About Our Tours
Coast Mountain Expedition Adventure Tours & Multi-Day Sea Kayaking Trips on Vancouver Island, British Columbia
About Coast Mountain Expedition Kayak Tours
Our goal is to provide safe, environmentally responsible, educational and fun-filled sea kayaking Vancouver Island adventure tours along the most beautiful wilderness coast in British Columbia!
No previous experience is required to join our kayaking Vancouver Island tours; we’ve designed our kayak trips to accommodate different levels of experience and ability. Many people on our tours are first-time kayakers, but seasoned paddlers will also have challenging and rewarding kayak journeys exploring some of the most extraordinary coastal wilderness of Vancouver Island British Columbia. We welcome everybody, all we ask is that you bring along your spirit of adventure — and be ready for a lot of fun!
Our British Columbia sea kayak camping adventures range from easy to moderately physically demanding. Physical fitness and good general health are always an asset to enjoyment of outdoor activities — but attitude is often as important as muscle in a headwind!
The kayak has great rewards to offer people of all ages. We’ve enjoyed the company of both young and elderly paddlers. Please contact us to discuss best sea kayaking adventure options for children & youth, or if you have concerns about advancing age and physical ability.
Your First Day…
Coast Mountain guided sea kayaking Vancouver Island tours depart from Quadra Island (get here via BC ferry from Campbell River on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada). Most tours begin with a scenic boat ride from Quadra Island to Coast Mountain’s remote homestead lodge on Read Island where we prepare for the journey ahead!
The first afternoon we provide kayaking lessons including novice to intermediate instruction, and practice a variety of paddling skills. This ensures that you’ll feel secure and comfortable in your kayak when next morning we pack up and launch our adventure!
Kayak Camping Food
Our sea kayaks have ample storage space and we can indulge in creative meals, which your kayaking guides will prepare. Our camping kitchen supplies fresh & wholesome foods, garden produce, and home-baked breads. Our plentiful ocean offers opportunities for fishing and abundant shellfish. We guarantee gastronomic satisfaction!
Equipment
Coast Mountain provides excellent fiberglass touring kayaks and all the kayaking safety and group camping equipment, including good quality, dry tents. You need only to bring a sleeping bag and pad (or rentals are available) and your personal effects. (see Equipment List).
Our Kayaks
Our kayaks are high quality Canadian designs, made in Canada and of fibreglass construction for best performance. We use mostly single kayaks, because they are maneuverable and fun to paddle; we also have double kayaks for back-up support and/or personal preference. We use kayaks made by Seaward Kayaks, Necky Kayaks, Current Designs Kayaks, Nimbus Kayaks, & Nigel Dennis Designs.
Our Transport Boat
Welcome aboard the MV Chico Mendes, Coast Mountain Expedition’s 10 metre steel tender which provides comfortable access to Coast Mountain Lodge and wilderness destinations beyond.
Chico carries 12 Passengers and 12 kayaks, with full safety features.
Registration
On guided kayak tours, we take a maximum of 10 participants with two accompanying guides. Some kayak trips and dates fill quickly, so we encourage you to register early!
Low-Impact Camping
We do our best to leave only footprints, take only memories, and practice minimum-impact kayak camping. It doesn’t diminish our ability to be comfortable and have fun!
Our Area
The Discovery Islands claim the most gentle climate and the most dramatic scenery on the British Columbia coast! Our summer weather is typically warm and sunny, with no fog. Our inland ocean is sheltered and most often calm. The highest mountains of BC’s Coast Range provide unparalleled vistas with splendid, rugged peaks towering on the horizon.
Xwemahlkwu First Nation
We feel honoured and delighted to support a local indigenous people whose ancestors have called this area home for millennia. Having long suffered cultural and economic injustices, the Xwemahlkwu are making positive efforts to participate in BC society in a variety of meaningful ways. We applaud their creative endeavours and are pleased to join the Xwemahlkwu during our kayak trip to Orford River Grizzly Bear sanctuary in their spectacular traditional territory.
Our Environmental Commitment
We are committed to maintaining the natural ecosystems and environmental quality of the inland archipelago we call home. We actively support parks and protected areas and work politically to encourage sustainable uses of our natural heritage. We are a small part of a small planet and we encourage everyone’s everyday awareness! We purchase carefully and recycle everything we can. We use renewable energy and low-impact technologies whenever possible.
Our Social Commitment
Coast Mountain is a family-business. We’re proud to be part of a small community and do our best to contribute to the local economy. We purchase fair trade and organic foods for the sake of the world’s farmers and for the health of our guests.
Our Commitment to You
We strive to provide British Columbia’s very best kayak tours. We believe in and use high quality equipment. We’ve been refining our tour routes, infrastructure and services since 1987 and we do our sincere best to walk the talk.