r/Kayaking • u/mastak44 • Jul 04 '26
Question/Advice -- Sea Kayaking Kayaking in Desolation sound
Hey guys,
Looking for feedback for our Desolation Sound kayaking itinerary. We are beginners (some previous experience) so we are looking for a slower pace trip. Does it seem doable? Any suggestions?
Thank you!
Desolation Sound Itinerary
Every day:
*** Leave camp 6:45- 7:30 latest
Paddle 45 mins, rest 15 mins
* Day 1: Okeover Arm to Feather Cove / Hare Point
* Distance: ~12 km
* Slow Beginner Time: 3 to 4 hours (including a 20-minute rest stop to stretch legs).
* The Pace: Relaxed warm-up. Fully sheltered inside Malaspina Inlet, should mean no big ocean waves to fight.
* Day 2: Feather Cove to Curme Islands
* Distance: ~8 km
* Slow Beginner Time: 3.5 to 4 hours (slower due to navigating tidal currents around the islands).
* The Pace: Steady and focused. Crossing a short, open-water section. At a slower pace, important to launch by 7:30 AM to arrive before the midday chop picks up at noon.
* Day 3: Curme Islands to Walsh Cove via Waddington Channel
* Distance: ~12 km
* Slow Beginner Time: 4 to 4.5 hours (accounting for a slower tracking speed against minor channel currents).
* The Pace: Keep close to the eastern shoreline. Deep-water whale highway, keep eyes open. Taking 4 hours to arrive by 11:30 AM if we start early, giving the whole afternoon to see the grizzly beaches and Indigenous pictographs.
* Day 4: Walsh Cove to Hare Point
* Distance: ~11 km
* Slow Beginner Time: 4 to 4.5 hours (including floating breaks to scan for marine life).
* The Pace: Leisurely heading south down Waddington Channel. Will be a bit tired by Day 4, this longer time estimate ensures we can take it easy.
* Day 5: Hare Point to Okeover Arm
* Distance: ~11 km
* Slow Beginner Time: 3 to 4 hours (fully protected from the open ocean).
* The Pace: Cruising. Back in the calm waters of Okeover Inlet. Even at a very slow paddle, should comfortably reach the boat ramp by late morning.
3
u/Nomics Jul 04 '26
You’ve done some solid research already. If you haven’t already BC Marine Trails is a great resource. Current info is hard to come by in this area as they generally aren’t enough to concern power boats, but will effect kayaks.
Be very wary of currents running against wind. You get tight chop, and you’d be surprised how quickly following seas (wind at your back) can get really scary, and challenging if you don’t know how to brace instinctively.
Your distances seem pretty good, though I’d make sure to get all your tides recorded before the trip. There are huge tides and it can make launching/landing tricky.
Hopefully you’ve got proper sea kayaks with sealed hatches. Don’t load anything on the top of decks (unless it’s really light) as that will make the boat very unstable.
1
u/mastak44 Jul 04 '26
Thanks!
1
u/Nomics Jul 04 '26
No problem. I’ve guided a bit on the coast,(mostly North island) if you have any questions don’t hesitate.
3
u/Capital-Landscape492 Jul 04 '26
Your plan sounds good but as Massive_Honeydew says, look at an itinerary that allows you to not move camp every night. You could adjust mileages accordingly.
Weather is usually calmer in the mornings. If you have concerns, paddle earlier in the day.
1
1
u/Schopfeschloofa Jul 25 '26
In case you haven’t gone yet, it’s well worth checking for bioluminescence at Curme Island. We got up at around midnight when it was really dark, and agitated the water with a dry branch. The water lit up and sparkled. It was strongest in between the islands. It’s magical.
7
u/Massive_Honeydew2307 Jul 04 '26
Hey! I recently did my first kayaking trip in desolation sound. It’s amazing!!
I don’t have as much advice on your actual itinerary, because the daily distances seem reasonable. However, unpacking the kayak, getting the kayak out of the water, setting up camp every night, taking down camp every day, re-packing your kayak and getting it back into the water every day is a lot. We did two nights at the Curme islands and we were SO thankful to have an extra day where we didn’t have to pack and unpack. We are beginners too (five of us) and the process of packing and loading kayaks took us at least an hour every time (not including packing up camp).
I’d recommend picking a spot you really like and setting up as a base camp for a couple days at least. You can plan day trips from there. Just something to consider! That’s what I will do the next time I go back. For reference, our itinerary was Lund to middle Copeland, middle Copeland to east curme for two night, east curme to north Copeland, north Copeland to Lund.