Sea Kayak The Gulf Islands

The Gulf Islands are a group of a dozen large islands and hundreds of smaller islets located around the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Spectacular scenery, low rainfall and the many protected waterways offer ideal paddling conditions. Protected from the pounding waves and extreme weather associated with the open coast, the waters in this area provide hours of paddling for the novice and experienced paddler alike. Hundreds of kilometres of shoreline offer countless hours of intertidal exploration. Quiet coves, pebble beaches and sandy shores allow for putting ashore, exploring inland, setting up camp or for simply gazing seaward.

Sea Kayaking Around Vancouver Island covers a full circumnavigation of Vancouver Island. If you are interested in a grand expedition, a week of summer touring, or a weekend excursion, this guidebook will give you the information you need. Each chapter covers a section of the island providing ample information on points of access, interesting sites, safe routes to travel, hazards to avoid, and comfortable campsites.

This newly updated and expanded guidebook contains everything readers need to know to plan a short or long paddling trip. It features detailed information on more than 30 kayak routes and covers the skill levels required, trip duration, hazards, and which charts and tide tables to purchase. Eighteen regions from Oregon to British Columbia, including sections on the historic Lower Columbia River and rugged Queen Charlotte Strait are explored. Also provides invaluable information about weather, currents, ferry and air travel, equipment rentals, tours, and more.

For the experienced and novice alike, this comprehensive guide leads paddlers through some of the best kayaking waters on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Twenty trips are outlined, covering prime paddling destinations within Barkley and Clayoquot sounds, including the Deer Group, the Broken Group Islands, and Vargas, Flores and Meares islands. Each trip is headed with important information on tides, currents, safety considerations and launching. Included in each route description is practical information on the different land jurisdictions, campsites, suitable landings and paddling conditions. Sidebars embellish the history of shipwrecks, examine the Nuu-chah-nulth people and introduce interesting characters like Salal Joe and Fred Tibbs. Others detail some of the natural history of the west coast with topics ranging from grey whales to barnacles. This edition also provides well-researched information on the parks in the area, including Pacific Rim National Park and several parks within the BC Parks system.

This paddling guide to Desolation Sound and the Strait of Georgia provides historical travel information on a part of the Inner Passage between Vancouver Island and the BC mainland. Follow the Marine Trail up the east coast of Vancouver Island with perhaps a digression to Hornby or Denman islands. Or tackle the savage inflow-outflow winds of Jervis Inlet to reach the jewel of Princess Louisa Inlet.

Kayak, canoe, and stand up paddling routes that promise beauty and adventure* Completely updated information and maps, all new photographs, and over 10 all-new trips* Originally for kayakers, info now applies to pedaling kayaks, stand up paddleboards, canoes, rowboats, shells, and even kayak-sailing outriggersThe miles of inland waterways of the Pacific Northwest are among the best in the world for paddling. Beautiful scenery, intricate and protected waterways, and abundant marine life define the area, while on shore are ample public parklands for camping and exploring. The 60 trips in this extensively updated 3rd edition of the bestsellingKayaking Puget Sound & the San Juan Islands cover the Sound's myriad islands, fjord-like canals, and inlets from Canada's Gulf Islands to the Nisqually River Delta, including the fabulous San Juan Islands and the unique Hood Canal.

These 50 trips in Puget Sound's myriad islands and fjord like canals and inlets cover the area from Canada's Gulf Islands to the Nisqually River Delta, including the fabulous San Juan Islands and the unique Hood Canal. Each trip covers all the details-duration, potential hazard ratings, directions, an explanation of the area's tides and currents and more. Also included are safety tips and guidelines for kayaking and camping with minimal impact on the environment.

Until now, surprisingly little information has been available to those who want to paddle Vancouver Island's many waterways. Enter Gary Backlund and Paul Grey. Building on the success of their first book, Easykayaker: A Guide to Laid Back Vancouver Island Paddling, the authors have compiled a comprehensive reference book for paddlers of all skill levels. In Kayaking Vancouver Island, the paddling duo guide their readers through trips ranging from a lazy day excursion in Victoria's historic Gorge waterway to an exciting multi-day voyage around Meares Island in Clayoquot Sound. To research the book, the authors traveled from Sooke on the southern tip of the island to Port Hardy in the north, and from Zeballos on the west coast to Gabriola Island off the east coast. Along the way they interviewed local guides, outfitters and historians to get the most accurate information about their destinations. Combining a guidebook format with journal-like entries from their own travels, the authors cover everything from launch sites to lunch sites, which currents to avoid and which tides to ride. The book is also rich in local mythology, folklore and history. Writing with safety and (mostly) easy paddling in mind, Backlund and Grey rate paddling skills required for each area along with trip lengths and distances. They provide an insider's guide to local conditions and brief readers on tides, currents, charts, marine weather and coastal regulations.