By Keith and Heather Nicol
On Monday July 8
we decided to head out on the water and try sea kayaking from downtown
Vancouver to iconic Siwash Rock. Siwash Rock is an 18 meter sea stack which sticks
out along the popular sea wall and is a prominent landmark in Stanley Park. It
makes a worthy goal for a 2 hour paddle from Ecomarine’s Paddlesport Centre on English
Bay and we opted to rent a double kayak to make it easier to take pictures. Ecomarine’s English Bay location is
conveniently located for anyone living in downtown Vancouver and it is right on
one of the most popular beaches in the city. We decided to head out in the
morning since often winds pick up in the afternoon and we were rewarded with a
very pleasant paddle past the highrises of English Bay toward forested Stanley
Park. Along the way saw many people walking and biking along the seawall which
rings Stanley Park.
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| Paddling past the highrises of downtown Vancouver |
We didn’t see
much birdlife or other wildlife but enjoyed views of downtown Vancouver, Stanley
Park and the North Shore Mountains in the distance and after 40 minutes we
rounded Siwash Rock. We enjoyed paddling the narrow passage between the shore
and Siwash Rock and we then paddled back to our launch point. By now the wind
was picking up and we were glad we had chosen a double kayak since it was very
stable in the choppy water. Another factor to consider in paddling in this area
is that there is lots of boat traffic further out in English Bay and this can
result in some big waves being created as large boats move in and out of this
area. The shoreline of Vancouver is very photogenic and a great way to see it
is from the seat of a sea kayak. Ecomarine Paddlesport Centres have 3 locations
in Vancouver and the English Bay location is well worth checking out for sea
kayaking -- see: https://www.ecomarine.com/
for more information. They also
rent paddleboards and single kayaks from this spot as well.
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| We rounded Siwash Rock as part of our tour |
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