BC – The Perfect Place for Water Sports

July 17th, 2015

Enjoy the water this summer in BC

Spring and summer this year has been hot and dry and what that means to me is getting out on, or in the water. This year my wife and I are planning a vacation close to home, which means British Columbia. It got me thinking about what water sports activities we could do around the province, and close to an Accent Inns hotel.

My first thought was Kelowna and Lake Okanagan which has hundreds of beaches and places to swim. It was then that I thought about trying something a little different this year and came up with a few water sports I haven’t tried, or at least not here at home.

I’ve been fascinated by the increasing popularity of Stand Up Paddling; you see people on almost any body of water doing it these days, whether in a lake or at the coast. A quick Google search led me to www.kelownabeachrentals.com who rent paddle boards and teach you how to use them. They even offer paddle board yoga and something called Flowga which they say, “ … brings the synergy of the water, the rhythm of nature and the power of meditation for a rejuvenating yet relaxing mind, body and spirit experience.” That might be fun!

I’ve always loved snorkelling, especially in places like Maui, but never thought I’d be able to experience it here in BC. That was before I discovered that local instructors will provide guided tours to snorkel and scuba dive the fresh water lakes around Kamloops. The lake that has captured my attention is Johnson Lake a.k.a ‘The Caribbean of the North’ which is one of the clearest and most stunning lakes in the province. It’s more than five kilometres long and is 200 feet deep at one point. I hear that you can even dive to shipwrecks and reefs – in Kamloops! Are they kidding me?

Ocean Pacific Water Sports (www.opwatersports.com) in Kamloops offers scuba diving and snorkelling. In Kelowna Serpent Aquatics offers courses too (www.serpentaquatics.com).

If you’d rather be on the water rather than in it, then Kayaking is one of my absolute favourite things to do in Victoria, there are miles upon miles of protected shoreline and so many islands to discover and explore you’d need a lifetime of paddling to see every nook and cranny. Wildlife off the shores of Vancouver Island is abundant and a day’s kayaking will guarantee you spot seals, bald eagles, masses of seabirds, and just beneath you sea stars, fish, and sea anemones. You may well see otters, sea lions, dolphins, porpoises, and even the iconic Orca – or more likely a pod of them.

kayaking near Victoria BC

Lot of companies including Ocean River Adventures (www.oceanriveradventures.com) rent kayaks and offer tours in Victoria – everything from a day paddle to explore Discovery Island, to a relaxing paddle around Victoria’s famous inner harbour and the Gorge waterway.

Whatever Accent Inns hotel you stay at this year, you’ll be closer than you think to a water-based activity. I have tried to discover how many lakes there are in BC, but for once Google has let me down – I’m tempted to think there are too many to count. The one thing I am certain of is that wherever I travel in BC this summer, I’ll be close to a great place to dive into crystal clear water to cool off!

Mike Wicks
Blue Beetle Creative