San Juan Islands - Orcas Island Paddler's Guide to Rentals

Kenmore Air has been in touch with me to provide guide services to one of their charters for a summer day trip from Seattle to Orcas Island. Their group has up to 25 participants which means we need to supply the boats and boards. In planning this tour, I've had a chance to chat with many of the board/board rental operations on the island. To save you the effort, here's a list of the basic rentals and resources I found..

Cascade Lake - a wilderness lake south of East Sound in Moran State Park. You may not think of paddling a lake given the epic paddling spots on the island, but it's actually a very pretty spot and will give more wind protection and opportunities for beginning paddlers not ready for tidal currents surrounding the rest of the island. Check in with Adventure Orcas for sup, canoe, pedal boats and kayak rentals. Nice folks!

West Beach Resort - Located on the west side of the island, West Beach has a string of rustic cabins in a nice bay with a view of Waldron Island. They have a few sup and kayak rentals for guests and run a weekly SUP race Sundays and Thursdays at 5:30pm. Race winner gets an off season night's stay!

Shearwater Kayak Tours - A great shop and professional rental operation, Shearwater also offers tours and/or has a summer base in spots like Deer Harbor, West Beach, Doe Bay and Rosario Resort. They also run tours out to Sucia Island.

Body Boat Blade - If you're looking for the best in sea kayak instruction not only on Orcas but in the entire region, BBB's owners Leon and Shawna are super professional, safe but also fun folks to paddle with. They also have a shop in East Sound. From the basic to advanced paddling including rolling, tidal rapids, adventure trip training to open water classes, they cover it all.  And they have a few sups for rent on the island as well.

Need to get there in a jiffy? Take a day or overnight trip there with Kenmore Air. Avoid the ferries lines and traffic.

* Learn more about paddling in the San Juan's in my article planning for a paddling trip in the SJ's for Kenmore Air Magazine. 

My book, Kayaking Puget Sound also has epic trips covering the entire island and surrounding islands.

Cascade Lake, Orcas Island

From the Body Boat Blade website

Rob Casey is author of Kayaking Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands, 60 Trips and Stand Up Paddling Flat Water to Surf and Rivers, both by Mountaineers Books.  He owns Salmon Bay Paddle a SUP school in Seattle.  Get in touch: rob@salmonbaypaddle.com

Paddling Patos Island, San Juan Islands, WA - Trip #50

Located a little over 4 miles from the north tip of Orcas Island, Patos Island offers the boater or paddler relative solitude, epic views, a protected gunkhole, and curvy sandstone rock formations.  The paddle from Orcas to Patos can be easy if the wind and currents cooperate, or rather hardcore if not. Definitely a trip for experienced paddlers. We rated it 'Exposed' given the remoteness of the island and the potential difficulty to get there.

From Saturna Island in the BC Gulf Islands, the crossing is only 2.7 miles but that's through Haro Strait which can also be easy, or not due to fast moving current squeezing between the islands.

Despite the feeling of solitude from this image, in the height of summer on a weekend there were 8 or so boats moored in tiny Active Cove.  The tent on the point was huge, could probably hold up to 7 and behind it tons of camping and food supplies scattered on the grassy point out of view.

Satellite View of Patos, Here.

Learn more about my book Kayaking Puget Sound and the San Juans, 60 Trips. I also offer SUP and Kayak lessons available throughout the year at Salmon Bay Paddle. Questions about paddling on the Salish Sea, give me a holler anytime at salmonbaypaddle@gmail.com or 206-465-7167

Support the Washington Water Trails Association and the Cascadia Marine Trail. The wwta works to create and protect access for paddlers on Puget Sound as well as provide an extensive network of over 60 paddle-in camping sites - www.wwta.org

Paddling Obstruction Pass and Orcas Island - Trip #44

Obstruction Pass (and island) are located between Orcas Island and Blakely Island. Sometimes swift current flows on both sides of the island giving you an easy free ride or if you time the currents poorly, a long hard slog to your destination.

Obstruction Pass Recreational site, (a former State Park) is located on the southern tip of Orcas Island and has a Cascadia Marine Trail site. Obstruction Pass has several access points from Doe Bay to the north, a public boat ramp across from the island on Orcas, and to the south, Lopez Island.

The following are images of the Leiber Haven Resort on Orcas which is adjacent to the public boat ramp

Learn more about my book Kayaking Puget Sound and the San Juans, 60 Trips. I also offer SUP and Kayak lessons available throughout the year at Salmon Bay Paddle. Questions about paddling on the Salish Sea, give me a holler anytime at salmonbaypaddle@gmail.com or 206-465-7167

Support the Washington Water Trails Association and the Cascadia Marine Trail. The wwta works to create and protect access for paddlers on Puget Sound as well as provide an extensive network of over 60 paddle-in camping sites - www.wwta.org