Mr. Met s.
Yelp
A must go experience if you are visiting in Vancouver! Very economical and just an experience of the lifetime. Deep Cove and the Indian Arm is truly one of the beautiful places on this planet.
There is a minimum 2 hour rental and it is highly recommended to reserve. (it involves giving ur credit card number). Definitely come a half hour before you reservation time because the clock starts at your reservation time which does not include the 20-30 minutes it takes to outfit you and prepare the kayak. So if you booked a 9am appointment, come at 8:30am so you can get outfitted with these price inclusive pieces 1)life jacket with whistle 2)waterproof dresses that hook around the seat of the kayak(with emergency pull handle, because if you capsize the waterproof dress, along with you, stills hook tightly around kayak, so important to pull quickly when capsizing) 3)water squegee, if you kayak somehow has a hole.. 4)and the paddles.
We actually came 15 minutes late, but the staff was very nice about it and just moved us an half hour up. It took us nearly one hour to get up to the first checkpoint(we rented a duo for 42 bucks per 2 hours), so we spent the next hour pretty much kayaking back.
The area is just beautiful, up to the first checkpoint you still see alot of residential homes hanging on the cliffs, but if you make it past the 2nd checkpoint - you will be suddenly surrounded by the untouched nature itself. I was told that hardcore kayakers make it all the way to the last checkpoint, and lodge overnight and kayak back in the morning. This requires a full day rental.
Rentals are instructed to kayak by the shoreline, as small boats utilized the central areas of the cove and the arm. You are allowed to cross, but if you see a boat it is recommended you place your paddles up to show you are not moving as those powered boats move faster than you do. In general, be careful if you are cutting across.
Also, if you are using the duo kayak, the steering(left and right direction) is controlled by the person sitting in the back. Make sure you have the pedals adjusted properly (make sure your legs are not straight when you are stepping on the pedal, your legs have to be more of a butterfly stretch while touching pedals) Remember, pressing left pedal means the kayak will go left and right pedal is right. Also make sure you pull the rudder down when departing and bring it back up when returning(so it doesn't hit the rocks)
As for getting to Deep Cove, we actually utilized the public transportation which involved taking the Seabus to Londsdale Quay, hopped on a bus to Philbs Exchange, and took a bus that makes Deep Cove it's last stop. Very convenient and took only about 40 minutes.
A quicker way from the city is to take a bus from downtown straight to Philbs Exchange, and then transfer for the Deep Cove bus. But we took the Seabus, because we paid for a day pass and wanted to utilize it fully.
Overall, this is a must if you are visiting Vancouver. Much better than Grouse Mountain or the Suspension Bridge.
For those light and sensitive to sun skin like me, bring suntan lotion! It's a must! If you are bringing personal belongings, leave it in the car. If you don't have a car, there's a public doorless cubby for use, so you can't put a lock to it. However, you can place your bag in the kayak - however - becareful! It can get wet!