Things to Do in Lynden

Creekside Kayaks supplies guests with a sleek fleet of rental kayaks canoes for voyages that traverse the scenic areas flanking False Creek. Solo or duo seafarers can fit snugly within a Necky Manitou II, whose adjustable seat accommodates two adults; single paddlers can also nestle into the roomy cockpit of the Necky Looksha 14. Certified instructors walk uninitiated visitors through kayaking basics during three-hour introductory courses that cover fundamental paddling skills, rescue techniques, water safety, and how easily kayaks transform into giants' kazoos.

Outdoor adventurers must take a 20-minute ferry ride in order to get to Bowen Island Sea Kayaking's home base, where a professional crew sets boats floating through the area’s wildlife and natural scenery. The complimentary ferry, known as the Queen of Capilano, eases out of Horseshoe Bay and motors into Howe Sound, possibly passing trios of cresting orcas on its way to Snug Cove.

The staff furnishes rentals as well as slates tours during prime viewing hours, such as when the moon rises above Hollyburn Mountain. Seasoned instructors lead all levels of paddlers through lessons in well-maintained, fully outfitted vessels, granting views of seals, eagles, and white-sided dolphins darting over and under the sea’s surface and through hoops held up by clownfish. Bowen Island Sea Kayaking’s location also affords oarsmen refreshment options, including a pub and burger and taco stands.

Family-friendly Bayshore Bike Rentals doles out mountain, tandem, and cruiser cycles for adults and kids, with optional bike trailers that cart little ones in the wakes of adult cyclists. Newly equipped riders pedal from the shop through lush Stanley Park or coast along the nearby Vancouver Seawall, a flat, paved path that hugs the waterfront as tightly as an overenthusiastic Big Bird. Cyclists return their steeds at whatever time they choose and pay at the time of drop-off. The shop also rents a collection of in-line skates made by Rollerblade.

Eight years ago, head sculptor Desneige Meyer began to apply her formal training from the Alberta College of Art and Design to her love for life casting, literally setting the human form and its emotions in stone. Today, Meyer runs Memory Castings along with fellow sculptor Kristina Rowse, graphic designer Cass Collins, and studio cat Gilmore. This troupe of talented artists forms tangible symbols of life and love by designing custom castings, whether crafting a plaster mould of a pregnant belly or making a cement impression of the concept of filial piety. Their casting process envelops body parts in safe, comfortable sheaths of liquid rubber or seaweed-based, hypoallergenic dental alginate, capturing a precise 3-D image before immortalizing memories in pourings of stone, hydrostone, concrete, resin, or cold-cast metal.

Aerial Kiteboarding's certified instructors teach students how to properly ride kites and kiteboards across snow-blanketed prairies, glassy water surfaces, and expanses of dirt or grass. During snow-kiteboarding classes, instructors use two-line trainer kites to escort students through wind-safety strategies, basic steering and kite control, and snowman avoidance. Students prowl across the ground and through the air in power-kiting lessons and skim the waves in water-kiting lessons. Building on the lessons imparted during basic and intro classes, two- or three-hour lessons guide more experienced kiteboarders through steering, flight control, riding skills, and launching and landing methods. Aerial Kiteboarding supplies all rentals and equipment for its classes and lessons, which run seven days a week depending on weather and the amount of reindeer air traffic. Aside from their flagship kiteboarding packages, the outdoorsy company also features other services such as kayak rentals and scenic boat rides.