FAQs

(Updated on July 20th, 2021)

Kayak Nova Scotia

We are open daily for the 2021 season!

Currently, we are accepting bookings from people who are already in Atlantic Canada (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI or Newfoundland and Labrador), as well as guests from outside of those provinces and The US who are aware of the Nova Scotia entry requirements: Travelling from outside Atlantic Canada, you will need to complete the Nova Scotia Safe Check-In Form.         

Depending on your vaccination status, you may be required to self-isolate:

– Fully vaccinated travellers who had their last vaccine dose at least 14 days before entering Nova Scotia do not need to self-isolate. Testing is recommended.

– Partially vaccinated travellers who had their first dose of two at least 14 days before entering Nova Scotia must self-isolate for 7 days and receive 2 negative test results in order to leave self-isolation.

– People who are not vaccinated or who received one dose of two less than 14 days prior to arriving to Nova Scotia, must self-isolate for 14 days. Testing is recommended at the beginning and at the end of self-isolation.

The Canadian border will open to fully vaccinated US travellers on August 9th, 2021. On September 7th, it is expected that fully vaccinated travellers from other countries can enter Canada without having to self-isolate.

More information can be found on the Nova Scotia Covid-19 website.

Cancellation Policy during the pandemic

Should you need to postpone or cancel your booking with us, you have the following options: Postponing your trip is always free of charge. You can also have your booking turned into a non-expiring voucher or gift certificate for free. Should you have to cancel, you get 90 % of your funds back, the rest covers credit card and processing fees. Please allow a few workdays for the funds to show back up in your account. In case you need to change or cancel your trip, please contact us by email (seakayak@novashores.com) and tell us which option you prefer.

Best Practices

We have implemented best practices to reduce the risk of a virus infection on our tours and at our accommodation. Social distancing and the frequent disinfection of gear and public areas are standards. Please keep your face covering handy in case social distancing cannot be maintained, for example in situations where the guide has to help adjusting your gear. Face coverings are mandatory during our check-in process. Wash or disinfect your hands frequently and do not touch your face. Please notify us in case you experience any symptoms of COVID-19, and abstain from taking the tour to protect others. In this case, you can turn your booking into a voucher or receive a 90 % refund right until tour start.

We hope to see you soon!

The road to the Three Sisters is partly a maintained dirt road and requires a vehicle with normal clearance. Please let us know upon booking in case you require a ride with your guide to the put-in spot as seats are limited.

After checking in at our office, most guests will drive in their own vehicle to the put-in spot, which is located about 27 km from Advocate Harbour. Part of this route is on gravel which is not recommended for motorcycles and sports cars with very little clearance. RVs are fine depending on the size. Please check in with us well beforehand if in doubt.

Don’t worry: A lot of our guests have never been in a kayak before. We are therefore used to giving beginners all the help they need to get out on the water and enjoy themselves as they kayak Nova Scotia. We solely offer stable yet sporty double kayaks to make the experience safe. The Bay of Fundy is unique due to the enormous tides and strong currents. Because of this, we recommend you always go with experienced kayakers – such as the NovaShores guides.

Sure. Children just love kayaking. If they are too small to paddle, they can share a double with the strongest parent. The parent must be reasonably fit as they will be paddling the large double by themselves if the child is too young to help. The recommended age for children on our day tour and overnight tours starts at around 12. The minimum age is 6 if the family is very outdoorsy and the seas are calm. You could also consider our shorter 1.5 hr stand-up paddle at Horseshoe Cove with your children from age 6.

Age is a mindset, and kayaking is an activity that is truly for everyone. So, age is not important. What counts are your spirit and that you are reasonably fit.

The Bay of Fundy can be a moody body of water where conditions can change in an instant. To account for that and to make your experience as pleasant and safe as possible, we only have double kayaks available. They are much more stable than singles and still sporty to paddle, giving both kayakers enough room to paddle at their own pace. Since we started offering doubles only, we have reduced capsizes to almost zero, which is great for our guests and great for us. Because of this, we do not offer single kayaks to guests unless they are certified kayakers as we cannot assess your skills over the phone. The doubles are so easy to paddle and steer that you will have lots of time to enjoy the scenery.  Plus, the doubles are excellent for creating those special photos!

Kayaking is an activity that requires average fitness. Thus, if you can easily walk a few kilometers you probably will have no problems. For flexibility, as long as you can get down on the floor at home and sit with your legs stretched out in front of you, and get up from that position with no difficulty you will be fine in the kayak. Please note that the max. weight per paddler is 240 lb.