All-Inclusive Multi-Day Sea Kayaking Adventures
About Multi-Day Paddling Trips With Discovery Sea Kayaks
At Discovery Sea Kayaks we take a distinctive approach to multi-day kayaking adventures.
 First, we offer the smallest group sizes on San Juan Island, eight guests maximum. Not eight guests per guide in a group of twenty or more. We do accommodate larger groups. Plesae see Custom Tours Page for more details. Second, our guides provide great knowledge not only about the wildlife in the area, but on the currents around the islands. Our route planning is a bit different than other tour operators in the area. We plan according to weather and the currents, where other companies have set plans as to where they go regardless of what the currents or wind may be. To view a list of islands along many of our routes please see the list of Islands We May Visit. We also offer different styles of multi-day tours from Deluxe All-Inclusive Kayak Trips to our Self-Catered Guided Rental Trips with length of trips ranging from 5 days/4 nights to 3 days/2 nights. Top that off with our unique trip itineraries, the nicest equipment you will find at a kayak outfitter, and our commitment to low-impact wilderness camping ethics, and the result is a first-class adventure with unparalleled attention to detail.
Deluxe All-Inclusive Island Explorer Kayak Trips
The trips are designed for our guests who wish to have all camping gear provided. Ideal for those traveling from far destinations who cannot bring everything with them or for those who just want to be taken care so they can relax around camp.
Camping Equipment: 3 Person North Face tents are provided for every two people. We want everyone to have enough space to sleep or wait out falling rain in comfort. Synthetic sleeping bags by North Face and Marmot will keep you nice and warm at night. Therma-Rest style sleeping pads and pillows are a welcomed addition to cushion you while sleeping and to keep you off the cool ground. We also make sure they all necessary utensils are ready for your use. So do not worry about forks, spoons or plates. Just come to the table ready to eat.
Kayak Equipment: Fiberglass Seaward Passat G3 tanedem kayaks are used on all of our Island Explorer Tours. Offering great comfort, superb performance in all conditions, 3 bulk headed compartments for storage and safety. Werner Bent Shaft Camano Paddles are great touring paddles. They provide you with light fiberglass blades that glide through the water with ease. Stohlquist and MTI lifejackets (PFD's). All PFD's are made for kayak touring and will not hinder your range of motion as you paddle. Outerwear from spray pants to long sleeve spray top both by NRS and Stohlquist. This is to make sure you arrive at camp dry and warm.
Cuisine: Our Island Explorer guides are selected for a variety of skills and cooking is at the top of the list. Unlike most kayak companies we do not have a set menu we teach to our guides. We allow our guides to design menus that will impress any culinary critic. A diverse range of foods can be expected on your journey. For breakfast we have prepared everything from omelets to pancakes all with fresh cut fruits, coffee and much more. Lunch menus have included everything from cold cuts with all the fixings to vegetarian delights. Dinner covers everything from Asian stir fry, pasta dishes, and salmon. Combined with a fresh salad and breads, then topped off with hot tea and desserts. For any questions or special needs please contact us for further details on the culinary experience you can expect.
Islands Explorer Tour
3 Days/2 Nights
$499 per person
Our 3 day/2 night trip is a unique island adventure that gives you the time to explore the waters and enjoy great camping around the islands. The 3 day trip covers routes to beautiful destinations throughout the islands. Campsites are still on the less visited outer islands of the San Juan's that you normally would not be able to reach on a day tour. We cover various paddle routes throughout the San Juan Islands. Due to strong currents and factors such as wind, your guide will set the itinerary accordingly. DSK multi-day guides have paddled this area for many years and are aware of areas where currents can cause concern. For this reason they have the flexibility to set a proper route which is filed with trip operations center before for your departure.
 Day 1 - Meet at our store next to the ferry landing in Friday Harbor. Here you will meet your guide and discuss the kayak adventure ahead. You will have a chance to look at your route and this is a good time to voice any concerns you may have about the route. Dry Bags will be dispersed for you to pack your gear. Once all the gear is packed we will load into the Discovery Sea Kayak van and head to the beach. Kayaks will be packed with all gear at the beach and safety talk will take place before getting on the water. Your guide will lead you on a full day of kayaking along beautiful shorelines and across channels to visit the shores of various islands. Lunch break will take place on one of many wonderful island beaches. You will end your day getting camp ready for a great night's sleep in the outdoors. While you relax, your guide will be hard at work prepping foods for dinner. You can either walk the trails, take a nap, or simply enjoy camp.
Day 2 - You will wake to a hot coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. Your guide will be working to get breakfast on the table for everyone to enjoy. Breakfast is a great time to discuss the days plans. Your guide will chat about the route for the day and entertain any feedback. We will take time to gather gear and re-pack the kayaks for another adventurous day of paddling in the San Juan Islands. Kayaking off to a new location and a chance to view eagles, seals, otters, and orca whales.
Day 3 (Last Day) - This is the last day of your adventure kayak tour. Once all the gear is packed and camp is checked for any gear hiding in the grass, back on the water we go! As you glide out on to the water for a day of kayaking along shorelines with Pacific Madrona trees and don't forget to look underwater for sea stars and other intertidal life. Moving through kelp beds look for crabs and small fish as they dart for cover. This being the last day, you kayak to a location where the Discovery Sea Kayak van will pick you up, load gear and head for town. We try to get you back in town to catch any transportation (ferry , plane, etc.) off the island that you have set up.
Check dates and reservations
Islands Explorer
5 days/4 nights
$795 per person
Join us as we spend 5 days and 4 nights exploring the islands of the San Juan Archipelago. Five days gives us more time to explore and more flexibility in picking our routes. We are also able to base camp for a day or two, which means we don't have to setup and take down camp every night. Base camping is nice for families with kids or larger groups. Base camping does not mean no paddling that day. We are on the water for the day and kayak as much as the groups likes before heading back to base camp. We cover various paddle routes throughout the San Juan Islands. Due to strong currents and factors such as wind, your guide will set the itinerary accordingly. Discovery Sea Kayak multi-day guides have paddled this area for many years and are aware of areas where currents can cause challenges. For this reason they have the flexibility to set a proper route which is filed with trip operations before your departure. The 5 day sea kayaking tour offers a bit more time than the 3 day, to kayak at a more relaxed pace with base camping as an option or provide paddlers the opportunity to cover more miles and search for more wildlife encounters with Killer Whales, Eagles and Harbor Seals.
Day 1 - Meet at our store next to the ferry landing in Friday Harbor. Here you will meet your guide and discuss the kayak adventure ahead. You will have a chance to look at your route. This is a good time to voice any concerns you may have about the route. Dry Bags will be dispersed for you to pack your gear. Once all the gear is packed we will load in the Discovery Sea Kayak van and head to the beach. Kayaks will be packed with all gear at the beach and safety talk will take place before getting on the water. Your guide will lead you for a full day of kayaking along beautiful shore lines and across channels to visit the shore of various islands. Lunch break will take place on one of many wonderful island beaches. You will end your day getting camp ready for a great night's sleep in the outdoors. While you relax your guide will be hard at work prepping foods for dinner. You can either walk the trails, take a nap, or simply enjoy camp.
Day 2 - You will wake to a hot coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. Your guide will be working to get breakfast on the table for everyone to enjoy. Over breakfast your guide will discuss the options for the day. If you have decided to base camp or not, the paddle routes for the day will be drawn out for everyone to chat about. Regardless if you are base camping you will head out for the day for a kayak adventure. Search the tops of shore line trees for perched eagles. Scan the waters edge for seals, otters or a mink scampering for cover. Peer into the water to view sea stars, and crabs. Check kelp beds as you paddle for fish or other wildlife you might see while quietly meandering through.
Day 3 - Time to pack the kayaks and head off in search of a new camp ground. Breakfast will once again serve as the time for your guide to discuss the days travel plans. Kayaks will be reloaded with all the gear an you will head out for the days expedition. Enjoy being close to nature and the water. Share laughs with the group as you paddle along and take photos. As you get to camp and get everything set for comfort and it is time to relax and wait for your guide to call you in for dinner. After dinner enjoy the company of everyone in camp over desserts and beverages.
Day 4 - Wake for breakfast and chat over the plans of the day. After a few days kayaking you might want to take a minute to stretch out and get ready for the days paddle. The beauty of kayaking with Discovery Sea Kayaks is the variability of routes that we take. The guides knowledge of the area really adds to the flexibility of the adventures we can provide. So as you paddle out for the day please take notice in the care and time your guide has put-in to make your adventure the best it can be. Take time to listen to all the information about the region and wildlife that your guide will share with you. Our guides take great passion in providing an amazing experience to everyone.
Day 5 (Last Day) - This is the last day of your adventure kayak tour. Once all the gear is packed and camped is checked for any gear hiding in the grass, back on the water we go! As you glide out on to the water for a day of kayaking along shorelines with Pacific Madrona trees, don't forget to look underwater for sea stars and other intertidal life. Moving through kelp beds look for crabs and small fish as they dart for cover. This being the last day, you kayak to a location where the Discovery Sea Kayak van will pick you up, load gear and head for town. We try to get you back in town to catch any transportation (ferry , plane, etc.) off the island that you have set up.
Check dates and reservations
Islands We Visit
The next question is, what islands may you expect to see? Given the route your guide chooses there are many islands where you may camp or paddle along.
San Juan Island will be a shoreline you will see a good amount of. Since we laucnh and return to San Juan Island for most of our kayak tours it will be impossible not to explorer the islands shore. The west side of the island is a great place to kayak and search out Orca Whales. The Haro Strait divides San Juan from Vancouver Island and is the primary area for us to encounter Orca Whales from kayak. From the Haro Strait you will have views of the Olympic Mountains and the Canadian Gulf Islands. The east side of San Juan Island you will have a different feel. Passages that are more narrow that the Haro Strait and islands al aorund you. Beautiful shores with fir trees and enchanting kelp beds.
Shaw Island is a common island to expect to see the shores of. Though most of the islands shoreline is private, it offers stunning beauty and wonderful views. As you paddle around the island you will pass by Blind Island, which is a great place to take a rest stop. From Blind Island you can see Orcas Island just across the way.
Wasp Islands are a small grouping of island between Orcas Island and Shaw Island. Kayaking around these islands is a great way to see intertidal life just beneath surface. The currents move around the islands giving the kelp beds a sense of lively dancing.
Yellow Island is nestled in the Wasp Islands. The island is The Nature Conservancy land and visiting the island is allowed but only during certain times of the day. If you get to visit the island, stay on trails and be aware not to leave anything behind. For more detailed information visit The Nature Conservancys' Yellow Island website.
Jones Island is part of the Washington State Parks and is one of the islands that we use to camp. Jones is located at the North end of San Juan Channel with a great view up Presidents Channel. Views of the Wasp Islands, Orcas Island and San Juan Island are just a few you will have. The campsites are well cared for by our State Parks and pit toilets are nearby. Depending on the time of year well water can be accessed here, so fresh water is not a problem. Deer are a very common visitor to the campsite and seem to be very brave when it comes to stealing food that has been left out.
Orcas Island is an amazing island with wonderful shoreling to paddle. Depending on your route you may end up at the Obstruction Pass Campground or Pt. Doughty. The campground are basically at opposite ends of the island. Orcas Island is a large island and to circumnavigate you would have to book a 5 day kayak adventure. Orcas offers steep terrain with rocky bluffs. Eagles nest are peppered along the shore high in fir trees. Osprey hunt for fish in calm bays and otters cruise the shoreline in search of a meal.
Speiden Island is a priveately owned island located across Speiden Channel just north of San Juan Island. Though there is no access to getting out for exploration, kayaking along the shore is well worth it. We see Speiden Island as we are in transit between campgrounds. As pass along the south shore you will have a view of grassy knolls. Glaciation has left it mark on the south shore with deep groove cut into the earth and large glacial erratics (large rocks left behind as the glacier traveled over the land). The north shore is tree covered and swirling currents moving along the island. One time in history the island was used for big game hunting and animals were imported from around the world. Today you can still see Mouflon Sheep from Corsica and Sika Deer from Aisa.
Henry Island is just to the west of San Juan Island. It is mainly private with only a few locations to stop for lunch or a rest. The west side of the island has nice bluffs that are rookeries many sea birds. Kelp beds incase the shore and move wildly in the swift currents. The east side of the island creates a passage between San Juan and Henry Island know as Mosquito Pass. This narrow passage takes you north into Roche Harbor. From there we can paddle to a small island called Posey. Posey Island is usually just a rest stop for us as we head on to other destinations.
Stuart Island is a great place to visit. Reid Harbor and Prevost Harbor both have caming areas maintained by State Parks. Water is available here certain times of the year and conserve as much as you can, near the end of summer the water can run out. The island has a small community of people and tends to stay pretty quite around the inland. Turn Point offers an amazing view toward the Canadian Gulf Island. Stuart is one of my favorite places to visit early and late season. During the middle of the season it has become a popular place for kayaker and boaters.
Sucia Island is another island that is part of the Washington State Parks. This island is a treat to visit. Located north of Orcas Island it is a long paddle to get there. Some might take the option for a fast boat to deliver us there and basecamp or kayak back. The island is exposed the Strait of Georgia to the north which can bring wicked currents along the island. Patos Island is just to the west and Matia just to the east. These are great islands to visit while you are up there. Matia has a nice hiking trail with some very large Red Cedar Trees. Patos offers open views toward Canada. The shoreline of all three islands are beautifully sculpted with bands of sandstone adding a different look than the heavily basalted shores of the other islands.
We also vist many other islands and as you can see there is not shortage of island to see while kayaking. Here is a list of other islands we visit. Cyprus Island, James Island, Lopez Island and Clark Island.
Small Groups Our Specialty
At Discovery Sea Kayaks we strongly believe in quality over quantity. We feel the only way to truly enjoy and experience the magic of the San Juan Islands is in small intimate groups. For this reason we limit our multi-day trips to a maximum of 8 guests, the smallest group size of any tour company in the islands. This provides you with a more enjoyable outdoor experience and allows us more time to get to know our individual guests.
Unique Adventures
We do our best to provide unique and interesting itineraries for our trips. It is our goal for you to have a one of a kind adventure. We try to avoid the most crowded or commonly used routes for our multi-day adventures. We do this to offer something different than the same old, run of the mill San Juan kayaking trip. This sets us apart from the average kayak tour company.
We have the ability to use a fast boat to deliver us to more remote islands. Call us for a price.
For more information about our trips, take a look at our FAQ.
|
