Broken Group

A sea kayak trip among the small islands and islets of Barkley Sound, off Vancouver Island's west coast, where the inner channels are sheltered and the shell beaches make easy landings. Camping is allowed only at designated areas on six islands, from May 1 to September 30, and every camper needs a backcountry permit from the Parks Canada reservation system, with no stand-by spaces. Many paddlers skip the exposed approach by taking a scheduled boat that carries kayaks to the protected water just north of the islands. Once there, the hazards are wind, fog and tidal current: the Loudon and Imperial Eagle channels are not recommended for kayaks, and conditions can change in minutes.