorable experience.

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Kayaking with the Sea Otters of the Pacific - 8 Days/ Class 1/2 - Beginner
An exploratory journey to glimpse what west coast inlets were like before development and logging. Dramatic coastlines with sea caves and sandy beaches. Add the greatest concentration of sea otters on the west coast of Vancouver Island and you have an excellent adventure.

Kayaking with the Orcas of the Pacific - 6 Days/ Class 1/2 - Beginner
Combine the exhilaration of paddling beside these breaching, spouting, power swimming orcas, with rugged coastal scenery, magnificent west coast rain forest, and you have the ultimate coastal kayaking experience.

Kayaking in the Wake of Captain Cook - 6 Days/ Class 1/2 - Beginner
Paddling in the wake of Captain Cook, the idyllic nature of the sound as a west coast destination becomes obvious. There are many small islands, coves, rocky coastlines, beaches and rainforest to explore within its protected waters.

Georgian Bay Kayaking - 5 Days/ Class 1-3 - Intermediate & Advanced
Experience the beauty of Lake Huron's Georgian Bay while learning more advanced kayak paddling skills and wilderness camping techniques.

ABOUT KAYAKING 

These sleek, maneuverable and very stable craft allow the paddler to slip silently across the waters, explore shallow inlets and coves, and approach marine mammals and birdlife without disturbing their calm. Kayaking is a wonderful way to experience wilderness coastal regions.

Our kayaking trips are suitable for beginners but will also satisfy experienced paddlers. Our certified guides are experienced sea kayakers who have a keen interest in the natural and cultural significance of a region. They are dedicated to providing the personal attention that will assure you a safe and rewarding adventure.

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More Kayaking Questions? Go to Frequently Asked Questions

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 Kayak Trips Classification

It is very difficult to completely categorize trips under one classification as elements of different categories can be present on a trip. We have attempted to give an overall sense of what you will encounter.

Class 1: Gentle tours in non-challenging, protected waters with limited wind effect, little or no current, easy landings and ready access to land-bases assistance.

Class 2: Tours in lightly populated areas with short crossings, moderate potential wind effects, gentle to moderate non-turbulent currents, easy to moderate landings and light surf beaches.

Class 3: Exposed water; sparsely populated areas with more committed crossings, moderate to strong currents with turbulence, moderate to strong wind effects, ocean swells, difficult landings, surf beaches.

Class 4: Long committed crossings, uninhabited, rugged and exposed coast; strong turbulent currents, strong wind effects, large swells, difficult landings, exposed surf beaches.

 

Frequently Asked Questions 

If your question is not answered here, check General Questions or contact our office.

Do I have to have kayaking experience?
No. Ocean kayaking is easy to learn. The kayaks have a rudder system controlled by foot pedals allowing easy maneuvering. Our guides will give you instruction basic paddling techniques to enable you to paddle with confidence and ease.

What if I'm an experienced sea kayaker?
Our experienced guides can assist you with fine tuning you're navigation, route selection, reading tide and current tables skills and more.

Can children come along?
Our sea kayaking expeditions are best suited to teenagers. Equipment and physical constraints limit who we can take. Call our office to discuss whether the expedition is suitable for your child.

What kind of kayaks do you use?
We use Seawards double and single sea kayaks for our expeditions. We ask that paddlers who want to use a single have previous kayaking experience and be a strong enough paddler to keep up with doubles.

Do I have to be in good physical shape to kayak?
Our trips are meant for those in reasonably good shape. Paddling does not require great strength as much as it requires technique. We will send home some conditioning ideas for you. Normal upper body strength and flexibility are key.

How much paddling will I do?
Many factors such as currents, tides, winds, animal sightings, group ability and what the group wants will determine this. Generally, you can expect to paddle for about four hours a day. Flexibility is the key to a great kayaking experience.

When is the best time to do a kayak trip?
We schedule all of our trips to coincide with the best weather and the best time to see marine wildlife. Coastal conditions however are always unpredictable, so you should be prepared with the right equipment and clothing. Marine wildlife is also very unpredictable. We do not give any guarantees that you will see whales, seals, eagles, etc. but we will do our best to find them.

What are your guides' qualifications?
Our guides have a keen interest in the outdoors, love their work, and enjoy sharing their knowledge. They are certified in sea kayaking, possess wilderness first aid, and emergency procedures. They possess backgrounds in areas such as natural and cultural history, photography and low impact wilderness travel.

What is the size of your kayaking groups?
Maximum of ten participants and 2 guides. This is the standard client to guide ratio recommended by both the B.C. Alliance of Sea Kayak Guides and the Canadian Association of Sea Kayak Guides. A small group minimizes impact on the areas we visit, allows more individualized attention, develops group bonding, and better ensures safety.

Can I join your sea kayaking expedition if I'm alone?
Yes, as many persons come to us on their own. Most groups consist of couples, singles and friends traveling together.

What do I have to supply?
We supply kayaks, paddles, pfds [lifejackets], dry bags for storing clothing, tents, cooking and eating utensils, solar showers, major first aid kit, paddling jacket. You provide sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and personal clothing/toiletries/etc.

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