Sea Kayaking Adventures on Lake Superior
5-minute read + 51-minute video
Lake Superior offers some of the best freshwater sea kayaking you’ll find anywhere in the world. Aqua Bound Ambassador Ken Whiting takes us along on his 5-day trip on this greatest of the Great Lakes.
Ken’s trip takes him along Superior’s shoreline along Lake Superior Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. The gorgeous coastal waters Ken paddles on this trip are on the east end of the lake. His route includes nonstop beauty, like the beautiful Garantua Islands Preserve.
Ken says, “I’ve got about 90 km, just under 60 miles, to cover over the five days, so just under 20 km a day. It’s not a lot of water to cover if the conditions are good. But that’s the thing about Lake Superior. Lake Superior has the potential of turning vicious.
“This is the biggest freshwater lake in the world. It’s massive. It acts very much like the ocean in that when you get wind and weather coming through it can turn ferocious. So when you’re doing multi-day trips you have to keep your eye on the weather and plan around having down days when moving would be too dangerous or unproductive.”
Here’s Episode 1 of Ken’s Lake Superior kayak trip:
Ken’s video is loaded with drone footage that shows us Superior’s rocky shoreline, dramatic cliffs, small islands and crystal-clear green water. He also takes advantage of side ventures like hikes to inland lakes and waterfalls along the way.
Things to Keep in Mind When Kayaking Lake Superior
Ken offers several helpful tips while he paddles and camps:
- Rather than launching directly into waves, look for a sheltered spot to avoid getting wet from cresting water.
- If you drag your kayak across sand and gravel, be sure to check that your skeg isn’t stuck and unusable from grit before heading out. Without the skeg, wind can cause some heavy weather-cocking* that makes paddling harder than it needs to be.
- He experienced fairly big contrasting swells on Day 2. Those conditions require you to stay loose and relaxed in the hips while keeping your head centered.
- It’s important to bring a satellite communication device when kayaking in remote areas like Ken is in this video, especially when going solo. Keep it attached to your PFD for immediate access.
It’s super important to know your skill level when kayaking huge water like Superior and not go beyond your comfort level. If you’re not experienced in waters like these, a great way to start is to go with a certified guide. Naturally Superior Adventures offers guided kayak tours in this area if you’re interested.
Ken concludes that he was much more tired after Day 2 than Day 1, even though the distances were the same. “I was on alert all day because of the conditions. Those were conditions where you can’t get surprised, you can’t make an error especially when you’re alone. But even when you’re not alone it’s tough to deal with all that wind and rough water.”
[*Weather-cocking is when the wind blows the stern more than the bow so the kayak always wants to turn into the wind. The paddler is forced to over-compensate on one side to keep the boat moving straight ahead.]
Camping Along the Lakeshore in the Park
Camping is in designated campsites along the way, which are first-come, first-served, and also available for hikers taking the park’s coastal trail. (One of the great things about sea kayaking trips is always having lakeside campsites!)
It’s always important to research camping rules ahead of time for destination trips. For example, this park prohibits glass and metal food containers and live bait.
With sea kayak trips, the only time you carry your food bags is from the kayak to the shore—as opposed to canoe trips with loads of portages. So it’s easy to bring “real”food vs. dehydrated meals if that’s what you prefer. Or bring a combo of the two.
Real food with fresh ingredients is wonderful. But boil-water-only dehydrated meals are wonderful when your energy is sapped and you just want easy. Several brands offer pre-packed dehydrated meals or you can make your own ahead of time.
Gear Used on Ken’s Superior Trip
Ken used our brand-new Tetra Ultralight full-carbon kayak paddle to test out its performance over the five days. This touring paddle features full foam core low-angle blades that offer tremendous buoyancy for effortless strokes. This makes long days on the water much less fatiguing than they would be with a heavier paddle.
The blades and shaft are constructed with high-tech “tow weave” carbon that increases the strength, stiffness and impact resistance while reducing weight.
Once released in Spring 2025, the Tetra will be available in a straight shaft model with either our Posi-Lok™ or Versa-Lok™ ferrule system. We’ll also offer a bent shaft model with the Posi-Lok™ ferrule. Stay tuned!
[NOTE: Ken tests several other gear items during this backcountry trip as well including the P&H Scorpio kayak, a Big Agnes tent, NRS PFD and hydration system, JetBoil cook stove and Pinnacle Foods dehydrated meals. If you’re interested in seeing what he has to say about each, be sure to subscribe to Ken’s YouTube channel Paddle TV for those reviews.]
The embedded video above is the first part of a two-part video series about Ken’s Lake Superior trip. In his second episode, Ken knows he’ll deal with even more wind, but he’s also dealing with a painful shoulder. Watch Episode 2 (on his new channel) to see how he goes on.
Learn more about Lake Superior Provincial Park.
Photos courtesy of Ken Whiting and Paddle 365.
What paddling questions can our friendly Customer Service team help you with? Contact us at 715-755-3405 or [email protected]
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