The Best Designed
Sea Kayaks
Our state-of-the-art sea kayaks are very stable. Don't confuse
these seafaring craft for their "tippy" cousins made
for whitewater. There's no need to worry about our kayaks capsizing. Despite
their amazing stability, our tandem kayaks are also extremely swift and easy to paddle. In fact, they are both faster and
more stable than solo kayaks. Another advantage of using tandems is that we are able to balance the
varied strengths of trip participants. This
assures that everyone is able to paddle at a comfortable pace and remain together for
safety. The stability of tandem kayaks also make them excellent
platforms for observing and photographing whales and other wildlife.
Our sea kayak fleet in the San Juan
Islands is completely new! All kayaks at this location are
less than one year old. So are the paddles, skirts, and personal
floatation jackets. Join us in the San Juan Islands and you'll be
using the latest designs and features most recently available to the
sport.
We spare no expense! Our San
Juan Islands tour fleet is composed of the tandem Seascape Expedition
and the triple cockpit Seascape 3. We have had the manufacturer
install a variety of custom features in our boats to make them even
more comfortable and safer than they already were as originally
designed. Chief among the extra safety features are the installation
of four bulkheads in each boat. This means there are five separate
compartments in each kayak and if one should get accidentally flooded,
the others will provide plenty of buoyancy to stay afloat and enable
movement to a safe location.
If you are comparing outfitters in our region, you might ask them
about the condition and age of their kayaks. We know of some companies
that use such old and poorly maintained boats that they have actually
had some sink to the bottom! We've seen others provide tandem kayaks
to guests that were missing watertight hatches and rudders.
Lightweight Paddles
We provide paddles of
contemporary design and materials on all of our kayak trips. They are extremely strong and lightweight, which you will
especially appreciate after a few hundred strokes into your kayaking
vacation. Our fiberglass paddles are made by Werner, recognized as the
best quality manufacturer of sea kayaking paddles in the modern era.
Roomy Tents
Our tents are very
comfortable due to their roomy
interiors, generous ventilation, ample lighting,
and waterproofness. Our top quality tents fit all these criteria perfectly. Two people
share each tent, with plenty of room for both persons and their gear.
A great tent can improve any camping trip! Our tents are made by
Sierra Designs, one of the first companies to use computer design
techniques to make their tents tauter and more spacious for the same
material weight.
Essential Kayaking Safety Equipment
Safety is our top priority on our kayak tours so each guide carries
rescue gear and emergency
signaling devices, including flares, rescue streamers, signal mirrors,
tow belts, re-entry stirrups, and rescue floats. Fortunately, our
guides or so well trained and use such good judgment when leading Sea
Quest trips that we have never in our 20 year history needed to launch
a flare!
Coast Guard approved PFD's (life vests) made specifically for the
sport of sea kayaking with a short waist, and snug spray skirts are fitted to
each paddler during the initial instruction and orientation.
For kayaking trips in Alaska and Baja Mexico, our guides carry
marine radiotelephones. Kayak tours in the San Juan Islands of
Washington carry these, plus they are additionally equipped with a
cellular phone.
Used
Sea Kayaks
for Sale
We traditionally sell several of our triple, tandem
and solo kayaks each year. Please follow this link if you are
interested in buying quality used
sea kayaks for sale in Washington. We can also ship to locations
out of state. We often sell other related camping gear such as
Sierra Designs two-person tents. Visit the page linked above, or
call to inquire!
