Sea Kayak Lake Superior – Wild North Shore Kayaking Expedition

Sea Kayak the wild north shore from Hattie’s Cove (just south of Marathon) to Wawa. Along the way, you will experience the rugged beauty of Lake Superior in this self-reliant expedition training trip including empty, sandy and cobblestone beaches, rugged Canadian shield, endless Boreal forest, waterfalls and wildlife. Our seasoned Lake Superior guides have a strong interest in the local history of Lake Superior so we will take time to explore lighthouses, abandoned logging camps and old trappers’ cabins. Our route will also take us past the historic ghost town of Pukaskwa Depot which during the 1900’s housed over 400 men and acted as one of the main bases of operations for logging along the north shore.

Trip details

This 10-day training kayak trip on Lake Superior is an empowering, memorable experience where paddlers hone their skills and learn the valuable asset of self-reliance on a kayaking expedition.

We originally came up with the self-reliant theme way back in 2010 as a way to help Ontario’s sea kayakers take the next step in their expedition paddling skills. Lake Superior is the world’s largest inland sea which can produce unpredictable conditions in a very short time. We help participants plan their own personal gear and menu plans, pack for a long trip without re-supply and make the right risk management decisions to execute a successful trip.

Paddle Canada certification

As part of the trip we are proud to also offer the Paddle Canada Wilderness Camping and Expedition Camping certifications.

To facilitate this, we will organize pre-trip training classes over Zoom to teach topics such as navigation and map reading skills, expedition food preparation, route planning, etc.

Throughout the trip we will complete the rest of the syllabus topics. Learn more about what’s covered in the Wilderness Camping and Expedition Camping certifications.

What to expect on this kayaking adventure

• Learn trip planning, including navigation and weather interpretation.
• Learn menu planning, packing and food preparation for extended trips or expeditions.
• Learn the skills of expedition self-reliance.
• Learn how to plan and pack paddling and camping equipment.
• Improve paddling skills like strokes and advanced rescues.
• Share tips and stories with group members around the campfire and on the water.
• Apply navigation skills and map work.
• Gain a better understanding of weather conditions, risk management.
• Build leadership and teamwork skills, facilitated by the guides and of course, experience and of course the most beautiful sea kayaking in Ontario and world-class lingering sunsets!

Your trip guides and skill development facilitators

Ray Boucher and David Johnston have been teaching sea kayak courses and guiding on Lake Superior for almost 20 years and it is still one of their favourite places to paddle. 

Having two senior Paddle Canada instructors along on the trip is a rare commodity and allows for a 10-day overhaul of paddling and rescue skills development as well as trip navigation and weather planning. Tripping with highly skilled coaches allows the group to choose to experiment with rougher paddling conditions to increase participant’s open-water paddling skill-set. Having guides who have paddled this coast many times over the years means you will see the best parts of the coast and camp at the most spectacular sites.

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