No experience is necessary! Beginners are welcome on all of our Eagles & Orcas tours. We employ mature, seasoned guides who will give you a very thorough on-land orientation before you start your trip. You will learn the basics of kayak paddling, including how to steer and fit the boat, in our very stable double [...]

The double kayaks we use are wider and much more stable than single kayaks. To be quite honest, our double kayaks really take some coaxing to “tip and flip.” A water fight is almost always a guaranteed flip, so you might want to steer clear of that kind of stuff. Getting in and out of [...]

The safety of our guests is Outdoor Odysseys number one priority. We have been in business since 1987 and have an impeccable safety record. We use stable double sea kayaks to ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable paddling trip in the San Juan Islands. We also provide lifejackets, paddles, spray skirts, and dry [...]

A good guide should be safety oriented, knowledgeable regarding all aspects of kayaking, informative about the local area and environment and, most importantly, they should genuinely like and enjoy people and their work. Outdoor Odysseys prides itself on hiring excellent guides that come back year after year. We hire guides who have grown up in [...]

If you have your own lifejacket (PFD), paddling jacket, or personal paddle you are welcome to bring it. We provide lifejackets, paddles, spray skirts, and dry bags for all participants joining our “Eagles and Orcas” Tours. Important gear that is often forgotten but is critical includes sunscreen, sunglasses, water for hydration and a rain jacket. [...]

It is wise idea to come with everything you need to be warm and dry so you are prepared no matter what the weather decides to do. This includes a rain jacket, dry clothes to change into, just in case you do get wet, a warm synthetic layer or fleece, and a pair of shoes [...]

We tend to approach the age topic on a case-by-case basis since not all folks have generic body sizes and capacities for activity. As a general rule, 13 to 14-year-olds are able to paddle the double sea kayaks. However, it really does depend on the individual. We have several triple kayaks that hold three people. [...]

Our paddling pace tends to be quite leisurely throughout the day. Our intention is to travel no faster than the slowest paddler in the group, that way we can utilize endurance to get us where we need to go. Occasionally, we’re confronted with strong currents that require sustained paddling for channel crossings. For your safety, [...]

San Juan Island and, specifically, our launch site from San Juan County Park is probably the premier destination for whale watching on the west coast of the United States. If we do see whales we make a point of watching them from a safe distance, respecting and fully embracing federal whale watch guidelines. If whales [...]

While the name “Killer Whale” is a rather disturbing title, (trust me on this, I would not want to be a salmon in the water when they are around) they have shown no aggression toward humans. In the many years Outdoor Odysseys has been running sea kayaking tours on the west side, with literally hundreds [...]

We camp on various islands in the San Juan archipelago that are accessible only by boat. Our campsites are usually beautiful waterfront sites. The campsites are administered by the Washington State Parks Department. All the sites have picnic tables, fire pits, potable water and outhouses. If we get inclement weather while camping your guides will [...]

As mentioned before, there are outhouses at all established campsites we frequent on our overnight tours. We also make stops at various beaches enroute to our paddling destination for the night. Usually this means paddling from one and a half to two hours before taking a “pit stop.” However, because we generally paddle along the [...]