Kayaking Ucluelet or Tofino in May
 

We will be in Tofino for 2 full days the last week of May and we'd like to do some sea-kayaking. A friend said a trip to the Broken Islands from Ucluelet is nice but 8-9 hours and $235pp is a lot of time and money when we only have 2 full days in the area. For anyone that is familiar with the options there, do you think that trip is exceptional enough to be worth the time and money or would we be better off going on a shorter trip that would allow us to see/do something else too? I saw that NWWanderer recommended the Meares Island kayak trip from Tofino in another thread. Are there other trips out of Ucluelet or Tofino that are interesting? Are there any trips that would be better than others for our visit at the end of May?

We were also considering a trip to Hot Springs Cove. That takes up a big chunk of time for only a couple of hours at the actual hot springs. Are the boat trip and hike out to the springs worthwhile too?

Your kayaking trip will of course be weather dependent - it might be great weather for kayaking or the seas might be too rough.

http://www.ladyrosemarine.com/

I'd call the Sechart Lodge folks, get a quote on equipment rental and let them figure out which departure and return times Ucluelet-Sechart-Ucluelet work for you.

Barclay Sound is made for kayaking, and you'll avoid the morning fog that prevails in F'August and September.

Have a great time and let us know which trip you chose and how it went.

Curious,
Thanks for the link. If I understand you correctly, you're recommending that we go on our own, taking a boat to Sechart, renting kayaks from them and kayaking on our own? We don't have a lot of experience kayaking but we did go out on our own in Hawaii and we went kayaking in the sound of the g the Outer Banks of NC. Do you think we would be alright on our own, weather permitting, or would we need experience?

I was suggesting that you take whichever of the steamers is running on your particular day from Ucluelet to Sechart Lodge where you can rent kayaks and, if you want, a guide. Must be pre-booked.

Whether you're kayaking to Meares or in Barclay Sound, this is sea kayaking. Only you know how comfortable you'd feel with your level of experience. If you are at all unsure, go for the guided kayak tour, whether to Meares or the Broken Group. From my guided kayaking trips in Howe Sound, you might have between four and ten other kayaks, so it's a small group. You get the benefit of a local, certified kayaker who will be able to point out spots of interest.

On one guided kayak trip I went on, the weather turned (as it can do in a blink of an eye) and a mom in a double with her ten year old son just couldn't manage anymore. The guide ended up towing her back to the end point.

I don't want to discourage you. This part of BC is amazing and a kayak trip - again, weather dependent - is fantastic.

OK Thanks. I only saw kayak rentals, not tours, at that link. We definitely don't want to get washed out to sea! ;-)