No. Ocean kayaking is easy to learn. The kayaks have a rudder system controlled by foot pedals allowing easy maneuvering. Our guides will give you instruction basic paddling techniques to enable you to paddle with confidence and ease.
Easy | well maintained trails and/or mostly flat terrain. |
Moderate | mostly good trails, with significant elevation changes of a gradual nature or short but strenuous. |
Strenuous | will contain some or all of following conditions: off trail hiking, creek/river crossings, rough terrain, significant elevation changes, long hiking days. |
This is usually the first question on most people’s mind. And, it is difficult to give a blanket response, as many variables come into play. The number of days, where you are hiking, how many are in the group, what personal gear you bring, will all affect the weight you carry. The West Coast Trail and the Rockies both have a food drop thereby reducing the weight, while the other expeditions do not.
Here is a breakdown of weights you should consider, excluding your personal gear:
Item | Weight in Pounds |
Backpack | 5 – 8 |
Sleeping Bag | 3 |
Sleeping Pad | 2 |
Tent | 4 – based on two sharing |
Food | 6 – 10 |
Our guides have a keen interest in the outdoors, love their work, and enjoy sharing their knowledge. They are certified in canoeing, wilderness first aid, and emergency procedures. They possess backgrounds in areas such as natural and cultural history, photography and low impact wilderness travel.
Physical requirements for river trips are generally modest. Rivers are ranked according to the difficulty of their most severe rapids:
Class 1 | Easy flat water/lake and mild waves-current/river. Few or no obstructions, all easy to avoid. Some maneuvering may be required to navigate around log jams or sweepers. Risk to swimmers is slight. Self-rescue is easy. |
Class 2 | Straightforward rapids with wide, clear channels that are obvious without scouting. Occasional maneuvering may be required, but rocks and medium-size waves are easily avoided with some training. Swimmers are seldon injured. Group rescue is seldom necessary. |
Class 3 | Moderate waves and narrower channels due to obstructions such as rocks or gravel bars. Quick and accurate river reading is required with instinctive maneuvers orchestrated with a paddling partner. |
Class 4 | Expert whitewater canoeist. Difficult, with narrow channels obstructed by rocks, steep and narrow drops. |
Our guides have a keen interest in the outdoors, love their work, and enjoy sharing their knowledge. They are certified in sea kayaking, possess wilderness first aid, and emergency procedures. They possess backgrounds in areas such as natural and cultural history, photography and low impact wilderness travel.
We schedule all of our trips to coincide with the best weather and the best time to see marine wildlife. Coastal conditions however are always unpredictable, so you should be prepared with the right equipment and clothing. Marine wildlife is also very unpredictable. We do not give any guarantees that you will see whales, seals, eagles, etc. but we will do our best to find them.
No. Ocean kayaking is easy to learn. The kayaks have a rudder system controlled by foot pedals allowing easy maneuvering. Our guides will give you instruction basic paddling techniques to enable you to paddle with confidence and ease.
We have had a few cancellations on our Tombstones and West Coast Trail trips, have a look to see if the dates work for you!
Please note all guests and our staff must be fully vaccinated in order to participate in Sea to Sky trips.
Keep up to date with all the exciting things happening at Sea to Sky. We look forward to staying in touch with you!