Denman Hornby Canoes & Kayaks Ltd.

Nothing gets you closer to West Coast nature like paddling. Experience the tranquility of travel by kayak, canoe, or stand-up paddleboard in the calm waters around Denman and Hornby Islands and take away memories that last a lifetime.

Since 2003, family-owned and operated Denman Hornby Canoes and Kayaks Ltd. has specialized in providing lessons, rentals and custom tours designed to match the unique aspirations of their guests, as well as accommodation and home-cooked meals on request.

Launching from the West side of Denman Island on Lambert Channel, visit Chrome Island Lighthouse, Eagle Rock, Sandy Island Provincial Marine Park, or Hornby Island. Explore inlets, peek into a cave, meander through rock formations at high tide and examine the captivating intertidal zone at low tide.

Bring your camera to capture ocean views and abundant wildlife like Bald Eagles, Harbour Seals, Stellar Sea Lions, and maybe glimpse Orca and Humpback whales.

No experience necessary and all ages welcome! All tours are custom and therefore accommodate the individual needs of your group.

Book ahead to reserve your adventure! Email denmanpaddling@gmail.com

250-335-0079 or 250-702-0530

For same-day rentals, try texting 250-335-0079.

Getting Here

• If you are coming off island, our ferry service often runs off schedule and shuttles back and forth as line ups are common in the Spring and Summer.

Safety First: Plan ahead

Relax! You are on Island Time.  You are also on an OCEAN, so paddling is all about the WIND and the TIDES.

• Check Tide and Wind Conditions: You can get general wind predictions by googling marine weather north of Nanaimo  The sea north of Nanaimo is a large area so the wind can be over-forecasted for Denman and Hornby, but also under-forecasted.
• Don’t launch at a very low tide: PLAN your paddling so you do not have to move boats around on a DANGEROUSLY LOW TIDE, particularly if you are not young, strong and fit as our plastic rental boats are HEAVY!  Launching below a 12 foot tide in front of our place can also be difficult as it is slippery and has potentially dangerous exposed barnacles.
• Check for actual tide heights: Fisheries Canada  Tides, Current and Water Levels will give you actual tide heights in meters and feet. Look for Hornby Island Tide Heights which is the best choice for our location.

Service Rates

Prices Include Taxes. The Teen/Child discount applies only with a full price adult. Cash, cheques and e-transfers. A 50% non-refundable deposit will confirm your booking. All prices include tax.

Kayak Lessons

• 2-hour Kayak Lessons: Adults: $100; Teen $75;   Child $50
• Lesson times will be shortened to 1 hour with one child participant and cost $60

Learn to paddle! Introductory lessons cover basic paddling strokes and safety on the water. More advanced paddlers will benefit from our advanced lessons covering technique improvement and new strokes, as well as practicing rescue techniques. Book well-ahead for more advanced skill training, like wet exits and rescues.

Custom Children’s lessons are a specialty.  Your child or grandchild will get a dry land lesson in our child’s kayak.  This is not a big wide boat that makes it difficult to paddle, it is a mini kayak in scale!  We will plan this when the tide is high in our natural paddling bay.  Kids learn a variety of strokes to confidently manoeuvre the boat in shallow water near the shore.  This lesson leads into a longer paddle along the coast in Lambert Channel. Introductory hour log lesson is $60.  Second child is $50.

All rentals come with a 1/2 hour dry land lesson that covers safety and paddling technique.  Make sure you are able to independently carry the boats you rent. Launching at high tide makes for a relaxing time. Low tide is not the time to launch in front of our base on Denman.

Whatever your ability or fitness level, our experienced instructors will tailor a lesson to your specific needs.

• Advanced Rescues: Practicing rescues is a great way to get to know yourself and the kayak, and to be familiar with wet exiting the kayak so that if it occurs in a real-life situation, you are prepared with the skills to rescue yourself or another. You will learn 2 self rescues and 3 two-person rescues. Half wetsuits provided if needed.
• Strokes and Edging: You will learn a variety of strokes to aid in maneuvering and turning your kayak, including pulling and sculling draws to move your boat through the water sideways, forward and backward sweep strokes, and several different strokes to aid in turns. You will also learn how to lean your boat on edge, a crucial skill in maneuvering your kayak.
• Rolling a Kayak: Skilled instructors will take you step-by-step through the process of completing a roll and will be in the water assisting your attempts. Rolling is a difficult skill that is very technique based, and may not be achieved by everyone, especially in their first attempt. Instructors will do their best to help you achieve your roll or get you to a point where you can continue working on your technique yourself.

Kayak Rentals

• Single: Kayaks ½ day $60; Full day $80;  24 hours $90
  Multiple days $90 for the first 24 hours and then $60 per day or part day after that.
• Double Kayaks: 1/2 day $100;   Full day $120;   24 Hours: $130
  Multiple days $130 for the first 24 hours, then $100 per day following

Canoe Rentals

• ½ day $60;   Full day $80;  24 hours $80
• Multiple days $80 for the first 24 hours, then $50 per day following

SUP Rentals

• ½ day $60;  full day $80;  24 hours $90

All our Kayak, Canoe and SUP rentals include:

• Dry land lesson, including safety and paddling technique
• Nautical chart
• Safety gear
• Waterproof box for your cell phone
• Ask us if you need water shoes, dry bags, etc.
• Ask other rental companies if they include any of this!

Additional Equipment Rental:

• Some camping items available for rental to help you out. Please e-mail to inquire about specific items you require.
• You can get fresh drinking water at our base on Denman.
• Custom boat pick-up / drop-off starting at $25 per trip.

What to bring: Shoes/closed toed sandals you can get wet, camera, water bottle, food, warm clothing (wear layers), hat, sun screen, bathing suit, towel, glasses strap, cash (if you plan to paddle across Lambert Channel to Hornby Island to purchase food).

Provided: PFD’s, spray skirts, paddles, gloves, pumps, floats, dry-bags, waterproof hard cases for phones and wallets.

For purchase: Selection of pocket energy snacks to keep you going during your adventure.

TOURS

Kayak Tours

• ½ day (4 hours) Adults: $150; Teen $100;  Child $75
• Full Day: Adults: $200;  Teen $150;  Child $100

Welcome to Denman Island – 1/2 day or full day tours

This is the perfect way to welcome you to Denman whether you have just moved here, have guests new to the island, want a fun filled day for your grandchildren or have found our special gem for the first time and want the locals to show you around.  Our custom day or half day is designed after speaking about your special interests and activity levels.  A day trip may include a walk to one or two of our beautiful beaches or look out’s, a swim at the beach and or lake, and introduction to stand-up paddle boarding and a kayak lesson in the bay in front of our home and a picnic lunch or dinner.  Trips can begin later in the day to catch the sunset out on the water.  Photos can be included with your experience.  We have a passion for helping you create memories that last a lifetime.

• ½ day (4 hours) Adults: $125; Teen $85;  Child $65
• Full Day: Adults: $160;  Teen $110;  Child $85

Introduction to Denman Island

Custom tours may include walking to local island gems, swimming and a shorter introduction to paddling.

 

Booking, Refund and Cancellation Policy for Tours and Rentals:

A 50% non-refundable deposit by e-transfer, cheque or cash is required at time of booking to ensure guide and or equipment availability for your group and date(s). This deposit will be returned in full if either A) or B) circumstances arise:

A) In the event of unsafe weather conditions, as determined by Denman Hornby Canoes and Kayaks, we will seek to reschedule. If this is not possible, your deposit will be returned in full.

B) If we need to cancel your booking we will return your deposit in full.

If your plans change after booking we will do our best to accommodate a reschedule request; however, this may not be possible due to guide and equipment availability and the 50% deposit will not be refunded.

ACCOMMODATION

New This Year: All Denman Hornby Canoes and Kayaks Ltd. accommodation comes with a half day boat or bike rental per night booked.

Booking

• Email denmanpaddling@gmail.com
• Last minute: try texting at 250-335-0079
• Check us out on Air B and B and then book directly with us please. 
• We are able to welcome children 10 years and up.
• Quiet, well behaved dogs who do not use furniture are welcome with a pet fee of $50
• We can often offer a work trade arrangement for accommodation and paddling.  Please E-mail us about the skills you can offer and the dates you would like to join us.

Paddler’s Paradise Studio Cabin

Cozy accommodation featuring a brand new bathroom addition 2022! See ad on Visit Denman under STAY.

July/August rates:

• Minimum 3-night stay.
• $150 per night for one person, $175 for two people, $200 for three adults or two adults and two children. Minimum 3-night stay.
• At least one person in your party needs to pre-pay for paddling. More paddling can be arranged at the start of your stay.

Rental discounts:  rentals are usually $60 for a half day.  Paddler’s Cabin Guests get a 25% discount on kayak, canoe or paddle boarding rentals which are usually $60 per half day.

Cleaning: You have a choice to:

• pay a cleaning fee of $50, sweep the floor, and take out all garbage and recycling, or
• pay no cleaning fee, mop and wipe the cabin, plus take care of all your garbage and recycling.
• Compost can be left in the bin on the property, as can clean recycling.
• We prefer you to take your garbage with you or you can leave a small grocery bag with us to dispose of for $5.

Dogs

• Must  have excellent references
• Need to be on leash when on our ½ acre property.
• Dogs are $50 per visit per dog.

The Space

Located just 10 minutes from the Buckley Bay ferry, you’ll find our Paddler’s Paradise Studio Cabin at 4005 East Road.  It is nestled in the trees on our half-acre property with incredible views of Lambert Channel and Hornby Island. The cabin is situated at the back corner of our ½ acre property, 28m behind the main house.

We reside on the property and and so are available when needed to give lessons and rent kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards. We can suggest places to explore on Denman and Hornby which is a 5-minute drive to the ferry. We also have a few bikes to rent which is the best way to explore Hornby other than to paddle there in about 30 minutes.

The secluded Paddler’s Paradise Studio Cabin features an open concept living space with character wood finishes. Consider it glamorized camping (“glamping”) as the studio pairs the comfort of your own home with the opportunity to partake in various outdoor adventures throughout your stay. Inside the cabin you’ll find a kitchenette (equipped with a small fridge, coffee maker, kettle, hot plate, microwave, and a sink with hot and cold running water), kitchen table and chairs, comfortable sofa and reclining chair, a cozy queen-sized bed and two single bed mattresses that can be set up upon request for two children, or stacked for one adult to sleep more comfortably.

NEW THIS YEAR: Indoor bathroom addition. Tiled heated floor, tiled shower stall, and toilet.

• Cabin is perfect for a two-guest stay but can also accommodate up to 1 more adult, or 2 children, 6 years and older.
• Property is not yet set up for small children.
• If you are travelling solo and stay 4+ days, we will include a 1.5 hour custom paddling lesson worth $100.
• All cabin guests receive a 25% discount when renting or prebooking a kayaking lesson.
• At least one person staying in our accommodation will need to pay for a discounted day of paddling which is $45 (regular price $60). must prepay for paddling, this is a minimum additional $45 when booking.
• A prepaid kayak lesson is also an option.

Guest access

Guests have access to the entire cabin with a bathroom and hot shower, private trail from the road to the cabin. Outside the cabin you’ll have exclusive access to the cabin’s patio situated in your own private natural garden forest, perfect for enjoying your coffee in the soft morning sunlight.   There is cold running water on the deck to rinse off after a sandy beach day.

We request diagonal parking across East Road from out house and have a right of way down to the beach for easy access to our natural paddling bay at high tide. If you bring your own boats you can use our boat wheels. We have a wagon to help get your luggage to the Paddler’s Studio Cabin. .

Paddler’s Hostel  – Tancon Home 

The Tancons’ home at 4005 Denman Road, offers simple rooms with comfortable beds and a hot shower. Tenters are also welcome.  Home-cooked meals with local ingredients could also be an option!

Paddler’s Hostel – Private

Private accommodation with cooking facility, indoor or outdoor shower and toilet plus ½ day boat rental

• Single Private $120
• Double Private $200
• Triple Private $255

July and August:  Friday and Saturday’s plus long weekends add  $10 per night.

Paddler’s Hostel – Shared

Due to Covid we are not offering the shared option this season.

Shared accommodation with cooking facility, indoor or outdoor shower and toilet plus ½ day boat rental

• Single Shared $70
• Add $10 per person for July and August,  Friday and Saturday’s plus long weekends.

The Property

The property is located across  East Road from one of Denman Island’s beach entries (less than 1 minute away) to which you will have complete access at any point during your stay. From the beach entry you can enjoy a drink on the bench with an awesome view, a leisurely beach walk, go for a swim in Lambert Channel, or take one of our boats or boards for a paddle (please enquire for more information). Along with options to purchase local foods from neighbouring gardens, you will be just 9 minutes from a thoughtfully stocked grocery store. Our property is located just 5 minutes from Graham Lake and the Chrome island lighthouse trailhead.

Explore Denman Island

Explore everything Denman Island has to offer by attending the Denman Island Farmer’s Market (5 minutes from the property) or Filongley Provincial Park (6 minutes away). The Hornby Island ferry is only 5 minutes away and runs late Friday nights. Many guest comment on how lovely it is to take the ferry over to Hornby, spend the day on the sandy beaches and come back to peaceful Denman. We have beautiful sandy beaches as well but they are reached by walking at low tide or paddle access only. Most of Denman beaches are conglomerate rock, sandstone and sand mixtures.

About Your Guides

Experienced paddlers, teachers, and parents, the Tancon family provides a welcoming, safe, fun, and memorable water experience for their clients.

Melodie Tancon is a certified kayak guide and canoe instructor, previously working in outdoor education at Strathcona Park Lodge. She enjoys and has experience teaching children from Grades 3-12 and seniors, and is passionate and knowledgeable about the local environment and wildlife.

Mario Tancon grew up on the coast in nearby Campbell River, where he worked on and around boats of all types.  He has extensive local environmental knowledge to share and is inspired by our surroundings. Using trees off the property, Mario has built our home base here on Denman Island where we raised our three children who all have a passion for paddling. Mario also has a passion for cooking and has catered weddings.

 

 

 

Customer Comments

“Thanks Melodie and Marco for such a great afternoon on the water last Thursday.  It was a perfect day to paddle, I loved seeing the wildlife and another view of Denman and Hornby. You were wonderful hosts and I look forward to paddling with Denman Hornby Canoes and Kayaks Ltd. again on another visit.” ~ Donna Richmond BC

 

“So much fun!!!! Melodie was a pro and so easy going and easy to talk to! Thanks for an amazing experience in an even more amazing place.” ~ Kayla D.

 

“While I was kayaking yesterday, I saw 4 otters! They were so funny!  Kept popping their heads up to look at me and then ducking down and making the funniest noises, like they were arguing or something….and then they would pop up again, 4 heads from behind the rock shelf in the water. And I wanted to compliment you about your daughter….she is a wonderful woman…confident, beautiful, funny, strong, intelligent.  We so enjoyed our paddle with her.” ~ Michelle M.

 

“We are grateful for the kayaking recommendations from Melodie when we met. We ended up staying an extra day and paddled to a beautiful sandy island where we enjoyed swimming, hiking, and sleeping under the full moon. Thank you Melodie! ~Jennifer C.

 

“We rented a kayak while we were staying in Melodie’s cabin on Denman, and I highly recommend it! This was an unforgettable experience, one of the best memories from our vacation: sunset, mirror-like water, wine… Melodie is a great instructor and she’s very professional: she showed us everything from getting into the kayak to getting out, and gave us a lot of other useful tips. If we ever happen to be on Denman again, we would definitely return for some paddling! Thanks a lot, Melodie!” ~ Sofia P.

 

“We took our two teenage girls on a half-day kayak tour around Denman Island with Nick! We had a blast! Not only was Nick informative about the island and landmarks in the area, he also made us feel like our safety was his number one priority. The sights at sunset were breathtaking! Melodie was wonderful to communicate with! Would highly recommend this company if you’re thinking of getting out on the ocean while visiting Denman.” ~ Erin Patrick