Sea Kayak Adventure in Desolation Sound, British Columbia

Our Desolation Sound sea kayaking trip is for anyone who loves to just kick back and soak in wild grand places.

Desolation Sound Desolation Sound is nestled roughly between Quadra Island and the Mainland of British Columbia. A sea kayakers paradise this paddling adventure offers awesome beauty, seclusion, warm waters and adventure.
Desolation Sound is an amazing, isolated area on BC's inner coast that is a sea kayakers' delight to paddle. In 1792 Captain George Vancouver sailed into this remote area of British Columbia while surveying the inner coast. Surrounded by formidable mountains that rise straight up out of the water and seeing no natives in the area he promptly named it Desolation Sound. But, for sea kayaking, it's paradise.

Desolation Sound Sea Kayaking Paradise A sea kayaking morning in Desolation Sound often begins with the splash of seals on nearby rocks, the screech of Black Oyster Catchers as they fly around your small island, and the returning squawk of Ravens in the tree tops. When the sun clears the mountain tops and splashes across the light grass and moss, you arise from your comfy tent and enjoy a breakfast with a front row seat to grand proportions... the Coast Mountains. Join Out For Adventure Wilderness Tours in British Columbia, sea kayaking Desolation Sound. 

Explore Breathtaking Scenery, Hidden Waters Our Desolation Sound kayaking trip begins and ends on Quadra Island located on the edge of our Desolation Sound kayaking paradise. Here we take a ferry ride to our departure point on Cortes Island where the sea kayaking adventure begins.

Sea Kayaking that's Unique, Engaging & Fun At Out For Adventure we pride ourselves in making our trips unique, engaging and fun. It's all in the pre-trip planning and for that, you'll have to do what hundreds of paddlers have done before you and come out on one of our Desolation Sound sea kayak adventures.

> Kayaking Desolation Sound Photo Tour

Special Notes	Dates	# Days
Departing in June 2012
	June 4-8	5 Days	$895 CAD
	June 11-15	5 Days	$895 CAD
	June 18-22	5 Days	$895 CAD
	June 28 - July 2	5 Days	$895 CAD
Departing in July 2012
	July 5-9	5 Days	$895 CAD
	July 12-16	5 Days	$895 CAD
	July 19-23	5 Days	$895 CAD
	July 26-30	5 Days	$895 CAD
Departing in August 2012
	August 2-6	5 Days	$895 CAD
	August 9-13	5 Days	$895 CAD
	August 16-20	5 Days	$895 CAD
	August 23-27	5 Days	$895 CAD
	August 30-September 3	5 Days	$895 CAD
Departing in September 2012
	September 6-10	5 Days	$895 CAD
	September 13-17	5 Days	$895 CAD

Sea Kayaking Desolation Sound

Sea Kayaking Tour Details

Desolation Sound is one of the most beautiful paddling destinations on the West Coast. The Coast Mountains rise straight up out of the water and tower into the sky reflecting the brilliant colours of the sun’s dynamic rays and rendering the area inaccessible by land.

Day 1: Departure to Desolation Sound

Our tour begins at Quadra Island Outfitting Base. After an initial orientation and pre trip checks we meet our Ferry just minutes from our base located beside the Quathiaski Cove Ferry Terminal.
The Cortes ferry takes us from the south end of Quadra Island and off towards Cortes Island. Making our way across to Cortes we soak up the view of the coast range mountains catching a glimpse of seals, eagles and other sights along the way.
When we arrive at our launch point on Cortes each lunch, we go over a safety and instructional talk, then we eat a hearty lunch in the cove while your guide/s explains, and shows how to effectively pack your kayak. Before you know it, we are on the water paddling our way toward the majestic Coast Mountains and, Desolation Sound. This leg of the trip is almost always a great photo opportunity. With the mountains coming into view, they make a picture perfect back drop for photography. We’ll stop for a shoreline snack and get out to stretch our legs along the way. Depending on the group’s speed and desires, we may camp on the Martin Islands or a little closer to Desolation Sound Marine Park. We set up camp for the night and snuggle in for a sumptuous dinner and campfire. Day 2: Kayaking Amongst MountainsFresh air and the sounds of birds and seals are the morning wake-up call with a hint of fresh Aromas coffee brewing on the camp stove. After a hearty, delicious hot breakfast served with fresh fruit and hot freshly brewed coffee (or hot beverage of your choice from the pantry,) we pack up our boats and head off for a day of adventure.

Depending again, on the groups desires we can base camp for a few days from one exceptional camp site or move about each day with a new site for each evening. Either way, we have our lunch with us and always eat somewhere different. Likely, we would explore Tenedos Bay which is on the mainland inside the marine park. It is accessible only by water, and here we hike along a clear babbling stream up to a stunning fresh water lake that begs you for a swim, which almost everyone obliges. By the end of the day we’ll be camped again, enjoying surrealistic views abound, while sampling the smells and sounds of another delicious dinner, and desert. Another night of fresh air and solitude, and a usually cloudless sky displaying an amplitude of stars to inspire awe.

Day 3: Best Camp Sites Before the morning sun rises from behind the mountains it creates a glow that begins as a sizzle of light silhouetting the highest peaks with orange-red rim. Then, slowly, the light increases in intensity, as if turning up the volume and the world around us awakens to another day.

The Black Oyster Catchers with their bright orange beaks and flesh coloured legs begin flying from rock to rock while whistling that wonderful call that makes them irresistible. The Ravens, a highly intelligent and problem solving bird, soon begins its clucks, giggles and metallic clunks as if it were showing off its wide range of vocabulary just for us. This will be followed by the load splashing sounds of nearby Harbour Seals diving into the water for a morning meal, and in the background is the slight waft of breakfast cooking and coffee roasting to greet your day.

Another day of adventure will probably find us kayaking up to Prideaux Haven, a wonderful collection of islands and islets that are clustered together in just a couple of square nautical miles. Shallow passages between many of these islands boasts some of the warmest waters in the Pacific Northwest. The tides that go around Vancouver Island enter from the top and bottom and meet approximately at Desolation Sound. This means there is not as much water transfer here, as there is in the rest of the coastal waters. And as such it gets plenty of time to heat up in the hot sunshine of this dry area. We spend the day kayaking through these channels, swimming and exploring depending on your interests. The shallow channels and clear water makes bottom viewing fantastic. See Star Fish, sea shells and a virtually endless collection of sea life from the comfort of your kayak.

Day 4: Sea Kayak Haven

Of course another hearty, delicious hot breakfast is the dawn of a new day. Today we may find ourselves paddling to the mouth of Waddington Channel to explore Roscoe Bay, another gorgeous spot.

On the paddle across Homfray Channel to Waddington we experience a view of the coast mountains that is unsurpassed. In front of us is East Redonda Island, the highest island for its circumference on the coast and impressive it is! In less than three kilometres inland on the island, it rises from sea level to over 1500 meters in height creating a formidable challenge to a hiker. Almost splitting the island in half is the world famous Pendrell Sound, a dead end inlet that holds water even warmer than Prideaux Haven due to its long length. This is a view we often reflect on as one of the few that reproduces in photographs with reasonable reflection of what is was actually like to be there -Stupendous.

As we round the corner of Marylebone Point at Roscoe Bay it immediately becomes apparent why we came. The bay is cut deep into the high mountainous sides of West Redonda island with a waterfall crashing down the rock face except during the driest times, that you can paddle your kayak almost under to cool off. At the far end of the bay is a small river flowing vigorously out of Black Lake which is just a few minutes hike on a flat trail inland. The lake is another fantastic swimming exercise, which is an activity we invariable we find ourselves partaking in. Occasionally we have portaged the kayaks up to the lake for a fresh water journey on the remote unpopulated lake.

Day 5: Exiting Kayaker's Paradise

By the time day five comes along the talk of leaving is almost enough to bring on mutiny. We have all fallen into the syncopated rhythm of natures land and sea, and it feels "right" to be living outdoors in a nomadic lifestyle that encourages ones connection with the land in which we come. It is this day that brings guests back for another tour, next year. We eventually find ourselves back at our haul-out, in no real hurry soaking in the seascape while we head back to meet our ferry in the late afternoon.

The return ride on the ferry finds us sitting out back soaking up an awesome view, facing the mountain vista that we have been living amongst these past days. The view is, well we don’t want to give away the ending. Come Out For Adventure and see.

For those who are interested in maps and charts, the chart for this area is named DESOLATION SOUND AND SUTIL CHANNEL 3538 and is available from most marine stores.

Itinerary Changes
As on any outdoor adventure vacation, the traveler needs to acknowledge and accept the fact that we are subject to the whims of nature and/or other circumstances, and as such may have to change details or routes of our itinerary to accommodate our dynamic environment.
Dates and Prices

Listen to the Desolation Sound Audio Itinerary

Desolation Sound Sea Kayaking Podcast
An audio podcast of our sea kayaking trip into Desolation Sound. Out For Adventure is proud to be producing podcast's about the great outdoors. Our podcast's are featured on iTunes and around the web and cover topics like sea kayaking canoeing and outdoor technology.

Why Podcasting?
Podcasting for us is to help others enjoy the outdoors or even just enjoy an armchair adventure. You can download it to your audio player or listen on-line, put on some headphones and go Out For Adventure. it also allows us to give you an audio journey into our world of adventure.

Desolation Sound Podcast
The Desolation Sound sea kayaking podcast is an audio itinerary of truly special trip into an area nestled between our base on Quadra Island and the Mainland of British Columbia. A stunning area that is as grand to the paddler as Machu Picchu is to the explorer. Let your ears lead you on an Out For Adventure audio journey of Desolation Sound.

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