looking for a guided experience

[wklassen]

My partner Maria and I will be travelling to St Andrews in mid July and we're interested in a day or two of guided canoe or sea kayaking. We are healthy 40 year olds that are in good physical condition that, sadly, don't have much experience. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Wes

[drideough]

Hi there Lilydipper!
I'm originally from the St. Andrews area (and keep going back!)and have done the guided tours with both Eastern Outdoors and Seascapes, which are the two outfitters right in St Andrews. Both are pretty good - Eastern Outdoors talked me into a kayak for the first time & reassured a wuss and got me thoroughly hooked - they give great value and also offer rentals to the experienced. Seascapes offers a great tour as well with amazing gourmet meals and/or snacks and excellent guides too. But St. Andrews harbour is a bit dull and neither outfit does more than a 2-3 hour tour there. For the best tour of all, go to Seascapes' base on Deer Island and take the full day tour with them out of Northwest Harbour. It's only an hour and a bit drive from St Andrews, but well worth the effort. It's relatively easy paddling, maybe 4-5 hours tops, the guides know the area, the fisheries, and the wildlife. I did this tour 2 years ago and we watched a seiner while it emptied a weir, saw bald eagles, porpoises, minke whales and seals, and had the most incredible feast on a beach on a private island... He Bruce Smith has customer service down to an art form and is also comfortingly safety-conscious, without being preachy. He's also taking you out into the same area where all the whale watching boats go (Head Harbour Passage), only you have a much better view of the sea life from a kayak. I'm planning a trip down this summer with some kayaker friends and I'm hoping to do another tour with him from the island. He may be a touch more expensive than the other guys, but you also get what you pay for.
There isn't much canoing in the area, aside from on the upper St Croix & Magaguadavic Rivers and so far as I know, there are no outfitters doing just guided paddling trips, which is a pity.
Happy Paddling!
Dorothy