This Mother’s Day, give mom something worth writing home about. Invite her on a paddling adventure that you’ll both enjoy and get a head start on your summer! We’ve got the perfect guided kayak and raft tours to earn you some extra laundry and dinner credits – not to mention getting a head start on photos for the Christmas cards. In fact, use our handy suggestions below to make a day or a weekend out of it – an experience the whole family will enjoy.
As an added incentive for you to do something great for mom this year we’re discounting our most popular trips so you won’t have to work overtime to pay for it. Save 40% online using code “MOMSDAY” before May 10th and call us with any questions. 425.883.9039
Lopez Island 3 hour Sea Kayak Tour
Package Ideas: Visit Lopez Island Vineyards or the Lopez Island Museum
Redhook Kayak Tour
Package Ideas: Lunch or Dinner at Redhook Brewery or a tasting/tour at Chateau St Michelle Winery
North Fork Skykomish Rafting Trip
Package Ideas: Visit Pine Creek Nursery & Farm Gift Shop
Wenatchee River Rafting Trip
Package Ideas: Check out all that the Bavarian-themed town of Leavenworth has to offer… wineries, restaurants, shops – need we say more?
Not sure if your mom is up for the gift of adventure? Well, let’s face it – raising you has probably been her greatest adventure, so we’re sure she can handle it!
Looking for something unique or custom that will make mom smile? We can do that! Give us a call or email us your request so we can help you plan a great day for just the two of you, or for the whole family! 425.883.9039 | info@OutdoorAdventureCenter.com
Spring has sprung, and so have big discounts on whitewater rafting. Visit www.OutdoorAdventureCenter.com
Seeking Rescue Courses, Roll Class or ACA Certification? Outdoor Adventure Center offers that too. Outdoor Adventure offers personalized courses, and expert instruction, to help you achieve your goals. They have various paddling options to meet your scheduling needs. Enroll in Raft Guide Training, take Private Lessons or enroll in a Certification Course.
Whether you just want to be a better boater, or intend to be a professional whitewater guide, Whitewater Raft Guide Training ($495.00 per person) is safe, fun and comprehensive.
Outdoor Adventure Center offers various kinds of certification programs including Wilderness First Aid Certification ($199.00 per person), ACA Costal Kayak Instructor Certification ($500.00 per person) and the Leave No Trace Educator Certification Course ($859.00 per person), among other certification options.
As far as kayaking, various private instruction options are available including Private Kayak Instruction-Full Day ($450.00 per person), Semi-Private Kayak Instruction-Full Day ($450.00 per person) and Private Kayaking Instruction-3 Hours ($225.00 per person), among other training plans offered.
Grab your trunks and pack your bag. There’s plenty of great rafting events and classes in April and May. April classes & events includes North Fork Raft Trips (April 15), Wenatchee River Trips (April 19) Wilderness 1st Aid & CPR (April 23), and Big Water Skykomish Rafting (April 26).
May events and classes include Kayak Rentals on Lopez Island (May 3), Lopez Kayak Tours begin (May 4), Redhook Kayak Tours begin (May 10), ACA Coastal Kayaking Class (May 16), National Safe Boating Week (May 17) and Intro to River Kayaking Class (May 31).
Ever thought of a family kayak trip? Stop thinking and start paddling. Launching from Washington State’s beautiful Lopez Island, the kayak adventures include a 5 Day Teachin’ Trip, a 5 Day Photography & Kayak Adventure, a 2 Day Lopez Island Family Kayak Trip and a 3 Hour Guided Kayak Tour. All the kayak adventures are wet, wild, educational and wonderful.
If you live in or near Seattle, WA, and prefer to keep your whitewater adventuring close to home, the Skykomish River, is the closest, and best, whitewater available. Visit www.OutdoorAdventureCenter.com to book your Spring and Summer rafting adventures today, or call : (425) 883-9039.
Isn’t it time you got wet?
Are you a good swimmer? Do you enjoy the thrill and challenges of white water rafting? Are you seeking a career as a commercial rafting guide? Do you simply want to learn how to read the river, and know every aspect of a safe and exciting rafting experience, to enhance your personal enjoyment? Whitewater raft guide training may just be for you.
Your raft guide training will take place in beautiful Index, Washington. Adventure Rafting Company (formerly Wave Trek) has been training world class whitewater guides since 1983. The guides that train you are among the best trained, most experienced whitewater rafting guides on the West Coast.
The rafting training program goals include skills, safety, enjoyment, and job placement. Skills taught include river hydrology (reading water), how to prepare your raft prior to the trip, how to maneuver a raft downriver safely, how to prepare your crew of paddlers prior to their trip, how to teach paddling to your crew and what is the required safety equipment & what is optional.
Other skills taught are how to communicate effectively on the water, how and where to launch and land, activities and games that you can use with your crew, rafting-related terms, basic rescue techniques for water rescues, how to load and unload the raft trailer, how to rig safety and optional equipment onto your raft and much, much more.
Training Rivers involve Skykomish River (Index, WA), Methow River (Winthrop, WA), Deschutes River (Warm Springs, OR), Sauk River (Darrington, WA), Squat River (Darrington, WA) and Wenatchee River (Leavenworth, WA). Students usually have the chance to experience various whitewater rafting locations.
The raft guide training fee is $495.00. Upcoming whitewater raft guide training sessions are as follows: Session C – April 12-13, April 26-27 and May 3-4 & May 10-11; Session D – June 16-21. All training takes place on the weekends to accommodate everyone’s busy schedules.
If your are 18 or over, are a good swimmer and have a positive attitude, the whitewater is waiting for you. What are you waiting for? For more information,
go to outdooradventurecenter.com or call 1-800-282-4043.
Along with celebrating the river opportunities, Outdoor Adventures, and the University of Washington Kayak Club formed a synergistic relationship to invite partnerships with area residents, businesses, schools, clubs, and organizations to create an event that would draw participants and spectators to the Snohomish County recreational corridor to experience what we call Mild-to-Wild events and festivities.
Deception Pass Dash Kayak Race near Oak Harbor WA with outdooradventurecenter.com
Do you wonder if you have what it takes to paddle Northwest waters in extreme conditions? The cold water temps, chilly weather conditions, onshore winds, and choppy waters of the Washington coast combine to provide a challenging playground for experienced paddlers who have mastered their defensive boating techniques and self-rescue skills.
Extreme Paddling Event!
Each December nearly 200 adventurous paddlers converge on Deception Pass State Park near Oak Harbor for a 6-mile paddle race known as the Deception Pass Dash. In it’s 8th year, the DPD has become the extreme winter paddling event of the Northwest. The event is open to all human-powered craft. This years event will be held on Sunday, December 8, 2013 with rescue practice and on-water clinics held at the Park on Saturday, December 7th. Racers come from as far as California and Montana to compete in the challenging conditions and swirling waters of Deception Pass, known for intense currents and whirlpools.
Safety is paramount for Outdoor Adventure Center, who puts the event on, and works with the Coast Guard, Skagit County, and Washington State Parks to ensure that procedures are in place to minimize and handle any incidents. A safety crew of 20+ experienced boaters (mainly expedition kayakers) and several motor boats are on hand and stationed along the race route to oversee the participants and provide assistance to any racer who needs it. Racers are also encouraged to assist each other, if necessary, and competitor’s finish times are adjusted to account for time spent helping another boater when this situation arises. All race participants are encouraged to have solid, proven self-rescue skills and to arrive the day before the event to test their skills and ensure that they are adequately prepared. On Saturday, Outdoor Adventures is also providing safety and rescue clinics from qualified instructors for those who wish to gain additional training prior to race-day.
NEW for 2013! Outdoor Adventures has added a beginner competition and will be offering a 2-mile short course following the main event. This shortened race will allow novice paddlers to compete in open water with a full safety crew on hand.
Learn more about the 8th annual Deception Pass Dash and register online at www.OutdoorAdventureCenter.com
September and October are the perfect time to get your feet wet in the sport of kayaking! Lower river levels and a slower flow rate during the fall months provide beginning paddlers with an easier learning pace, while still offering the option of experiencing waves and other hydraulic features that are either too fast, or too big to enjoy at the higher water levels that occur during the spring and summer months. The Skykomish River, just an hour outside of Seattle, Washington is a great place to take a river kayaking class, or if you’re more into ocean paddling you can check out a beginner-friendly coastal adventure at Bowman Bay! If this is your first time in a kayak, we suggest an inflatable kayak class or tour, or an intro class before tackling a hardshell kayak. Take a lesson or two in the fall from an experienced instructor, then include some paddler-specific exercises in your winter workout plan (and get in some practice sessions and rescue training at a local kayak pool session), and be ready to immerse yourself in the perfect Pacific Northwest sport when spring rolls around and the boating community comes out of hibernation (and turns in their skis and boards) for another great season of paddling adventures! The other best thing about kayaking… it is even more fun with friends! Bring your own, or make some new ones as you embark on your boating venture!
The Town of Index is known for its many recreational opportunities and day trips. With the scenic Skykomish River flowing right through town, the Index Wall climbing area overlooking it, and the many protected wilderness and park areas surrounding it, Index is truly an adventurer’s paradise. And NOW is the time to HIKE IT!
You can easily drive up to Index from the Seattle area in the morning and get in a fun fall hike before the afternoon football game! Most days in October you will leave behind the morning fog and mist of Seattle and arrive above the clouds in Index to enjoy the crisp autumn air and a bright blue sky. Located 1 hour from Seattle, Washington the Town of Index is a hiker’s paradise – you can enjoy a different hike each weekend all year round. In fact, a quick search on the Washington Trails Association website of hikes in the Cascade Mountains near Index brings up a list of 111 trails to explore! Need directions or hiking suggestions? Stop by The River House in Index for information, restrooms and great coffee. Come explore and enjoy the seasons with us!
The choices on places to go and catch a fish are plentiful in the fall.
“We’ve got some great coho fishing going on right now, and it is about as good as I’ve seen in quite a number of years especially in the Skykomish and Snohomish,” said Mike Chamberlain, owner of Ted’s Sports Center in Lynnwood. “There are lots of coho and most of the guys are very pleased with it from the tidewater in Everett all the way up past the town of Snohomish.”
Most anglers are trolling Brad’s Wigglers or 3.5 Mag Lips. Others are doing well just casting and retrieving Vibrax-like spinners and incorporating them with a small squid or floating eggs has been good in the flowing sections of the rivers. Small Dick Nites in a 50/50 and other varieties of color have also been doing quite well.
Other rivers garnering fair to good coho reports are the Stillaguamish, Cascade and Skagit. There are still a fair number of zombie humpies kicking around for those who’d like to catch them. Summer steelhead fishing has been fair in Reiter Ponds of the Skykomish.
On the coast, rivers like the Humptulips, Satsop, Wynoochee, Clearwater, Queets and Lower Hoh all have a good showing of salmon.
Those looking for kings should head east of the Cascades to the Columbia River in the Hanford Reach area where it remains good.
On the lake scene, the perch are biting well in Lake Washington on the docks of Seward Park, Coulon Park in Renton, Mercer Island at Luther Burbank and Kenmore. Cho are also being hooked up off Hunts Point and Yarrow Bay most by guys trolliner 3.5 Mag Lips or Brads Wigglers on downriggers.
The coho bite is starting to wind down in the saltwater although it is still fair in northern Puget Sound, Shipwreck to Browns Bay, Edmonds area, Richmond Beach to Shilshole Bay, West Point, Elliott Bay and Jefferson Head. It is also fair to good for blackmouth and coho in the San Juan Islands.
Mark Yuasa covers fishing and outdoors in the Pacific Northwest.
Boating the San Juan Islands
Hidden in the rain shadow behind the Olympic Peninsula and the Cascades, the San Juan archipelago sees the sun 247 days a year. During the summer and early fall, when calm seas are the norm, clear skies are as common as the eagles and whales that swoop and breach in the waterways between the 400 islands, some no bigger than a rock. But the weather is just icing on the cake. These islands are chock-full of cool towns, of-the-moment restaurants, and opportunities for adventure. There is no bad decision when it comes to choosing which island to stay on, but there is a best decision: Stay on a boat.
The best place to begin your week around and on… Read more
