Private Kayaking Trips: Families, Children & Group Charter Tours

Name: Sea Quest Kayak Tours
Price range: $

Sea Quest offers private kayaking trips and private lessons for individuals, families, children, and a variety of charter group types. We have been designing and planning these private kayak trips since 1989 and have experience in accommodating groups with every imaginable interest or special need.

Design a Private Kayaking Trip for Your Special Group

A private trip can be any length from a couple of hours to a week or more. We can accommodate single individuals up through groups ranging in size from 30+ participants! Regardless of your group’s size, our professional expertise will ensure that your private charter proceeds efficiently and safely.

Most private charters begin their planning by looking at our scheduled kayak tours to the San Juan Islands, Alaska, or Baja Mexico. Follow this link if you are attracted to even more exotic destinations. If one of our kayak tour itineraries looks perfect for your group, call us with your ideal time and dates. Then envision how any of our trips could be tailored to make it your own ideal adventure. We can answer any questions that you may have and may be able to recommend other options that will complement your individual needs.

We Specialize in Private Kayaking Tours for Families with Kids!

Sea Quest pioneered special 3-person “triple” kayaks for families with kids in the San Juan Islands of Washington. These super stable kayaks are perfect for taking young children on tours in protected waters. Our triple kayaks accommodate kids as young as three years on private charter trips. The three-person kayaks are also useful for older family members and those with physical conditions that prevent vigorous paddling.

School and youth groups also find our large fleet of triple kayaks to be essential craft on their charter tours.

Private Kayaking Trip Concepts

Below are some examples of private kayak trips that we have organized. As you can see, we are prepared to offer private kayaking trips to groups with a wide range of goals and interests. Hopefully this list will inspire you to contact us and together we can create something very special!

Woman-only (with women guides, naturally!)
Father/son get-togethers and male bonding
Family reunions and special occasions
Families with young children (we use unique three-person kayaks for small children)
Birthdays, anniversaries and weddings on far-flung islands
Scouts and youth groups
Churches and spiritual groups
Schools and colleges
Natural history clubs and science museums
Naturalists and birders (see our birding tours webpage)
Photographers and film crews
Worker retreats and company outings
Recovery groups and healing retreats

Group Charter Tour Discounts Available

Group charter tours of ten or more persons and non-profits are eligible for a 10% or larger discount. Be sure to make your charter plans early!

Reviews

Jon M.
9/25/2023 - Google

				Had a great time! Super fun guide, well maintained equipment, and excellent instruction made this a fun, safe, and memorable day trip. Will definitely be going ... read moreHad a great time! Super fun guide, well maintained equipment, and excellent instruction made this a fun, safe, and memorable day trip. Will definitely be going back! read less			
Banu R.
9/24/2023 - Google

				- great weather and trip to view the bioluminescence - excursion went great and is recommended even for novices -the guide was knowledgeable and provided good i... read more- great weather and trip to view the bioluminescence - excursion went great and is recommended even for novices -the guide was knowledgeable and provided good information and advice - tour is highly recommended and definitely worth it read less			
Melanie S.
9/19/2023 - Google

				Sea Quest Kayak Tours is excellent. Our guide Martine was awesome. It was everything we had hoped for and more. A wonderful memory for our family!			
joshua d.
9/18/2023 - Google

				Fantastic overnight tour with Cody! From the great food, to organized schedule, friendly folks and multiple picturesque stops - Would definitely recommend!!			
Stacy M.
9/18/2023 - Google

				Had a wonderful time night kayaking to see the bioluminescents. The guides Ben and Will were great and kind and helpful. The bioluminescents were so beautiful a... read moreHad a wonderful time night kayaking to see the bioluminescents. The guides Ben and Will were great and kind and helpful. The bioluminescents were so beautiful and I am glad I had this experience with Sea Quest Kayak Tours. read less			
Josh B.
9/18/2023 - Google

				Great trip with Martine as our guide. We were in for a family wedding with limited time and she absolutely helped us make the most of it. We saw plenty of harbo... read moreGreat trip with Martine as our guide. We were in for a family wedding with limited time and she absolutely helped us make the most of it. We saw plenty of harbor seals, some bald eagles and lots of other wildlife. As a side from reading other reviews: kayaks are not exceptionally heavy and we all carried it down the 40 feet or so as a group. Two men and 2 women, zero trouble. I’m not certain why anyone would book a tour which requires you to be physically active and then be upset when you have to actually be active. Great operator and would absolutely use again. read less			
ing w.
9/17/2023 - Google

				our paddle under the stars with Julia was amazing! She was terrific and seeing the bioluminescent water was magical			
dentonphillips
9/16/2023 - Google

				This was a spectacular experience to see the bioluminescence in the water while kayaking. Our guides JJ and Nathan took great care of us and lead an amazing tou... read moreThis was a spectacular experience to see the bioluminescence in the water while kayaking. Our guides JJ and Nathan took great care of us and lead an amazing tour. We all had a fantastic time. read less			
Kenyacktie H.
9/12/2023 - Google

				I recent went on the Quest Kayak Tour along with a friend. It was my first time in a kayak. Quest made the tour safe, engaging and informative. I had a great ti... read moreI recent went on the Quest Kayak Tour along with a friend. It was my first time in a kayak. Quest made the tour safe, engaging and informative. I had a great time and gained a new experience. read less			
Ian L.
9/11/2023 - TripAdvisor

				Had a great time! Sea Quest had our rental right in time. Delivered it to the ferry dock and had us on our way. The equipment worked great, no break downs, no p... read moreHad a great time! Sea Quest had our rental right in time. Delivered it to the ferry dock and had us on our way. The equipment worked great, no break downs, no problems. Had only good times paddling thru amazing scenery. They made the drop off go so smoothly, just took out our gear and the picked the boat up. Couldn’t have had a better time! read less			

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it cost extra money for our private kayak tour?

Our minimum for a private tour group at the standard fare rate is 6 guests. So if your party is 6+ guests the tour will not cost extra money if you want it to be a private tour. If the tour is fewer than 6 guests, you must be willing to pay the difference. For example, if you have 4 people in your party, you would pay for an additional 2 guests to make the tour private.

Can our private kayak tour set the itinerary(s) for the day(s)?

Yes! We always like to be flexible with our private tours and our guides are responsive to the needs and desires of all guests on our tours. We always try our best to form itineraries that align with the goals of our guests. Currents, wind and paddling ability all factor into what is planned for the day and we try to match those physical realities with the general desires of the group or desires of the group leader.

Are the kayak campsites private too?

Our campsites are as private as possible. Often we are camping in State Parks or other public lands which are accessible by everyone but the campsites predominately spaced to allow for privacy and other groups visiting the campgrounds are usually friendly but not overbearing.

Gear List

We provide the following:

Sea kayaks, all related sea kayaking trip gear, safety equipment, transportation to and from Friday Harbor and the launch beach, instruction and expert guides. While camping, meals provided include breakfast and dinner. Our all inclusive listing price includes spacious tents to ensure you will be well rested for adventure. Sleeping bags and pads can be rented for an additional nominal fee – but feel free to bring your own!

What you need to bring:

Beach clothing, beach foot wear, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and lunch. Bring a hat, warm sweater and rain jacket if cool, cloudy, windy or rainy. A detailed packing list of camping related household items will be provided after you book your tour!