Who We Are
About Us
West Coast Whitewater was founded by river guides who wanted to run great trips in British Columbia. We don't have a lodge or a storefront. We put our time and money into the rivers, the guides, and the gear.
Our Story
Born on the River
West Coast Whitewater started because we think British Columbia has some of the best whitewater in the world, and most people never get to see it.
Our founders are working river guides with decades of combined experience on BC's rivers, and they started the company to take more people down them. From the first trip, we've kept the same approach: small groups, experienced guides, and rivers with real whitewater.
We run the Nass, Babine, and Skeena river systems in northwest BC and the Chilcotin in the central interior. These are remote, powerful rivers, and we ask our guests to treat them with the same respect our guides do.
15+
YEARS RUNNING RIVERS
100+
EXPEDITIONS COMPLETED
12
MAX GROUP SIZE
2-3
GUIDES ON EVERY TRIP
The Team
Meet the Guides
West Coast Whitewater was founded by four guides who wanted to run the kind of river trips they'd want to go on themselves. Our guides spend most of their lives on the water, and between them they've guided rivers all over the world.
15 Years
David Graham
David is a guide's guide. With nearly 15 years on the water - and winters spent leading heli-ski operations at some of Canada's most prestigious mountains - he brings a rare depth of wilderness experience to every trip. He reads rivers the way others read rooms. Calm, precise, and completely at home in the places most people will never see.
Certifications
Swift Water Rescue Level 4
Outdoor Educator Certified
Wilderness First Responder
Class V Certified
Mr. Worldwide
Felix Lalonde
Felix has run rivers on four continents and completed first descents that most guides only hear about. Northern BC, South America, Africa - if there's unexplored whitewater, he's probably been there first. He's as comfortable scouting a blind rapid as he is making camp feel like home. Guiding isn't just what Felix does. It's how he's chosen to live.
Certifications
Swift Water Rescue Level 4
Outdoor Educator Certified
Wilderness First Responder
Class V Certified
Guest Favourite
Matt Casson
Ask any of Matt's past guests and they'll say the same thing: he made the trip. A veteran of rivers and canoe routes across Canada - and guiding expeditions on every continent but one - Matt brings an ease to the water that guests find immediately reassuring. He's been doing this long enough to make the hardest days feel effortless, and the best days feel unforgettable.
Certifications
Swift Water Rescue Level 4
Wilderness First Responder
Outdoor Educator Certified
Class V Certified
Guest Favourite
Zach Shantz
Zach grew up on the Gull River in Haliburton, kayaking with his dad before he knew enough to be impressed by it - then followed that instinct west to the Ottawa, then further still to Squamish and the Sea-to-Sky, where he never really left. A degree in Environmental Engineering sits behind how he reads the river: as a living system, constantly balancing forces most people never stop to notice. On the water he's just as happy goofing around with his crew as he is running serious whitewater. He paddles the Cheakamus most days. He'll tell you it still hasn't gotten old.
Certifications
Swift Water Rescue Level 4
Wilderness First Responder
Outdoor Educator Certified
Class V Certified
Safety & Risk Management
Your Safety is
Our Priority
Risk Management
Planning for every trip starts well before launch day.
Before each departure, we look at river levels, weather, environmental conditions, and alternative routes. Once the trip starts, we talk you through the risks and give you time to get comfortable on the river. We want the whole group to understand what's happening on the water as we go.
Certifications & Training
Every guide is certified, and every guide has years of experience on the water.
All our guides hold Rescue III Swiftwater Rescue Technician and Wilderness First Aid certifications, which we keep current every year. Most of them have also spent their lives working and playing on rivers, and they've learned a lot out there that no course covers. We train together every season so rescue skills stay automatic.
Equipment Standards
We provide all the safety gear you'll need on the river.
That includes helmets, high-float lifejackets, and wetsuits made for BC's cold, glacier-fed water. We check every piece before and after each trip, and all of it meets or exceeds industry standards. We also pick gear that fits well and keeps you warm, so you can focus on paddling.
Guest Training
Before you get on the water, we'll show you what to do on it.
Your guides will go over how your gear works, how to paddle, and what to do if you fall in. We also practice swimmer rescue and what happens if a raft flips, so you know what to expect even though flips are rare. Ask as many questions as you like, before and during the trip.
First Nations Land Acknowledgement
West Coast Whitewater acknowledges that our operations on the Nass River take place on the traditional, unceded territory of the Nisga'a Nation and adjacent to the Lake Babine, Gitanyow, and Gitanmaax Nations. We recognize the deep cultural, spiritual, and historical connection the local indigenous people have to these lands and waters, and we are committed to operating in a way that respects their sovereignty, values, and stewardship. We are grateful for the opportunity to travel through these territories and strive to uphold practices that honour their ongoing guardianship of the Nass and Skeena Valleys.
What We Stand For
Our Values
Small Groups, Always
We cap every expedition at 12 or 24 guests. Not because we have to - because it makes the trip better. More attention from guides, more intimate camp life, more room on the river.
Leave No Trace
We operate in some of BC's most pristine wilderness. Every trip follows strict leave-no-trace principles. We pack in, we pack out, and we leave the river better than we found it.
Safety Without Compromise
All guides are Swift Water Rescue certified and Wilderness First Responder trained. We monitor river levels daily, brief every group thoroughly, and never put guests in water beyond their ability.
Honest Guiding
We don't oversell trips. If a river isn't right for your group, we'll tell you. Our goal is the best possible experience for each person - not just filling boats.