Northern Vancouver Island Paddleboarding

The Mackjack River is a serpentine, semi-tidal, 60 minute easy paddle, emptying into Raft Cove. It's best to ride the lowering tide down towards the rivermouth, and follow the rising tide on the way up. There are no rapids sections, but be prepared to do some tight maneuvering around old fallen trees. Depending on rainfall and tide height, there may be some logs to haul your board over. At the rivermouth, take your pick from rainforest camp sites on the peninsula, or tenting on the beach while you watch the swell building. Day trips are possible, but be ready to buck the tide and double or triple your paddle time to 2-3 hours each way. In late September and October you can find coho jumping everywhere. Year round, you'll likely be tracked by woodpeckers, ducks, osprey and river otters among many other more skittish creatures.

Here's a quick downwind route that's nice and close to Hardy: Launch at Thomas Point (could also go from the airport beach, but it would be a hairy charge through the shore pound) and after 30 minutes of discontinuous wave riding, you'll arrive roughly at the boat ramp at Storey's Beach (Tayagut). Ideal conditions would be mid to low tide for steeper wave faces, and after at least 2 hours of 40kmph plus SE winds. The downside to the lower tide is a longer haul out hike. I would drop a bike at the boat ramp before launching. Having a way to lock up the board would be nice, but I haven't found it to be necessary. My logic is that thieves don't like the wind. But I could be mistaken.