We were supposed to kayak the Copeland Islands but the kayaking company had overbooked their staff and asked us if we wouldn’t mind kayaking Okeover Inlet instead. Since we’d gone ashore one of the Copeland Islands on our previous Desolation Sound boat trip we figured a change of scenery wouldn’t be so bad and it turned out to our advantage in the end because the waters of the inlet were a lot calmer than the open ocean that day!

We drove down to Powell River Kayaking’s HQ at the head of the inlet and got some lessons in getting in and out of the kayaks and basic strokes and safety procedures before carrying the boats down to the shore and being let loose on the water on our double kayak - known locally as a “divorce boat”.

It was a lovely day - not too hot, not too cold - and we spent about three hours paddling leisurely along the coast, admiring the occasional luxury homes which our guide assured us were extremely affordable, and looking out for wildlife along the way. We saw lots more starfish and a couple of bald eagles right up close.

We had a bit of drama when I desperately needed the loo and our guide had to find somewhere suitable along the rocky and craggy shore for me to get out of the kayak. I managed to get out without falling in but I did manage to rip my leg up a bit while trying to clamber up the rough and barnacled rocks in order to find somewhere hidden enough for a sprinkle - I gave up in the end and threw dignity to the wind.

We paddled across the inlet to a beach where we ran the kayaks ashore and set up our picnic site on a bluff overlooking the inlet - a gorgeous spot for lunch.

After about an hour we headed back in a little less leisurely fashion since we only had about an hour and a half to get back before the daily winds started up and the tide was a bit against us. My husband didn’t help matters much when he kept steering us into the patches of kelp just to wind me up because he knew I hated paddling through them (that kelp is surprisingly solid!).

We got back to shore without incident and without a divorce, and itching to book another kayaking trip when we got to Vancouver Island.