Ocean River Sports - The Paddling Pro Shop is a well-known outdoor and paddle sports retailer with locations at Oak Bay Marina and Downtown Vancouver. The main store at Oak Bay Marina is open year-round and offers a wide selection of specialty paddling accessories, apparel, PFDs, and boats. The business is recognized as one of the top kayak, SUP, and adventure companies in North America, providing retail, instruction, and tours. Customers consistently report positive experiences with friendly and knowledgeable staff. Many praise the staff member who helped with information and the rental process, as well as Tracy, who provided excellent instruction and guidance. The paddle lessons are highly recommended for beginners, with one customer stating it was a safe and comfortable environment to start paddling. Others have enjoyed private coaching sessions, where they learned valuable skills and received helpful follow-up resources. Repeated kayak rentals at Oak Bay Marina highlight the natural beauty of the area, with sightings of seals, eagles, otters, and deer making each paddle memorable. Overall, Ocean River Sports offers a great combination of quality gear, expert instruction, and beautiful paddling experiences.
This place was awesome, staff are super friendly, had an awesome time out on the water, would strongly recommend.
July 2025
We had a fun, despite some heavy misting rain on the day we went. Interesting to see Victoria from a new angle, and also some wildlife.
June 2025
We had a very positive experience with one staff member when we dropped in for some info and then with Tracy when we actually rented. She was friendly and informative and advised us where to paddle. We had a great time! Lunch at the restaurant was delicious afterward. Highly recommend.
