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  • The Compass blog
    The Compass blog
Whitewater Kayaking Close Call

Whitewater Kayaking Close Call

Russell Henry shares the story of a close call while whitewater kayaking and offers some safety tips for other paddlers Whitewater paddling can be an extremely dangerous sport, especially when seeking out rivers that have not been paddled before and take a lot of effort to get too. On Vancouver Island, these first descent rivers are much easier to visit due to the network of…
Top 5  Vancouver Island Multi-Day Paddling Trips

Top 5 Vancouver Island Multi-Day Paddling Trips

Multi-day paddling trips on Vancouver Island to add to your “to-do” list After Canada 150, where everyone flocked to our beautiful country to discover why we were voted the best place to visit in 2017, it is time we got back to our adventurous roots. Canada was discovered up close and personal, from the historic uses of the kayak and canoe by the indigenous people…
How Made Kayaks was Made

How Made Kayaks was Made

An interview with Ron Crown, the creator of Made Kayaks We love working in the outdoor adventure market. We love inspiring others to get out there and getting out there ourselves. We are grateful to those inventive minds that create the gear that helps us do our jobs and get out there ourselves. One of these inventive minds is Ron Crown, the creator of Made…
Adventure Vehicles: life on the road

Adventure Vehicles: life on the road

By Russell Henry Home is where the adventures are. Adventure Vehicles: homes on wheels Living in British Columbia almost everyone has a backyard bike trail, local climbing crag, or after work class 3 river run. It’s when we start to look beyond our local areas that we discover so much more of the wild world of adventure. We make longer and longer drives for weekend…
Top 5 Fall Paddling Spots near Victoria

Top 5 Fall Paddling Spots near Victoria

Our Top 5 best places to see fall foliage from the water this Autumn in Victoria, BC We have a short Autumn season here on the west coast of Canada. A lot of rain leads to a quick fall and long drawn out ‘winter’ of bare branches and very little snow. So when the leaves begin to change you have to take full advantage of…
Pacific Marine Circle Route by Motorcycle

Pacific Marine Circle Route by Motorcycle

By Brian Henry Total distance 208km, plus more for exploring I love to explore as many things on the Island as I can. The Pacific Marine Circle Route includes so many opportunities to see the true Vancouver Island experience – completing the route on a motorcycle was a must. This quick trip was an exploratory mission to understand many of the things we can put…
Why you need to try SUP yoga

Why you need to try SUP yoga

Our top 5 reasons you need to Try SUP yoga this year We love stand up paddle boarding, we love yoga so it only makes sense that we would love SUP yoga too. Do you like Paddle boarding? Do you like Yoga? Do you like trying new things? If you answered yes to at least one of those questions you have got to try SUP…
Lost Bunny explores Victoria for Canada 150

Lost Bunny explores Victoria for Canada 150

Ocean River turned a bunny’s worst nightmare into a Canada 150 dream come true. Over the weekend the owner of Ocean River, Brian Henry, was working as a taxi driver in the Gulf Islands and a tiny stowaway was left behind. Bunny was separated from his mom and when she realised she asked us to return him to her. Before this though we tried to…
The History of The Kayak

The History of The Kayak

Take a journey through Canada and explore the history of the kayak The history of the kayak is closely interwoven with Canadian history itself. Modern kayaks are used to get up close and personal with the natural beauty and wildlife found all across Canada, but, kayaks have played a large role in the discovery of the land as well. As Canada 150 approaches many are…
Brian Henry Receives Life Member Award

Brian Henry Receives Life Member Award

Brian Henry was honoured at the Tourism Victoria AGM on April 28th with the Life Member Award Brian Henry, the owner of Ocean River as I am sure we all know, has been a pioneer in the adventure tourism industry in Victoria for over 30 years – not to mention his huge influence on the sport of kayaking. After Friday’s award ceremony we wanted to…
Kayaking with Russell Henry

Kayaking with Russell Henry

How well do you know Russell Henry? You may know Russell Henry as Brian Henry’s son. You may know him from school or from paddling with him. You may even know Russell from an article written about one of his many expedition kayaking adventures. One thing is for sure, if you have met Russell you know how passionate he is about the outdoors and adventure,…
The Salish Sea Marine Trail needs the public’s help

The Salish Sea Marine Trail needs the public’s help

Trans Canada Trail (TCT) and BC Marine Trails Network Association have come up with the perfect recipe for connecting Vancouver Island and the rest of Canada by trail: the Salish Sea Maine Trail. The Salish Sea Marine Trail will be a blueway – a saltwater route designed for paddlecraft and small beachable boats – that will connect The Great Trail (the new name for the…

About Ocean River

Located in Victoria, British Columbia on beautiful Vancouver Island, Ocean River is one of the premier speciality kayak and adventure companies in North America. Brian Henry, the founder & current owner, has been running Ocean River since 1981, and Ocean River continues to be recognised as one of the most significant outdoor/paddlesports instructional & tours provider in North America.

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SUP Adventures on the West Coast

Wesley takes on SUP adventures on the west coast of British Columbia!

Moving back to the West Coast from the Rockies ...