Hi,
me and a friend are planning to go to Vancouver Island in summer (without our own kayaks).

Have you any tips for us for kayaking (lakes, coast)and good places for renting kayaks?

Can you recommend us to make an organisized whale-watching kayak-tour?

Thanks for your help.

Antonia,
What part of Vancouver Island will you be visiting? There are some sections that offer protected waters while others are open ocean beaches.

Michael

Hallo Michael,
we are going to be 3 weeks on Vancouver Island without any specific plans yet.
We have seakayak experience (lakes and coast) and want to paddle on both, lakes and protected coast. It would be helpful to get an idea of your favourite places.
Thanks for it ;-)
Antonia

I would recommend driving to Telegraph Cove at the north end of the island where you can rent kayaks or take a whale watching tour to Robson Bight in Johnstone Strait.

I am biased but I second Denis, Johnstone Strait is a fun place to paddle and if you enjoy longer trips, the Broughton Archipelago has some great spots. Take a look at http://www.kayakbc.ca for both rentals and tours in the area. It is worth taking a look at the tour itineraries, even if only to get an idea of what and where to go either with rentals or your own gear.

For lakes, the Sayward Forest Canoe Trail http://www.vancouverisland.com/recreation/?id=176 just north of Campbell River provides a great 4 day loop. Do it by canoe or kayak. There is a great book recently published describing it. "A paddler's guide to the Sayward Forest Canoe Circuit / Michel Gauthier."

There are many other lakes, most with free wilderness campsites around them. Some boat access only and some you can get a truck camper into. If you want to know more, send me a message, I could rattle on forever on what there is to paddle on North Vancouver Island.

Antonia,
I should have asked what your experience level is and how long you have for these trips. The suggested trips so far are incredible but might require more time than you were planning and may require more skill than you have. Perhaps we should ask a bit more about your skills, comfort levels, experience and the amount of time you have.

Mikekayak