This was our first time ever kayaking. The guide was great. The equipment was great and the location was not too busy with boats

I took a short bus ride from downtown and showed up in this cute waterfront town. The staff at Ocean River were all really nice and helpful. They don't provide you with a lot of gear which surprised me since I paddle in places that need wetsuits and spray jackets. They did have a dry bag and partial spray skirt which I appreciated. We didn't leave the dock until 1045am so I was bummed when the tour only went until 1240pm. Given the literally perfect paddling weather, I would have liked some accommodation for the later departure due to late arrivals. That's the challenge with group tours but I would definitely go out with them again. I even recommended them to a couple I met in downtown Victoria the next day.

Great value for the tour, length of time, and the attention from our guide. I loved many things about the experience: perfect weather, small group size, funny stories our guide shared about humans doing really incredible things and also really dumb things in the ocean. The marine animal education was great. Most impressive was the ability of our guide to observe all us kayakers and give us directions to keep us from getting injured by the currents, our own bad driving, or even our own hands getting squashed between kayaks

Megan was our guide and she is exceptional—- has knowledge of the area and the personality. We enjoyed talking with her on so many subjects. She was easy going and helpful in giving us instructions before we headed out. We also saw a seal within 5 ft of our kayak.

Day tour out of Oak Bay Marina guided by Lee was great. The whole experience was super. The staff at Ocean River were great, and even called me the day before to review updates to the tour itinerary. Lee was a great guide and really knows the area. Even if you are capable of doing this yourself, it helps to have an experienced guide who knows where the tidal currents and eddies are to avoid wasted effort battling the currents as you tour the islands. Rental equipment was first rate. Saw lots of seals and waterfowl. Just missed an Orca pod by a few hours. Meaghan was taking a family out at the same time and her interaction with them also looked to be top notch. James has a full line of paddle gear from boats to booties at the paddle shack and was interesting to talk to to learn about their newest lineup of sea kayaks.

This was a very relaxing enjoyable tour with a knowledgeable guide. We saw several seals sunbathing themselves in the harbour.

Wonderful morning touring Oak Bay. Beautiful scenery and wildlife including bald eagle and seals. Our guides were fantastic!

We went out with Paul, who was an excellent instructor, guide, and story teller. We only had six in our tour, which was very nice. We all enjoyed the tour.

The Oak Bay Shoreline tour was supposed to be a practice paddle before a weekend overnight kayak trip. Due to bad winds this tour was postponed. Safety first. Ocean River Sporta staff are professionals w/ great customer servive. Guide Paul's paddling expertise is top notch. Highly recommended. Excellent equipment and launching dock.

This was a great experience. The guide tailored the trip to our skill level and stamina. We saw jelly fish, seals and bald eagles. I would definitely recommend this to others.

Despite the windy conditions, this was a fun experience. Paul and Megan were great instructors. We were able to see a few seals as well.

Excellent experience with a small group and Janica as our guide with over 20 years experience and a real zest for the local area and wildlife. Casual but informative and very enjoyable as we saw several rare species, and unique events like a bald eagle catching a seagull from the water for lunch. Top quality brand new kayaks and very convenient location in Oak Bay. Also, as experienced kayakers with our own tandem we appreciated not being treated like amateurs even though the other couple had never paddled before. Nothing I would do to improve the experience and the cafe at the marina had very tasty bites and sandwiches for lunch afterwards.

Amazing time - the guide was very experienced, full of knowledge and wanted to ensure that everyone was comfortable and had a memorable experience. We saw so many seals swimming around us and chilling on the rocks. The trip was 100% worth it - highly recommended!

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed kayaking in Oak Bay with the fabulous Frederico as our guide. We got to paddle through what can only be described as a kelp forest (think Finding Nemo directed by Tim Burton), then enjoyed the views as we tread the open water. Frederico guided us to an island filled with seals; it was a thrill to quietly watch them go about their seal business. During our tour, Frederico pointed out some interesting landmarks, told us about Takaya (a sea wolf who had lived alone on an island we passed), and helped us appreciate the birds we saw. The folks in our tour ranged in abilities from experienced paddlers to total newbie, and everyone was comfortable on the water and had a great time. This is an excellent tour!

Wonderful tour. Saw plenty of seals, birds, and seaweed lol. Met some friendly folks and the captain was obviously experienced, and wanted to ensure that everyone had a safe and enjoyable trip. Highly recommended!

Took the Oak Bay tour on our last day in Victoria - it was about the best finish we could have had. The weather was wonderful and the guides Frederico and Vicki were a perfect complement to the day. They were interesting, experienced, informative without being overly chatty and understood the value of interspersing details about the area with quiet time on the water, which led to the highlight of the tour, which was was finding very small photoluminescing jellyfish in a small bay. The Ocean River launch location at Oak Bay allowed us to check out the east side of the city and check-in was quick and easy. Definitely a trip we'll do again if we make it back to Victoria.

Great experience for kids teens and adults, beginners or advanced kayaker. We saw jelly fish, starfish and seals. Guides were very friendly, informative, and accommodating.

We had an awesome time in Oak Bay with Lee. The weather allowed us to go further out to explore some of the small islands, seeing lots of seals and different sorts of birds. We felt very safe, and the kayaks themselves were brilliant. Lee also took lots of photos and sent them through that night. Absolutely loved the 3 hours, and would highly recommend the Oak Bay tour to anyone.

Had a super nice time kayaking the harbour. Very pretty and the instructions were good. Friendly staff!

We were greeted with friendly staff and instructions which were really helpful and appreciated. It was a gorgeous day and we will definitely be back to rent again - thank you