galiano kayaks

Seals, star fish and incredible sights. We brought ourselves a lunch and it was one of the best experiences we ever had! The owner is friendly and incredibly knowledgeable.

We did three one-day tours with Galiano Kayaks. Chessi was a fantastic guide and spent time making sure we were comfortable. He is also very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of the southern Gulf Islands. The weather in mid October is not always agreeable, but with the correct gear we went from thunder storms, wind and sun. It was an awesome experience and I would definitely head back again if in the area. I strongly recommend this and although this visit was with my eldest son, I would definitely consider for my younger teenagers!

We rented a kayak from Galiano Kayaks as part of a trip planned for us by Dam Good Trips. Chessi, from Galiano Kayaks, picked us up at the ferry dock, drove us to the marina, and set us up with a very nice two person kayak. He gave us a thorough safety talk, went through our itinerary with us and made suggestions, showed us where to paddle to fill up with fresh water, helped us load up our stuff, and we were off! Even though it was our first time going out in a sea kayak (we spend a lot more time around rivers here in Colorado), he was not at all condescending. He was patient and kind and professional. The kayak itself was in excellent condition. It was a fast boat and paddled easily. There was plenty of storage for all of our gear (tent, sleeping bags, food, clothes, and more water than we ended up needing). Our only regret is that we thought we'd be short on room, so we didn't bring beer. We'll do that differently next time!When we returned the kayak, Chessi's dad, Ben, was there to give us a ride back to the ferry. Both Chessi and Ben are very knowledgeable about the area and take pride in the beauty of Galiano Island. We enjoyed meeting them and would recommend their company to anyone planning a kayak trip in the Southern Gulf Islands.

This was our second tour with Galiano Kayaks. We went last summer with our kids - and this summer wanted to bring Gramma along! It was just as wonderful as the first time. The guides are highly knowledgable, friendly, and made the tour a morning to remember! Thanks Galiano Kayaks. See you next summer!

Thank you for your review! I am sorry to hear you were delayed at the desk by a large tour group, but hope our service on the dock made up for it! Our location at a busy marina can make it difficult to recognize when someone is waiting for us outside our door, rather than simply taking in the scenery!We are a small family owned business operated by a few vibrant staff. Although we do our best to serve walk-in clients in a timely manner, reservations do take priority, so we advice you to reserve ahead whenever possible -- no deposit is necessary! We make every effort to space out reservations to minimize wait times, and only start the rental clock once you leave the dock to make sure you get your full rental increment on the water!I hope you will give us another opportunity to showcase our dedication to providing stellar customer service!

Thanks for your kind review! (And for braving the wind and rain!) We'll look forward to paddling with you again in the future!

Our kayaking guide Corey is very knowledgeable about the local marine life. He gave us a lot of information about the history, geology and marine life of the region. We saw seals, fish, sea stars and several species of birds. It was an excellent experience.

Could not agree more with my friend Jennifer although I did not go kayakingHad a fantastic time on the island...lay back, friendly people, good food, golf course, art galleries...very interesting! You have to try the coffee ( coffee beans roasted on site !will go back :-)

Had a great experience this past weekend on a three-day kayak tour with Galiano Kayaks. Our guide, Martine, was wonderful - very knowledgeable about the local flora and fauna and a generally fun person to be with. The manager Chessi was very organized and professional, but also accommodating, driving us back and forth from the ferry to our lodging to the marina so we didn't have to bring a car. I liked that that they offered an unprovisioned tour since we like to cook and it saved us quite a bit of money. But if we take a trip with Martine again will opt for the provisioned tour, since it turns out she's also a professional chef - everything she made looked and tasted quite a bit better than our food!

We rented two single kayaks from Galiano Kayak for a late morning paddle around the little islands off Montague Harbour on Galiano Island and were very pleased with all aspects of this experience. The help we got to get the necessary equipment together and down to the dock, the top of the line kayaks that were provided, the advice and the support offered by Chessie and his assistant, all combined to give us a comfortable and relaxing couple of hours exploring this coastline. I would recommend this company, without hesitation, to anyone interested in learning about ocean kayaking or just wanting to enjoy some time paddling and exploring the many beautiful coastal bays and beaches.

I took a guided tour and it was late October. The view was breathtaking, the water calm, the staff knowledgeable/experienced/helpful and good quality equipment. Unfortunately my schedule only allowed for a 3 hour paddle. I will definitely return for more discovering ...

My partner and I rented a double kayak for 24 hours to go out to Wallace Island and got excellent kayak tips (partner was a novice) from Chessi, and set out on a beautiful and calm Sunday evening. Helped us pack up the kayak and the boat itself ran beautifully. We had a an excellent 2.5 hour paddle before stopping just short of Wallace and camping on a bluff near the conservatory. Trouble happened later that night as I have Crohn's disease and had a sudden attack resulting in a small bowel obstruction. I had to be evacuated out by a combination of land and sea ambulances to Saanich, and our camping gear and kayak all got left behind. My partner made the long trip back to Galiano the next day, exhausted and not sure what to do, but was saved by the staff at Galiano Kayaks. We had to pay a recovery fee, but not only did they pick him up at the ferry and take him back out to our remote and hard to access campsite to get the kayak and all our gear, they gave us a rain cheque for almost the entire value of our rental since we only actually used the kayak for a portion of the time rented. The owner was also kind and extremely helpful. We will definitely be heading back to the do this again once my health is up to it. Wonderful people and business.

Booked a night time paddle to go out and kayak. It was a great time to see the bioluminescence; beautiful display of nature. Our guide, Cheese, was a great guy with strong knowledge of the area. His trivia of all the surrounding wilderness was very intriguing and he guided us extremely well through the darkness.I would not have been able to go out on my own in the dark so the guided tour was a great idea. I would definitely be going again to Galiano Kayaks.

My friend and I recently returned from a 3 day 2 night excursion of the Gulf Islands with Galiano Kayaks. The landscape is breathtakingly beautiful sculpted sandstone cliffs and both the land and sea were teaming with life. From our kayaks we saw 15+ bald eagles, otter, mink, many many seals with pups, not to mention a plethora of starfish and sea anemones. On land we saw 12 deer and many raccoon. Chessi, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable regarding the geology of the islands and the marine life. He was also a wonderful cook and did a great job accommodating my gluten-free, dairy-free diet. Although I had no previous sea kayaking experience, with Chessi’s mentoring, I was able to increase my paddling skills and have an adventure I did not think I was capable of. We would love to do another trip with Galiano Kayaks; possibly even Costa Rica and next time bring our husbands. Much thanks to Chessi for a vacation we will be talking about for years to come.

Serene, beautiful, breathtaking. What a day we had with Chessi - our gentlemanly sea kayak guide. We spend the day ogling crustaceans, bivalves, and anemones in the intertidal pools, playing in rip tides, and having up close conversations with curious seals. Chessi was a wonderful guide: informative, knowledgeable, and an expert kayaker - he made us feel safe and home in the water.The highlight of the trip was when we stopped for a delicious lunch in Active Pass only to have 15+ bald eagles put on a fishing derby and courtship battle royal right in front of us!After one afternoon on the water I would guess that 99% of the life on Galiano lives within 10 ft. of the shoreline - so don't miss out! Head over to Montague harbour and ask for Chessi!PS Galiano's so safe, you'll want to leave your trunk wide open with your computers exposed...even when it's raining!