About Us

Getting you out there since 1981!

Ocean River Sports -ORS Coordinates
48° 25′ 48″, 123° 22′ 48″

Launched in 1981 out of a tiny 250 square foot space in the northeast corner of Victoria’s Market Square, Ocean River Sports has since grown to become one of the great outdoor specialist stores — operating as a hub for the outdoor community in Victoria, and serving customers across British Columbia, Canada, and North America.

From its simple beginnings, Ocean River has expanded and diversified. Having moved to its current dockside location in 2001, it now operates a complete paddlesports and outdoors centre in downtown Victoria, encompassing an outstanding retail store, online store, kayak school, kayak touring centre, rental facilities and dock, workshop, kayak museum, boat storage facility and performance paddling club. A pioneer in the paddlesports industry and one of the most significant kayak specialty stores in North America, Ocean River proudly features some of the best sea kayaks, performance kayaks, canoes, and paddling accessories available anywhere.

It has also grown to become a well respected outdoors generalist, carrying a focused selection of high quality outdoor clothing, footwear, camping gear, travel gear, and books, while retaining its emphasis on the paddling experience.

The mission of Ocean River, and its sole obsessive focus, is to create extraordinary outdoor experiences for its customers, community, and friends. Its motto is and always has been “Getting You Out There!”