Swimming
Besides the clean unpolluted ocean surrounding every bit of the Coast, myriad lakes offer great fresh water swimming too. Water temperatures are refreshing especially in the warm dry summer months.

Paddling
Launch a canoe or kayak and explore the coastline. Secret beaches, coves and inlets offer hundreds of picturesque vistas.

Observe marine life up close and personally. Trail a fishing line or cast a crab trap overboard. The trick is keeping your balance when the time comes to check the trap. Best attempted from a canoe or small boat rather than a kayak. For slightly longer expeditions, the Trail Islands, Merry Island Lighthouse or Halfmoon Bay are easily accessed from the Pointhouse.

Sechelt Inlets Marine Park offers three inlets: Sechelt, Narrows and Salmon. All are ideal for kayaking. Sandy beaches provide safe pull-outs for finding that perfect campsite. Talasay Tours offers multi-day rentals and unique interpretive paddling tours.

 
 
 
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sargeant bay sunshine coast

Stand up paddle boarding (SUP)is another new way to get around on the water. Negotiating the islets in Sargeant Bay and paddling along the shoreline is not only a good workout but gives a different perspective.

Bring your own craft or rent equipment at several locations on the coast. Tours are available from most rental operators and several can transport  kayaks to any location to begin your own self-guided paddling adventure. Palli Paddle has a drop off site for their paddle boards right at Sargeant Bay or can deliver to Pointhouse. Advance reservations advised.

Pedals and Paddles

Alpha Adventures

Talaysay Tours

Halfmoon Bay Sea Kayaks

Palli Paddle

Scuba Diving

The Sunshine Coast of Canada is renowned for some of the best diving in the world, earning praise from Jacques Cousteau and National Geographic.The clean, unpolluted waters of the Sunshine Coast enjoy great visibility year round and colourful and abundant marine life. You may even catch sight of a large octopus or a wolf eel,

Most popular dives on the more protected waters of the Sechelt Inlet include Skookumchuk narrows, Tzoonie, Chaudiere , Tuwanek Point and Kunechin Point.

Close to the Pointhouse, Sargeant Bay ,and Coopers Green offer easy shore dives with lots of interesting nooks and crannies to explore around off shore islets. The Trail Islands offer a great dive as well with lots of marine life.

There is also a new artificial reef which was created using the wreck of the HMCS Chaudière.

Scuba diving charters via a comfortable 32′ TCC Eaglecraft are available from Gibsons from Harbour, through Sunshine Coast Kayaking. Rental gear & Air Fills Seadog Divers Den

Cooldives.com is a good resource. There are diving outfits on the Coast that offer diving charters, guided dives and lessons, and a dive shop in Sechelt will equip you with everything you’ll need for your diving experience. In addition, the Sechelt branch of Capilano University offers a Professional Scuba Diver Instructor program.

Other Activities

  • Biking on the sunshine coast

    Biking

    Logging on the Sunshine Coast has created a mountain bike bonanza with access roads criss-crossing the forests and hundreds of trails to challenge all levels of rider.

  • Hiking

    There are myriad trails exploring coastal forests, mountains, and shorelines ranging in intensity and duration.

  • Mushrooming

    Foraging, feasting and information on treasures from the forest is the theme of the annual fall Mushroom festival.

  • Storm Viewing

    You can sense a storm coming when the air feels charged with quiet and the horizon squints down to a smudge.

  • Forest Bathing

    Forest bathing, or Shirin-yoku in Japanese, is defined as a short, leisurely visit to a forest and is regarded as being similar to natural aromatherapy.

  • Outdoor Activities Sunshine Coast Beach

    Yoga / Massage

    Connect with your inner peace at this special sanctuary by booking a certified instructor for either one on one, couples or small group sessions.

  • Festival of the Written Arts

    Presents writers of diverse genres, attracting hundreds of locals and visitors annually.

  • Birding

    Local wetlands, estuaries, lakes, forests, ocean coastlines and marshes attract a great number of bird species to admire.

  • Beachcombing

    Treasures abound on local beaches from rocks and driftwood to tidal pools and microscopic sea creatures.

  • Art Crawl

    Every fall in October the large group of talented artists and crafters on the coast open their doors.

  • Indigenous Tours

    The Sunshine Coast includes the traditional, unceded territories of the Squamish (skwxwú7mesh), Sechelt (shíshálh), and Tla’amin and Klahoose nations.

  • Fishing / Crabbing

    Float peacefully in Sargeant Bay casting for cutthroat or steelhead or try a fishing charter with one of the experienced Sunshine Coast operators. Some tours include shellfish harvesting.

  • Flight / Marine Touring

    A great way to appreciate the coves, bays and waterways of this spectacular stretch of the West Coast.

  • Golf

    For those who enjoy a round of golf there are several great courses on the Sunshine Coast.

  • Snowsports

    While most sports can be enjoyed year round on the Sunshine Coast because of our temperate climate, snow sports can only be enjoyed in winter.

  • Art Tours

    Sunshine Coast Art Tours shuttles you to the personal studios of some of Canada’s most celebrated artists.