As we enter our 15th season, we've learned a few things about what makes for a quality outing. What our staff and guides all share here at Outdoor Odysseys is a love of the outdoors, sea kayaking and the ability to share our knowledge of these amazingly beautiful islands with our guests. Here are a few factors to consider when deciding whether to paddle with us...


1. Our Experience and Reputation

“Over the past seven years I have had the opportunity to work with Clark Casebolt and his company Outdoor Odysseys in a variety of capacities. Clark is committed to the guiding profession and provides excellent service to customers. Most important, his trips are excellent quality and a good value.” Matt Hyde REI Adventures Manager

Thanks for your interest in learning more about our “Eagles and Orcas” sea kayaking tours. When I was a kid growing up in Tacoma, Washington my parents would literally “shoe horn” my three brothers and I into a cramped 21’ wooden cabin cruiser named “Casey” and motor up to the San Juans.

We would spend an idyllic week every summer cruising and camping in the islands, fishing for snapper (but usually getting bullheads!) and getting our hands stained from eating too many blackberries. Heady stuff for a ten year old. Little did I know back then that thirty years later I would earn my livelihood sharing with others the beauty and wonder of these sun dappled islands

We have been in business now for 15 years and have built up a well-deserved reputation for offering quality, hand crafted kayak tours. As the owner and founder of Outdoor Odysseys, Inc., I have made a personal decision to keep our company relatively small and concentrate specifically on sea kayaking. This narrow focus and personal involvement results in quality trips with a high degree of customer satisfaction.

Our current and past corporate roster includes Nike, Microsoft and Weyerhaueser as well as numerous businesses. We are also proud of our 13 year association with REI Adventures and the Whale Museum on San Juan Island.

2. “Whales Trails” - We operate our tours on the west side of San Juan Island so we can give our guests the best opportunity for seeing whales and other marine mammals.

“The scenery was spectacular and the opportunity to see whales and other wildlife in their natural setting was thrilling.” Michael Sprague

We run 90% of our tours on the east side of Haro Strait. This active, complex body of water is bounded on the west by Vancouver Island and on the east by San Juan, Henry and Stuart Island. This area offers the best chance to see the southern resident pod of orca whales which currently number about 80 whales.

The primary food source (90%) for the southern resident whales is salmon. The reason the whales are found in this area consistently from May through September is that the current from the Pacific Ocean comes in between Washington State and the southern end of Vancouver Island and pushes the migrating salmon up against the west side of San Juan Island. This phenomenon allows us a wonderful opportunity to experience and view these amazing creatures in their natural habitat.

3. We hire the best, most personable guide/naturalists - many of which are Washington State Natives.

I participated in your 'Eagles and Orcas' trip and wanted to let you know that it was a great experience..! Peter Capen was a walking encyclopedia of natural history and a fun, delightful person....Marc did a fantastic job teaching, guiding, feeding us and keeping us smiling even when our muscles ached and we were tired...I really enjoyed the experience!" --Susan Hughes

All things being equal, (good food, beautiful paddling location, etc.) the single most important factor in determining whether or not you will have merely an "OK" trip or a "GREAT" one is going to depend in large part on the experience, professionalism and personality of the guide(s) that are leading your tour.

A good guide should be safety oriented, knowledgeable regarding all aspects of kayaking, have an interest or background in natural history, be an experienced outdoors person, and most importantly, they should genuinely like and enjoy people. Outdoor Odysseys prides itself on hiring excellent guides that enjoy the work and come back year after year.

Over half our guides for the 2002 year are Washington State natives. We make a consistent effort to recruit and hire guides who have grown up in this area and tend to look on it as their “backyard” - which it is quite literally. Sad but true, some of the local kayak companies hire their guides from the east coast or goodness knows some boating Mecca of the world like Kansas City. :-) OK, that may be stretching the truth a bit but I know for myself if I were coming into the great Northwest I would want some reassurance that I was paddling with somebody that knew the area...

4. Small, Personable Group Sizes

"The group itself was remarkable and though you clearly can't select your customers, your philosophy of keeping groups small does not go unnoticed. Small groups can work better together, get to know each other better and are easier to care for. This philosophy limits your income but greatly improves the quality of the trip." -- Mark Alan Hudson

We limit the number of guests on our 1 & 5 day tours to 9 participants. Smaller groups mean that our impact on the environment is less and we have greater opportunities for approaching and observing wildlife. It also allows us to get better, more intimate campsites. The bottom line is that our guests receive more personal attention maximizing your opportunity of receiving a quality, memorable vacation.

5. Our Guests

“What made our trip (5 day “Eagles & Orcas” paddle) really special was the camaraderie among the various members of the group. In general, everyone had a positive attitude, supported each other and worked together as a team. I think it made an enjoyable trip particularly enjoyable.” -- Jan Wilson

The Webster dictionary defines a “guest” as someone who receives hospitality. That is exactly what we try to do with our customers. We treat each participant like you are guests in our home - which in a sense you are - as many of our guides are either Washington state natives or they are currently living here. We take great pleasure in sharing our very beautiful corner of the world with our guests.

What makes it particularly fun and satisfying for us is the kind of person we get on our tours. Our guests embrace the idea of using boats that are propelled by “people power” and that use wind and current to travel, explore and observe versus boats that use petroleum and tend to be kinda’ loud and stinky. (Does the worthy reader detect any kind of bias here towards motor powered boats?) Nah, of course not... :-) Our guests as a rule tend to be well traveled, have eclectic interests and enjoy experiencing new activities. If this sounds like you give us a call and let us know what you’re interested in...

6. Our Impact on the Environment...We support local farmers and locally owned businesses. We’ve also started growing our own organic produce for trip participants.

Many of the salad greens and tomatoes that you eat on our overnight tours are grown by the Lawrence family from Thirsty Goose Farms on San Juan Island. Our freshly ground premium coffee is purchased in Friday Harbor from San Juan Roasting. The year 2002 marks the first year we will be growing our own organically grown vegetables and herbs. We’ll never be able to supply “tons” of our own produce but it is a modest start to becoming more sustainable.

7. Bon Appetite!

“Everything was so delicious! It was amazing how the guides whipped up such amazing treats! The brownies! The apple crisp. I gained weight on our trip - the food was that good.” - - Melissa Gutierrez

Preparing and cooking quality food while sea kayaking can be a challenge and a way for some outfitters to trim costs by serving stuff like pasta every night. We pride ourselves on serving quality food and pay special attention to our meals. We know from experience that paddling and peering at bald eagles all day (and having them return the favor with their proud, haughty gaze) generates a healthy appetite.

So how do we do it? Whenever possible, we use fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. Typical dinner entrees include a dynamite smoked salmon pesto fetuccine and a Thai dish utilizing savory brown and wild rice and our own special ginger peanut sauce. The gentle art of Dutch oven cookery is used to bake mouth watering desserts such as carrot cake and fudge brownies. Add a glass of one of Washington's premium wines, a view of the setting sun, great company, and well, life doesn't get much better.

When Outdoor Odysseys was started 15 years ago our trips were designed with an abiding respect and concern for the environment. To walk (or paddle?) our talk, we decided to limit the size of our 1 and 5 day tours to 9 guests.

Smaller group sizes mean that our impact on wildlife is much less than it would be with larger groups. We also practice minimum impact camping using established campsites and make a habit of leaving any campsite cleaner than we found it.

9. References from Former San Juan Clients

"Due to weather conditions beyond your control, with any other guide it could have been a trip from hell. We appreciate your calm manner. . . Because of your guidance, the trip was challenging with a rewarding end. . . We had a great time paddling and the beachcombing and lighthouse were great benefits of the trip."
--Anna-Lisa Jensen

If you still have questions about our ability to offer top-notch outings, please call us for our list of previous guests who have graciously given their permission to have you call or e-mail them to discuss our tours in greater detail.

10. We use “state of the art” paddles that are lighter than other paddles on the market.
The overall weight or “swing weight” of a kayak paddle is an important but often overlooked equation by the novice paddler. A simple premise but if you think about the fact that you are going to be holding a paddle all day long the lighter the better. The heavier the paddle the more tiring and difficult that can be - especially if it gets windy. Generally, the more expensive paddles are going to be lighter with less effort needed to keep your paddle stroke going at an efficient cadence throughout the day. We use Werner Paddles one of the best lightweight paddles on the market so our guests can have the benefit of lighter “state of the art” paddles.

11. We take the worries out of figuring out what to do with your luggage.

When we pick you up in Friday Harbor on the first day of our overnight tours you will want to leave your traveling luggage with us in one of our 15 passenger vans. Our staff will take your luggage back to our home base (affectionately dubbed “Chez Coop”) to be stored for the duration of your outing. On the last day of the tour your luggage is placed in the van that picks you up so you are reunited with your personal gear when you return from your trip.

12. Don’t want to lug your sleeping bag and pad cross country for your trip?

No worries. We have REI sleeping bags and pads with washable inner liners for rent at a nominal fee.