ECO TIPS Broken Islands "The pounding surf and relentless swells of Vancouver Island's west coast breed fear in the minds of many kayakers. Yet within Barkley Sound lie two clusters of islands that tame the ruggedness of the open coast: the Broken Group and the Deer Group. These are places where advanced paddlers can test their skills among outer islands, sea arches and caves, and where beginners and families can discover the joys of ocean kayaking while drifting through a maze of protected coves and passages. Barkley Sound encompasses all that in special about the West Coast and lets everyone enjoy its treasures."  Taken from Kayak Routes of the Pacific Northwest Coast SKILL LEVEL: Novice to Advanced TRIP LENGTH: 2 days to 10 days WATER AVAILABILITY: Poor (marked on chart 3670) CAMP SPOTS: Designated and marked on chart 3670 HAZARDS: Outer Islands, reefs, fog, boat traffic, rapid weather changes. CHARTS: CHART NUMBER SCALE CHART NAME 3670 1: 20 000 Broken Group 3671 1: 40 000 Barkley Sound 3668 1: 40 000 Alberni Inlet TIDE BOOK: Vol. 6 BOOKS: TITLE Barkley Sound a History of the Pacific Rim Canoe Trips British Columbia Exploring Vancouver Island's West Coast Island Adventures Island Paddling Pacific Rim Explorer Paddling BC: The Broken Islands (book and video) Sea Kayaking Canada's West Coast Sailing Directions Vol. 1 Kayak Routes of the Pacific Northwest Coast Coastal Recreation Map - Barkley Sound WEATHER: Check out the forecast for this area. NOTES: Maximum group size is 10 people Maximum stay in the Broken Islands is 14 days Maximum stay on any particular island is 4 days (weather permitting) No pets $5.00 per night, per person charge collected by warden at the designated site. Up to date ferry schedules at www.bcferries.bc.ca For further information call National Parks at (250) 726-7721 (Mon.-Fri. 08:00-16:00) **Charts, tide tables, books, and other reference materials are available from Ecomarine Mail Order**