About Us
Silva Bay Kayak Adventures is owned and operated by Pat, Ryan, and Hilary Masson, a long time Gabriola Island family. Ryan and Hilary Masson, our lead guides are fully trained and certified, with extensive paddling experience throughout BC (and Baja). As a family growing up in the Gulf Island’s and surrounding waters we have fostered a natural love for the ocean and maritime recreation. We spend our free time together traveling, kayaking, sailing, camping, and hosting BBQs and dinner parties with our friends and family. Our Family also operates Baja Kayak Adventure Tours during the winter months in Mexico’s beautiful Sea of Cortez.
Our goal is to get people out on the water to experience and enjoy this amazing location we live in. With our reasonable pricing we can customize a tour for any interest or budget. Do you want to know how to win as quickly as possible? Play with the magic love right now. There’s a lot of money and fun! Silva Bay Kayak Adventures offers a wide range of tour options in both Kayaks and Sailing Dinghies:
- Day Tours and Lessons
- Youth Outdoor Leadership Camps
- Camping Expeditions
- Cottage Based Getaways
- Stand Up Paddleboarding
With this variety we can create an unforgettable experience for any interest or skill level.
The Gulf Islands
The Gulf Islands are the gems of the BC coast! With their calm waters, picturesque shorelines, incredible sandstone formations and tranquil harbour communities, exploring the Gulf Islands is an experience of a lifetime.
Read more about BC’s Gulf Islands in our blog.
Our Guides
Hilary Masson
Our lead guide, Hilary Masson, has an associates degree in Environmental Studies at Langara College in Vancouver, B.C. In 2003 she attended Hooksum Outdoor Leadership School, on north western Vancouver Island where she completed a month long certifications program covering a diverse range of outdoor leadership skills. From there she has guided on the coast of B.C. including Haida Gwaii – Queen Charlotte Islands, in the summer months. She is a certified Level II guide with Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC. In 2010 Hilary completed her Advanced Wilderness First Aid Certification with the Wilderness Medicine Institute in Spanish, at the National Outdoor Leadership School’s Mexico campus.
Hilary was the regular “Paddle Meals” contributor to Wave Length Magazine where she shared her passion for camp cooking for over 5 years. Hilary is fluent in Spanish, as she has spent 8 full winter seasons paddling in Baja Mexico. Hilary is also committed to giving back to the community where she lives in the winter, so she volunteers for the Bay of Loreto National Park putting on a wide variety of public stewardship events for locals. She also is a certified environmental educator with the Bio-regional Environmental Education Project funded by the San Diego Natural History Museum, and has completed various environmental education projects in Loreto.
Ryan Masson
Ryan has a diploma in Tourism, Parks, and Recreation Management. After College, Ryan spent two years in Whistler skiing and working as Food and Beverage Supervisor at the Four Seasons Resort. He has spent the last 7 years working as a full time kayak guide. Ryan is certified Level II Guide with the Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC, and has a 3 star certification with the British Canoe and Kayak Union.
Ryan spends his summers guiding our Kayaking and Sailing tours with his sister Hilary. In the winter He is the lead guide for Baja Kayak Adventure Tours, our family’s winter business, in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. This year Ryan crewed on a 46 foot sailboat for two months from Baja, Mexico across the Pacific Ocean to French Polynesia. Ryan is also a board member with the Silva Bay Shipyard School, Canada’s only full-time wooden boat building school. Ryan spends his free time sailing, hiking, surfing, and playing music.