Kayaking the waters of the Puget Sound is truly an adventure. We have a wide range of trips for a wide range of abilities, offering opportunities to paddle in a variety of currents and develop an appreciation for tidal influence. These are great trips to expand your skills while crossing eddy lines, enjoying marine life, and exploring the islands of the sound and beyond! We have everything from monthly lessons to accommodate your growing skills in the pool, to courses with your dog in the front seat, to 5 days camping and paddling around the San Juan Islands, to a few week long trip from here up to Canada! We have everything to suit your ever curious kayaking needs, and the PNW is one of the most diverse and sensational places to do it!
Destinations:
Kayak Skills Class: We offer five levels of our 2 hour kayak skills class. At level one you will be taught proper paddling techniques and how to buddy rescue. The second level covers edging maneuvers and self-rescue. At the third level you will master recovery techniques and muscle memory exercises for the roll. The fourth class will cover multi-day kayak trip prep and T-rescue. The fifth class will focus on learning kayak roll. Start at any time and master as many of the 5 levels as you would like! After the 5th level we can continue to perfect your roll.Kayak Tacoma Narrows Bridge: The Tacoma Narrows is known for its tidal bottleneck effect causing strong/swift currents as the water tries to squeeze through the narrow 1 mile wide passage. This trip is perfect for paddlers to get a small taste at what influence tidal currents can have. We have planned out this trip so that we will be assisted by the currents from start to end as we make our way through the “river” and under the bridge on this 5 mile paddle from Point Defiance to Tittlow Beach. Prior experience is encouraged, but beginners may join the trip in a double kayak.
Deception Pass Adventure: Kayaking the waters of Deception Pass is truly an adventure. Not a beginner paddle, the pass offers opportunities to paddle in strong currents and develop an appreciation for tidal influence. This is a great trip expand your skills while paddling through strong currents, and crossing eddy lines. This trip is geared towards instruction to advance your skills in difficult conditions.
San Juan Island Day Trips: This 1-day kayaking trip feature fantastic views of the heart of the San Juan Islands. As we paddle along the East Side of San Juan Island, we enjoy the beauty of storm-sculpted evergreens and rocky cliffs covered in grasses and wildflowers. Dense kelp forests that sway in the currents and the steep cliff shores are sprinkled with purple sea stars and barnacles. Keep an eye out on this trip; there is a possibility of seeing Orca Whales, along with other oceanic wildlife.
Kayak Ballard Locks: Officially known as the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks are used to transport boats large and small from the Puget Sound to Lake Union and Lake Washington. The Ballard Locks are one of Seattle’s most popular tourist attractions, but very few make it to visit the locks by water. Today we will be paddling from Lake Union to the Puget Sound, using the locks to drop us roughly 25 feet to our lunch spot at Commodore Park before we return through the locks to Lake Union. Some Paddling Experience is required.
Kayak Cutts Island: Don’t miss this south sound classic. We will begin our trip in Carr Inlet and paddle to Cutts Island and then around raft island before returning to the van. This small island has a steep rock face on the south end, and there are many birds that make this island their home. The water in this area is known to be a little warmer than other places in the sound, so take a dip while we are enjoying our lunch and exploring the island.Learn as you go San Juan Island Overnight: San Juan Island “Learn As You Go” 5 Day Kayak $850 – Join our ACA instructors as we experience the San Juan Islands for a 5 day “learn as you go” sea kayaking adventure. This unique adventure lets you see the best of the Pacific Northwest coastline and is designed for the adventurous paddler who has limited or basic kayaking experience and is eager to learn. As a group, we’ll explore the San Juan Islands’ Public Lands and pristine coastal environment. In addition to kayaking, there will be opportunities for hiking, beach combing, exploring, socializing, photography, and relaxing! Spend some time this summer enjoying an exclusive island adventure while increasing your paddling and kayak trip planning skills.
Kayak Hope Island: Join us for a nice paddle and walk around Hope Island’s beaches and tide pools. Hope Island offers visitors the chance to see wildlife such as bale eagles, harbor seals and starfish.
How to prepare:
WE PROVIDE: Transportation, gear (PFD, wet suit, splash jacket, safety equipment), and instructor/guide.
YOU PROVIDE: Water, lunch/snacks, and appropriate clothing.
EXTRAS ITEMS: Camera, sunscreen/sunglasses.
CLOTHING: We recommend that you dress in layers. NO COTTON CLOTHING. COTTON IS A NEGATIVE INSULATOR, WHEN IT GETS WET IT GETS COLD AND STAYS COLD. We recommend fleece, polypro, polyester, and wool.
Go to RecTrac to see prices, get more information, and sign up for trips! See you outside!!
A wonderfully authentic Pacific Northwest experience! I took the Kayaking San Juan Islands multi-day trip in June-July 2018. Thanks to Brad and Rob, I believe I made bonds and memories for a lifetime. They are world class guides and outfitters in my opinion. They ensured all my concerns and questions were satisfied at the pre-trip meeting a week before our departure. They optimized the use of e-mail, phone, and text just in case I had any questions before our trip. During the trip, I learned a lot about kayaking techniques, water currents, depths, navigational aids, trip logistics, and campsite selection and coordination through their experience and hard work, much as a result of what they did behind the scenes before our trip. The conditions were great on the water and at the campsites, and we had plenty of time to relax and take in the glorious Pacific Northwest surroundings.
ReplyDeleteAmong my favorite parts of our adventure were how easily we shared various experiences and how often Brad and Rob asked for my thoughts and viewpoints along the way. Our open communication gave me a lot of confidence during our travels and it helped me feel less like a tourist and more like an equal member along that awesome trek. Other things that impressed me in particular were how tech-savvy my guides were and the various equipment and technology they selected for the trip, which I think were state of the art and incredibly efficient.
I highly and strongly recommend this trip and the services of JBLM's Northwest Adventure Center to others. Thank you, NAC, and please keep up the terrific work!