Grab your paddle and lifejacket: Ocean River Adventures announces 2012 tours, lessons

Giving whiskey- and nature-loving paddlers something to look forward to, the team at Ocean River Adventures has just announced six new lessons and tours for 2012, ranging from kayaking Scotland’s Inner Hebrides to stand up paddleboarding the Gulf Islands.  

“This industry is one that moves quickly – we have to constantly think ahead, offering our clients new places to discover and sports to try,” said Brian Henry, founder and owner of Ocean River Adventures, a Victoria, BC-based company that specializes in on-the-water paddling and exploration excursions and lessons. “Our 2012 season is packed with awesome on-the-water adventures, including six new tours and lessons: join us for an eight-day tour of the beautiful Scottish Hebrides or learn how to SUP, stand up paddleboard – a new sport that’s slowly taking the world by storm.”

Paddlers with Ocean River Adventures can pick from nearly 50 different lessons or tours – most taking place in and around Vancouver Island, BC and offered year-round. At the heart of every Ocean River Adventures’ excursion is hands-on education about on-the-water skills and marine conservation.

To learn more or to book a tour, lesson, course or excursion with Ocean River Adventures, call 1-800-909-4233 or visit www.oceanriveradventures.com. Custom itineraries and additional tours are also available.

Overview of Ocean River Adventures’ new 2011 tours and lessons:

• A Taste of the Hebrides: Join experienced guides for an eight-day kayak tour of Scotland’s Inner Hebrides, a rugged, beautiful and biodiverse area. Highlights of the tour include visits to a range of historic castles, natural wonders and whiskey distilleries; interactions with native wildlife and friendly locals; and overnights at comfortable and well-appointed guest houses and lodges. Tour is offered from June 2 - 8, 2012. Cost per paddler is $3,400 – includes all kayaking equipment, meals, lodging and inter-island transportation. 

• Victoria Harbour Urban Kayak Exploration: During this kayaking tour in Victoria, BC ‘s Inner Harbour, guests can enjoy the city from a kayaker’s point of view. From this unique perspective, guides showcase the historic waterways, locations and buildings that make up Victoria’s historic downtown. Midway through the tour, guests dock at Fisherman’s Wharf for a short break to soak in the atmosphere of this unique community and purchase a beverage or light snack. One of the things to do in Victoria, BC, these tours are offered twice daily from May 15 through Sep. 15, 2012. Cost per paddler is $75 – all kayaking equipment is supplied.

• Sidney Coastal Kayak Tour: Head out for a six-hour tour spent kayaking the offshore islands and passes of Sidney, BC. On this marine tour near Victoria BC, watch for wildlife and catch stunning glimpses of Mount Baker. Tour is offered from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 6 and 27 and on June 10 and 24, 2012 (custom tours can be arranged on other dates throughout 2012). Cost per paddler is $135 (add $15 to include lunch) – all kayaking equipment is supplied.

• Victoria Sunset Paddle: On this two-hour paddle on Victoria’s Inner Harbour and the Gorge Waterway, watch the city turn from day to night – keeping an eye out for unique birds and marine wildlife. Tour is offered from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, May 15 though Aug. 15, 2012. Cost per paddler is $70 – all kayaking equipment is supplied.

• Victoria BC Coastal Kayak Tour: Looking for activities in Victoria, BC? Why not launch from the shoreline in Oak Bay in Victoria and kayak the wide-open vistas of the Juan de Fuca Strait, watching for seals, sea lions and eagles and carefully paddling near a sensitive seabird nesting area and ecological reserve? Tour is offered from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily from June 1 through Sept. 15, 2012. Cost per paddler is $135 (add $15 to include lunch) – all kayaking equipment is supplied.

• Learn to Stand Up Paddleboard in Victoria BC: Find out what’s SUP and try stand up paddleboarding: an emerging global sport that’s rooted in Hawaiian heritage and great for the core. At the end of the three-hour introductory session, participants of this new attraction in Victoria, BC will be able to paddle in a straight line, stop, maneuver sideways and around obstacles and perform a self-rescue. This course is offered from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on select Sundays, Apr. 22 through Oct. 14, 2012. Cost per paddler is $85 – all stand up paddleboarding equipment is supplied.

• BC Gulf Islands Stand Up Paddleboard Tour: Take two days to discover some of the Gulf Islands’ most impressive cliffs, pocket beaches and secret coves by paddleboard and then experience laidback island lifestyle on Gabriola. This two-day, one-night Gulf Islands tour is offered on July 28 - 29, 2012. Cost per paddler is $595 plus HST – included is all stand up paddleboard equipment, one-night accommodation at Pages Resort and Marina, breakfast and lunches and a water taxi transfer to Valdez Island/transportation back to Ladysmith.

About Ocean River Sports
Located on beautiful Vancouver Island, Ocean River Sports is a premier specialty outdoor and kayaking store in Victoria, BC. With 30 years in the business, Ocean River Sports includes a retail store, kayaking school, tours, rentals and performance paddling club. In 2011, the instruction/guiding/tour portion of the business was rebranded Ocean River Adventures. The initiative behind the rebranding was to create a “hub” for paddling enthusiasts and professionals, showcasing Vancouver Island through sustainable practices and professional guiding. For more information visit www.oceanriveradventures.com.

Media Contacts:  
Brian Cant, Tartan Group: 250-592-3838 or brian@tartangroup.ca   
Paul Beckman, Ocean River Sports: 250-381-4233 or paul.beckman@oceanriver.com

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