Kayaking Prince William Sound

What kayakers love about Prince William Sound is that it’s a generally protected body of water with incredible access to glaciers. Take adKayakers elsewhere tend to be more beholden to Gulf of Alaska sea conditions, where wind and waves are more likely.

PWS typically provides consistent conditions for flatwater paddling--at some point in the day. Flatwater is defined by seas that are no greater than 2 feet, and winds that are no greater than 12 knots (~14mph). Weather and wave conditions do change quickly throughout PWS. It can be a pretty day and everything is great, then a big wind comes up that pushes in bad weather. Because of this it's important that you know what you’re doing when you're on the water. Experience on the ocean and in the backcountry is important and baseline kayak paddling and rescue skills are required to do it right. This includes knowing effective paddling techniques, having the ability to enter/exit a kayak from shore, and knowing how to get yourself back into the kayak and assist others back into their kayaks in open water.

Why Go?

Everyone should see Alaska at least once during their life, and PWS offers many of the state's highlights. Almost all the 120+ glaciers in the sound are receding rapidly, with a visible difference from 20 years ago. The next generation won't have the same opportunity to see many of the glaciers that are readily available today.