Kayaking

Explore hundreds of kilometres of rivers and coastline for your next watersport adventure

Surrounded by Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, Bruce County is your gateway to freshwater adventure. Every lake front community has a marina and every beach has the most beautiful view of the sunrise or sunset. Learn more about our watersports and boating adventures here.

Gateway to your freshwater adventure

Surrounded by Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, Bruce County is your gateway to freshwater adventure. Every lakefront community has a marina and every beach has the most beautiful view of the sunrise or sunset. Whether you’re looking to canoe down the Saugeen River or Sauble River, surf the waves of Kincardine or Sauble Beach, or hit the water in Lion’s Head, visiting the waters of Bruce County is an experience like no other.

Stand Up Paddle Boarding

Drone shot of a Man Paddle boarding on vibrant water
Fathom Five National Marine Park

One of the fastest growing paddle sports, stand up paddle boarding (or SUPing) is an amazing way to enjoy the beautiful waters of Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. The learning curve is steep, but as long as the weather cooperates you can get out there immediately. Board rentals are available at Jack n’ Jill Surf Shop, Thorncrest Outfitters and SUP Sauble Beach. If you’re looking for a guided tour, or a multi-day excursion on an SUP, then Fathom Paddle Guiding can create the trip of a lifetime.

Canoeing on the mighty Saugeen

The mighty Saugeen River is an incredible place to hop in a canoe and explore. The traditional canoe route goes from Hanover to Southampton River Mouth, 102 kilometres downstream. But there are many combinations of day trips, overnight trips, or multi-day trips. Stay overnight at McBeath Conservation Area (free camping!), or just spend an afternoon drifting downstream. Thorncrest Outfitters are the real experts on the Saugeen, offering everything from boat rentals and guided tours to shuttle services.
Check out our paddling tours to plan your paddle downriver.

Surf’s Up

When the winds are up, the surf is up at Kincardine. For surfers, this is the Pipeline of the Great Lakes. Winds create swells that break along the pier at Station Beach giving surfers easy access to incredible rides. The yearly Great Lakes surf competition, the Westshore Freshwater Classic takes place here every fall, and surfers come from throughout Canada and the U.S.A. to try to win the title. If you want to try your luck at hanging ten, hook up with the fine folks at the SurfsUp Eco Shop to get all the gear.
Travel a little further north and find more amazing surfing opportunities in Sauble Beach. Rent a board from Jack n Jills Surf Shop, and head for the water! Check out the surf conditions before heading out, ideally you’re going to want a SW or NW wind direction (but anything in between will be okay), and wind at 40 kph or higher.

Waters warm until the end of September – so don’t forget to hit the waves!

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling

With so much coastline surrounding Bruce County, it’s no surprise that we have our fair share of shipwrecks. But did you know you can explore them?!

If you want to get beneath the waves, then a visit to Diver’s Den is your next step. Offering everything for everyone from the absolute beginner to a seasoned veteran, if you want to Scuba dive, they’ll help you do it. They regularly dive at the local shipwrecks and beyond.

Get into the water of the Fishing Islands or the open water in Tobermory to see some of these spectacular sights from just below the water.

Kiteboarding

Have you always wanted to try kiteboarding? Oliphant is one of the best places in the country to learn. Knee deep for as far as the eye can see, you never have to worry about getting in water that’s over your head. And because of the geography of this epically large beach, it gets two different wind directions; meaning your chance of getting up and riding is way higher in Oliphant than most other places in the province. Combine that with instruction from one of the oldest kiteboarding schools in the country and you’ll be ripping up Lake Huron in no time.

Make sure you check out all the outdoor adventures Bruce County has to offer.

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