Employment with Powell River Sea Kayak

Our Lead Guides mostly lead multi-day camping trips in Desolation Sound. They also lead overnight resort based trips from Cabana Desolation Eco Resort. Our multi-day camping trips run from 3-7 days in length.

Lead guides purchase, plan and prepare all meals for their camping tours. During the season we are consistently reaching capacity on our multi-day tours (10 guests, 2 guides).

When guiding from the eco resort, dedicated cooks plan and prepare all the meals. Tours to our resort use it as a luxury ‘base camp’. Each day tours radiate in different directions and explore Desolation Sound, and then return to the resort in the afternoon. The first and last days are spent paddling to and from the resort and our office in Okeover Inlet.

Lead Guides with PRSK are required to be members of the Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC. They are required to have completed a Level Two Guides Exam with SKGABC at a minimum.

Assistant Multi-Day Guides (AOGs) perform a wide variety of guiding with PRSK. Mostly they assist our Lead Multi-Day Guides on camping tours into Desolation Sound. They also have the opportunity to assist larger groups to our eco-resort, and also lead and assist day trips from Lund and Okeover Inlet.

Assistant guides on camping tours do many jobs. They assist with food preparation and cleaning, attend to guests’ needs and safety on and off-water, prepare and clean gear and equipment before and after the tour under the supervision of the lead guide, and more.

AOG positions with PRSK are often filled by people looking to advance in the outdoor tourism industry. the job offers great experience for those looking to sit their Level Two lead guide exam in the future. Many of our Lead Multi-Day Guides have worked for PRSK in previous years as AOGs and made the step up to lead after a season or two of experience!

Assistant Multi-Day Guides with PRSK are required to be members of the SKGABC. They are required to have completed an Assistant Overnight Guide Exam with SKGABC at a minimum.

Day Guides lead and assist Day Tour programs from  Okeover Inlet and Lund. These tours are either 3 or 7 hours in length and take place in Desolation Sound Marine Park, Copeland Islands Marine Park, and Savary Island. We also run 7 hour combo kayak and snorkel tours in Malaspina Inlet.

As well as guiding, day guides  plan and prepare a  lunch for all our guests for the majority of our day tours. They also prepare for and clean equipment after the tour has ended.

Day guiding is a great way to ‘test the water’ in the outdoor tourism industry and gain valuable experience needed to move up to overnight guiding in future seasons. Many of our Day Guides combine this work with the General Operations position to maximize their work during the season as well as gain insight into the inner workings of a busy Sea Kayak touring and rental company.

Day Guides with PRSK are required to be members of the SKGABC. They are required to have completed a Day Guide Exam with SKGABC at a minimum.

General Operations staff have the most dynamic positions with PRSK. These duties include (but are not limited to):

We have over 120 boats and countless pieces of equipment (PFDs, paddles, throw bags, etc) and we pride ourselves on them being of high quality and under regular maintenance. Our Repair and Maintenance position is focused primarily on  maintaining our kayaks and equipment so that they are always in top condition.

During our peak season we often have 25 or more rental kayaks returning and launching every day, in addition to our regular tours and lessons. Great organizational skills are required to inspect and keep on top of minor repairs so that we can keep our fleet at max capacity throughout the busy season.

General maintenance duties include gel coat repairs, replacing buckles and hatch covers, rudder cables and foot pedal adjustment and repair, some basic fibreglass repair, bulkhead replacements, and many other assorted repairs to kayaks, equipment, and infrastructure at our launch site.

Cabana Desolation Eco Resort has two Head Cooks working on a rotational basis from late May-September each year. Despite being remote, we have a full commercial kitchen that is capable of preparing meals for 12 people or more. The kitchen is complete with propane refrigerator and stove, commercial sink, and solar powered power outlets and LED lighting. The natural cedar kitchen and dining area, nestled amongst the rainforest on our uninhabited island, is a far cry from traditional commercial kitchens!

We focus on creating healthy, vibrant, creative meals from fresh and locally sourced ingredients. We use a set-menu created and tweaked each season, that leaves room for personal creativity and variety. Almost everything is created from scratch on site. The majority of our ingredients are purchased by the head cook before each trip and transported to Kinghorn Island on our company motor vessel with our staff changeovers.

These roles are more than simply creating good food. The design and ambiance of the resort means that our cooks enjoy a far more social environment than in the average commercial kitchen. They interact with our guests daily and add a personal touch to the service and experience that our guests enjoy. As such, a high level of interpersonal communication skills are absolutely necessary for these positions.

Cooks work on a rotational basis, with 4 or 5 days on at the resort, followed by another 4 or 5 days off. While food and accommodation is obviously included during these work days, you will need to find your own personal accommodation in the Powell River area for your days off.