My boyfriend and I went on the 9:30am Oak Bay tour this morning. The conditions were perfect - the water was glassy and peaceful, making for a calm and scenic paddle. Federico took us to several beautiful spots around the bay, including one where we spotted seals lounging and even a bald eagle perched nearby. Later, we were lucky enough to see a sea lion surface right beside us - such a cool moment! We happened to be the only two on the tour, which made the experience feel even more special. Federico was a fantastic guide - knowledgeable, attentive, and easygoing, with a great sense of humor. He kept a comfortable pace throughout and made sure we felt warm, safe, and supported the entire time. Peaceful water (well, we were lucky for that!), incredible wildlife, and a guide who really cares - what more could you ask for? The boats we were in were high quality and the shop is top tier. The people who work at this organization are extremely skilled kayakers who are dedicated to helping the kayak community. The shop has kayak skills courses as well and is dedicated to promoting excellent kayaking. If you're considering a kayak tour in the area or upping your kayak skills, I can't recommend Ocean River Sports enough. read more

My husband and I were in Victoria for a few days celebrating our anniversary. We stayed at the Delta Hotel and saw lots of kayaks out and about in the harbor in front of our hotel. We ended up doing a two hour rental with a tandem kayak from Ocean River Adventures. Getting there was a short ten minute walk from our hotel. The entire rental process was very quick and easy and their rental equipment is very good. It was a good value for the equipment and time we got to use the kayak. The kayak tracked beautifully in the water and we had a wonderful time cruising around the harbor for a couple hours. We even had a seal that popped its head out of the water about 20 feet in front of us! Lee (I believe he is the owner) and Wesley were a delight to deal with. I would highly recommend this company. read more

Ocean River Sports - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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My family decided to rent Kayaks and take the kids out to explore the inner harbour from a different angle. Full disclosure: I don't know how much it all cost because it was a grandparent-treat. We arrived mid-afternoon on an absurdly cold April weekend. We had actually changed our reservation from a different day due to wind (changing the reservation had been easy-breezy-totally-no-problem.) The safety demo went very well - just long enough that my kids didn't get too bored and the right amount of jokes to keep them kind interested. Everyone had life-jackets which was good because I had left the kids' jackets in the car by mistake. 2 hours in a kayak when only one person is 'really' paddling goes by VERY quickly. The boats were solid - but there is a lot to explore and a lot of ground to cover. For a smooth, no hassle experience - this was a great place to rent kayaks. read more

We took a kayak tour with Paul. He is a great guy. the tour was not bad.

I like this store, discovered Bog's s rain boots at this store and am a bit disappointed they don't attract even a bit of the attention lavished on co-op just up the road. The staff are friendly and have domain expertise. If you find yourself in Victoria and in need of outdoor gear relating to river or ocean, do yourself the favor and share some love with Ocean River Sports. read more

Today I went on the Discovery Island Kayak Tour with Ocean River Sports. I have to say that I was really impressed with both the professionalism and knowledgeability of the tour guides. They knew what they were talking about and prepared us well for the voyage. Our voyage began when we were picked up from our hotel in a silver minivan. The convenience of being picked up was really excellent. We then proceeded to Oak Bay Hotel and signed waivers, from which we departed on a large boat that carried us and our kayaks to Discovery Island. Before this trip, I had never kayaked before. I can safely say, after it, I think I will kayak again. I really enjoyed it. Our tour guide, Jeanette, was great at drawing our attention to underwater sea life and telling us about the island, the animals around, and how to navigate/use the kayak. The hike following lunch was also awesome and helped us find our land legs once more (thank goodness!). My only complaint is that we weren't carted back to our hotel following our trip. This would've been a really nice touch at the end of the day, particularly as we were all quite worn out following our excusion. Also, this is the only reason I didn't give the trip five stars... it was a little disappointing we weren't able to just get a ride back 'home' right away, instead we had to call for a cab. read more

We thoroughly enjoyed the Discovery Island Kayak Tour! Our co-guides were Ben and Nathan, and both were terrific. There were six participants on the tour, and that was a great size. I had been kayaking twice before and definitely consider myself a beginner; some of the other participants were pretty advanced. Ben and Nathan did a great job of meeting the different needs of the group, and were helpful in answering questions about gear and technique. They shared info about the area and its history and about the wildlife we saw. I had fun, learned a lot, and almost can't believe I paddled all the way around Discovery Island! Thanks for a wonderful day. read more

Amazing customer service! These guys go above and beyond. Thank you for fixing our minor mishap with a paddle board fin. Would highly recommend renting for them! read more

One of the things I was most excited about coming to Victoria was paddle boarding. I got to ORS at 9:20 a.m. and the doors were wide open. I walked in and there were about 6 people hanging out drinking coffee and chatting behind the counter. One guy looks at me and says "you need to wait outside we are not open yet". No hello or how can we help you. After waiting ten minutes I went in and they told me I had to wait another half hour because a big group was coming in and there would be no dock space. They could not have told me this when telling me to wait outside before they officially opened? I told them that I paddle board numerous times a week at home and that I would fill out any waiver and could grab a board and paddle and go. They were terribly rude. I asked if there was another place close and they said there was a place about 20 minutes away. I found out from the hotel that there was a place about 2 mintues walking from them. It was bad enough that they were rude, but then to be lied to really showed me what a poor establishment this is. Clearly they were more worried about making money from the large group than just making a small amount from renting one paddle board. Unless you are a large group I would go down the street. read more

Had a great morning on the water with Emma as our guide. Emma is very knowledgeable and personable and did a great job educating us on so ,any aspects of our time in the ocean, with her. Highly recommend the experience and Emma! read more

The good: this store fills a much needed niche in Victoria. They have a great selection of gear for a variety of water sports. I buy a lot of gear from this store. The not so good: uneven customer service. Some days it's helpful but mostly it's non-existent. I'd give them 5 stars if their staff were a little more customer service oriented. read more

I purchased an aquaglide inflatable kayak from ocean river, I am immensely happy with the kayak. It's very well made and stable on the water. I even took my son and 4yr. old granddaughter out for the day. I love this thing. What I don't love is the price. I didn't realize that I could have saved $200 by buying it on line here in Canada. Air kayaks.com even have an inflatable kayak package with paddles and pump for less than I paid, I didn't shop around enough. That won't stop me though from enjoying one of the best things I've ever bought. I'm looking for things to do with the grandkids, and I think I just found one. read more

The staff are knowledgable and passionate and never make me feel bad for not understanding too much about outdoor equipment and clothing.

My girlfriend and I went on the kayak tour of Discovery Island (and Chatham island) and really enjoyed it. Our tour guide (Jordy?) was super friendly, weather was awesome and saw a good variety of wildlife (mink, whales, etc.). read more

I live in Nanaimo, but rather than shopping at either of our two outdoor stores here, I choose to drive to Victoria where I know I will receive incredible, knowledgeable service from ORS. Their staff knows what they are talking about and do not pressure sell just for the sake of making money. I am new to kayaking so don't really always know what I'm looking for, but I know the staff will lead me in the right direction with honest answers as to what I need. You are greeted upon entering and don't have to find someone to help-they come and ask you. I find customer service in retail has declined over the years, but the difference of shopping here is you can tell the staff enjoy their job and are there because they want to help their customers enjoy whatever sport they are doing. Thx ORS, for continued great shopping experiences! read more