✹ you + partner · first-come sites ✹
The loop
Same boat, same car. Nothing else brings you back.
Shop
- Deep Cove Kayak, 2156 Banbury Rd, North Vancouver
- Book: 604-929-2268 ext 1 (overnight is not online)
- Double kayak about $179 + tax
- September weekends: shop 9:00am–6:00pm
- Rental is 24 hours from pickup, not until shop close
“Overnight double, Sat Sep 12 to Sun Sep 13, Twin Island, two adults. 24-hour rental: we will pick up so we can launch before 11am Saturday and return the same boat by 11am Sunday.”
First kayak
This is a sit-in sea kayak for two, not a sit-on-top. The shop will brief you and help you launch. Ask for ten minutes in the cove before you leave for Twin.
- PFD (life jacket) on before you step near the water. Keep it on the whole paddle.
- Stronger or calmer paddler in the back. They steer. Front sets the pace. Stroke together so the paddles do not clash.
- Hold the paddle with the scooped face toward you, loose grip, elbows about 90°. Twist your torso. Arms alone will burn out before Raccoon.
- Get in low and slow. Sit, then slide the legs in. Do not stand on the deck. Look at the horizon if it feels tippy.
- Sweep the paddle in a wide arc to turn. Reverse stroke to stop. Talk before you turn.
- If you dump: stay with the boat, do not swim for shore without it. A sit-in fills with water. The shop will show a wet exit. Stay near the east or west shore, not mid-channel if the wind comes up.
Watch these before Saturday:
- Paddle a tandem kayak (PaddleTV / ACA) — who sits where, stroke together.
- How to paddle (REI) — hold, forward, sweep, stop.
- Get in and out (L.L.Bean) — dock and beach, low and slow.
Saturday
- Arrive 9:00. Street-park overnight. Not the village pay lots. No valuables in the car.
- PFDs on (life jackets, included). Pack hatches. Launch before 11:00am (aim 9:30–10:30).
- 5.5 km, about 1.5 hours. Land at the public dock on North Twin around 12:00–12:30.
- Meet the group at 1:00pm. Grab a tent pad early.
Sunday
- Event runs to 2:00pm, but you leave earlier. The boat is due back at 11:00am.
- Pack after breakfast. Leave the island by about 9:00–9:30.
- Paddle ~1.5 hours. Return the boat by 11:00am Sunday (24 hours from Saturday pickup).
- Walk to the car. Drive home.
Route
- Deep Cove Kayak: Twin Islands — 5.5 km. Out via Raccoon, diagonal NE to North Twin. Back via Jug Island. Afternoon headwind on the return.
- BC Parks: Say Nuth Khaw Yum — camp North Twin only. No water. No fires. Check tides (rising going north, falling going south).
- Park map PDF — Indian Arm, Twin Islands, Raccoon.
Island rules
- Camp North Twin only. South Twin is day-use.
- No fires. No tap water. Bring 4–6 L.
- Pack out all trash.
- Everything inside kayak hatches. Nothing on the deck. No cooler.
Decathlon options
Cheap column is the hatch-friendly floor. Better is the spend-up if you want sleep or light more than the lowest price. Totals are for two people.
| Item | Cheap | Better | Why upgrade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tent ×1 | MH 100 2P $50 |
2 Seconds Fresh & Black $150 |
Darker, faster pitch. Disc bag is bulky for hatches. The Easy F&B is $260 and heavier. |
| Bags ×2 | MT 500 10°C zip $80 each |
MT 500 0°C $115 each |
September nights can drop. 0°C is warmer. Mid step: MT 500 5°C at $95. Those two do not zip together. |
| Pads ×2 | MT 100 foam $18 each |
MT 500 Air insulating $100 each |
R-value 3.3, packs small. Mid: MT 500 foam $35. |
| 20L bag ×1 | Dry bag 20L $35 |
Waterproof backpack 20L $60 |
Handles brief immersion. Stiffer than a roll-top. Hatch fit is worse. Use the cheap roll-top if you want it in the boat. |
| 10L bag ×1 | Dry bag 10L $27 |
— | No nicer 10L roll-top in stock. Same bag, pick a colour. |
| Lamps ×2 | HL 50 $6 each |
HL 900 USB V3 $60 each |
900 lm, USB. Mid: HL 100 USB $22. |
Cheap kit about $320 now (the 10°C bags went from $55 to $80). Better kit lands around $700 if you take every upgrade. No stove. No-cook food.
Event
無人島キャンプ on Partiful · Say Nuth Khaw Yum Park / Indian Arm