Squall Team 2008
Photo by: Thom Morrissey |
Leaders in sea kayak instruction and tripping
White Squall has been a leader in sea kayak instruction and tripping for the past 23 years. Many of our staff are Paddle Canada certified sea kayak instructors (four are national instructor-trainers) as well as trained and qualified guides.
More than that, we simply love paddling through the islands of Georgian Bay, the largest freshwater island archipelago in the world and a world biosphere reserve, and hope you'll let us share that with you. This winter we were honoured to be the recipients of the 2006 Parry Sound Chamber of Commerce Tourism Award!
Exceptional Staff
We are quite proud of the White Squall staff family. All of them are wonderful individuals, with a wide range of talents and skills. Many of them live right here in the Parry Sound area! Our resource staff (for geology, astronomy, ecology and photography trips) are leaders in their field yet are very easy to learn from. We often think how lucky we are to have such a depth ofknowledge and skill available to us –and best of all, they’re fun to be around too! Learn more....
Quality Trips
Our trips are limited to 8 participants in order to ensure a safe, fun and high quality trip experience for you. Trips are led by a fully qualified guide and assistant guide and often a third apprentice comes along for training. Our friendly staff will guide you on your way even if you have never kayaked before. So come join us in exploring the thousands of windswept pine islands of Georgian Bay for a course or a trip of a lifetime! Learn more on the kayak adventure page...
Bzillions of Kayaks and Canoes
At our waterfront centre you'll find one of the largest selection of sea kayaks in all of Ontario, tons of light touring, recreational and white water kayaks as well as a full complement of canoes. Our two shops are stuffed full of and outdoor gear and specialized sea kayak accessories. Learn more...
Georgian Bay Kayak & Canoe Festival Hosts
We are the originators of the Georgian Bay Kayak Symposium (now the Georgian Bay Kayak & Canoe Festival May 4 - 6 ) an annual event that White Squall hosts each spring. This is a fun filled weekend of instruction and workshops from some of Ontario's best sea kayak & canoe instructors, plus included this year is the Reel Paddling Film Festival on Friday night and evening concert Saturday night.
National Certification Courses & Affiliations
White Squall was the first outfitter in Ontario offering a professional
AECSKO Sea Kayak Guide
School Course for aspiring outdoor leaders. We also run many national Paddle
Canada & ORKCA
sea kayaking certification instructor and skill courses. We are proud members of Paddling Ontario Assoc., Partners of Eco-Adventure Tourism, Association of Eastern Canadian Sea Kayak Outfitters, & Adventure Travel Trade Association.
Customer Comments:
View some of our customer comments here.
Videos About Us and Surrounding Parry Sound / Georgian Bay Area
View videos and learn, see & hear more about White Squall.
National Geographic Adventure Magazine and the Squall - Rated 4th Best Paddlesports Company on Earth!
Yup, they rated us as the fourth best paddling outfitter in the world. Well, ok-maybe they missed a few but hey the world is a big place and we’re pretty proud. Criteria included customer satisfaction, quality of service and environmental sustainability.
Georgian Bay – A UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve
The coastal islands and shores of northeastern Georgian Bay have been recognized by the United Nations as a unique
littoral ecosystem of international importance. Sea kayakers recognize the thirty thousand islands as some of the best
paddling in the world. We’re pretty lucky to have this as our backyard – and look forward to sharing it with you.
The Franklin Project
White Squall, in conjunction with the Great Lakes Sea Kayak Association and other
community partners, has been active in cleaning up campsites and installing
thunderboxes on Franklin Isle and surrounding crown lands. Though we all enjoy a
campfire - in places like Franklin, it’s just not a good idea anymore as available
deadwood is disappearing and a wildfire would be devastating. Please help us in making
sure the beauty of Franklin is there for generations to come. Save the trees and see
the stars! Read more...
Engouraging Young Paddlers
White Squall has offered youth programming at a lower rate to encourage young people
to get outside. We have donated lightweight Souris River kevlar canoes to the local
highschool out-trip club along with free canoe rentals on a yearly basis for their annual
canoe trips. Each year, the district-wide Grade 8 Camp has been provided with kayak
rentals at no charge. We welcome any donations to these efforts to support our youth.
Getting Young People Outside
White Squall has provided a wide range of training programmes for staff and students of schools, camps, colleges and
universities across Ontario for over 20 years. We keep the cost of this and our own youth trips/clinics as low as we can
to get young people outside in the fresh air!!. Please get in touch and we can help you with your plans and ideas.
Sea kayaking on the Great Lakes
"Wild winds and hard rock and cold rain…..that’s sea kayaking on Georgian Bay. But it’s also warm summer breezes and the sweet smell of pine on sun-baked rock. You just can’t ever take the Bay for granted and this changing beauty keeps me coming back to her. I can do that in a canoe-and in truth, that’s my first love.....but a kayak does different things to the soul. It teases you to go further – sometimes to a place where you wonder at your sanity. In the journey, your self-importance wanes, quietly replaced with the power of water and wind. I find myself asking for safe passage, finally understanding that all my skill and gear and knowledge doesn’t hold a candle to the energy and wit of the big beyond. The best part is, it belongs to all of us-if we only take the time…" Tim Dyer
