Water Sports · British Columbia
A family-owned water sports outfitter near Squamish, BC, offering kayak rentals, lessons, Howe Sound boat tours and more, with near-unanimous praise for its patient, knowledgeable guides and instructors.
Squamish Watersports is a family-run base for getting out on Howe Sound and the Squamish River. It covers a lot of ground: kayak and canoe rentals, boat tours, lessons and a surf, kite and windsurf shop. Visitors often mention the welcoming feel of the place, dogs included.
Guides and instructors are the main reason for its very high rating. Reviewers name individual boat captains and instructors for being calm, knowledgeable and patient, whether they were running a Howe Sound tour, teaching a first-timer or coaching a three-hour private lesson that took one rider from wobbly to in control. Staff also give good local advice; one kayaker new to the area said they were told exactly when to head out and where to go.
The range of trips is broad. Recent guests have done a bouldering boat tour to climbing spots along the sound, a first crabbing outing and self-guided kayak trips where otters and seals turned up. One visitor noted a hot tub free to use after a day on the water. It suits families, beginners wanting instruction and experienced paddlers who just need a boat and some local knowledge.
Complaints are rare given the volume of reviews. Howe Sound can get rough, and one tour group described a choppy ride, so dress for spray and check conditions with staff before heading out on your own.
Summarised from visitor reviews on Google Maps. Based on 1,121 Google reviews. Details change — confirm hours, prices and bookings with Squamish Watersports directly.
