Until now, surprisingly little information has been available to those who want to paddle Vancouver Island's many waterways. Enter Gary Backlund and Paul Grey. Building on the success of their first book, Easykayaker: A Guide to Laid Back Vancouver Island Paddling, the authors have compiled a comprehensive reference book for paddlers of all skill levels. In Kayaking Vancouver Island, the paddling duo guide their readers through trips ranging from a lazy day excursion in Victoria's historic Gorge waterway to an exciting multi-day voyage around Meares Island in Clayoquot Sound.

To research the book, the authors traveled from Sooke on the southern tip of the island to Port Hardy in the north, and from Zeballos on the west coast to Gabriola Island off the east coast. Along the way they interviewed local guides, outfitters and historians to get the most accurate information about their destinations. Combining a guidebook format with journal-like entries from their own travels, the authors cover everything from launch sites to lunch sites, which currents to avoid and which tides to ride. The book is also rich in local mythology, folklore and history. Writing with safety and (mostly) easy paddling in mind, Backlund and Grey rate paddling skills required for each area along with trip lengths and distances. They provide an insider's guide to local conditions and brief readers on tides, currents, charts, marine weather and coastal regulations.

Gary Backlund has helped organize the last four Vancouver Island Paddlefests held in Ladysmith, BC. He is a house designer and building consultant and has delivered workshops on housing maintenance for First Nation communities throughout BC and the Yukon. Gary and his daughter, Katherine are the volunteer wardens for the Woodley Range Ecological Reserve, the home of 29 rare plant species. Gary and his family own and operate a British Columbia Managed Forest. Gary also sits on the Cowichan Valley Regional District's Round Table on the Environment.

Gary Backlund's profile page

Paul Grey was born in Nanaimo in 1951. His family has lived in Nanaimo and area for well over 100 years. He teaches at Coal Tyee Elementary School situated above the Northfield mining shaft his father worked as a young man. In 1993 Paul won the local Prime Minister's Awards for an environmental teaching project with his Grade 3 students. Three years later he won a provincial level Prime Minister's Award. In 1997 he won a Royal Bank fellowship to Queen's University in Ontario for his work in Information Technology. Paul has worked on several science projects with the Mid Island Science & Technology Council (MISTIC). He has been recognized for his outstanding science work and received a lithograph as the outstanding science teacher of BC in 1999. Paul has written four books including Easykayaker: a Guide to Laid-back Vancouver Island Paddling and Kayaking Vancouver Island: Great Trips from Port Hardy to Victoria. Paul is a co-founder of the Wave Publications Cooperative.

Paul Grey's profile page

"...selling Harbour's Kayaking Vancouver Island to my kayak tour operators is as easy as falling off a log."
-Caroline Woodward, Quill and Quire

Quill and Quire

"This is an excellent addition to your book collection if you are interested in paddling around Vancouver Island and its surronding waters."
-Diana Mumford, Wave Length

Wave Length Magazine

"Their book claims no favourite kayaking area other than 'in serene water conditions.' Still, when pushed, both pick a possible favourite. For Grey, it's the Cortes Island region off the mouth of Desolation Sound...Buckland gives his personal nod to historic Beaver Harbour..."
-Jim Gibson, Times Colonist

Times Colonist

"Buckland and Grey have also included a number of elements that keep Kayaking Vancouver Island from becoming another of the many guidebooks...The majority of the book is filled by stories of the authors' own experiences during their research paddles, and ...the book also provides excellent notes on accesses, points of interest, and local flora and fauna."
-Malcolm Johnson, The Westerly News

The Westerly News

"It is loaded with maps, photographs and suggestions on how to make the most of this fantastic paddling paradise."
-Terry Peters, North Shore News

North Shore News

"We live on one of the world's most beautiful coasts, and this book is dedicated to seeing it in the most quiet and natural way possible..."
-Annie Boulanger, Burnaby NOW

Burnaby NOW

"The authors...call Kayaking Vancouver Island... a 'where-to' book. They describe, in great detail, routes in such places as the Sooke Basin and Finlayson Arm, off Bamfield and around Pender, Gabriola, Quadra and other Gulf Islands."
-Rebecca Wigod, Vancouver Sun

Vancouver Sun