Who We Are
About Us
West Coast Whitewater was founded by guides who wanted to build the best possible river experiences in British Columbia. No fancy lodge, no gaudy storefront - just extraordinary trips on extraordinary rivers.
YEARS RUNNING RIVERS
EXPEDITIONS COMPLETED
MAX GROUP SIZE
GUIDES ON EVERY TRIP
Our Story
Born on the River
West Coast Whitewater grew out of a simple conviction: British Columbia has some of the most spectacular whitewater on earth, and most people never get to see it.
Our founders - all working guides with decades of combined experience on BC's rivers - set out to change that. From the first trip, the philosophy was the same: small groups, serious guides, rivers that earn their reputation.
We operate in the Sacred Headwaters of Northwest BC, on the Nass, Babine, Skeena, and Chilcotin river systems. These are places that demand respect - from the guides who run them and the guests who visit them.
The Team
Meet the Guides
West Coast Whitewater was founded by four guides who wanted to create the best possible river experiences for everyone. Our guides don't just work on the water - they spend their lives on it. Decades of combined experience, from all corners of the world, just for your trip.
15 Years
David
Guide & Ski Professional
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
Expedition Guide
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
Guide & Ski Professional
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
Head Guide & FOUNDER
Zach grew up on the Gull River in Haliburton, Ontario, kayaking with his dad before he knew enough to be impressed by it. He followed that instinct west - first to the Ottawa River, where he spent every spare hour on the waves between raft shifts, then further west still, to Squamish and the rivers of the Sea-to-Sky. He never really left.
Between seasons he completed a degree in Environmental Engineering, and that background shapes how he sees the river: as a living system, constantly balancing forces most people never stop to notice. On the water, he's the guide who'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
We don't follow the river blindly. Every trip starts before you ever reach the water.
Rigorous planning happens before every departure - river conditions, weather, environmental factors, and alternative routes all assessed before the first paddle dips in. Once the adventure begins, we walk you through the risks and give you the time and space to get comfortable with your surroundings. The goal isn't just to get downstream - it's to get there together, as a team that understands the river it's running.
Certifications & Training
Our guides are certified. More importantly, they've earned it on the water.
Every guide holds Rescue III Swiftwater Rescue Technician and Wilderness First Aid certifications, reviewed annually to stay current and above industry standard. But credentials only tell part of the story - these guides have spent their lives working and playing in river environments. The river has a way of teaching things no classroom can. Annual training keeps the skills sharp and ready, because out here, proper care has to be second nature.
Equipment Standards
Everything you wear on this river has been chosen with purpose.
Helmets, high-float lifejackets, and wetsuits suited for BC's glacier-fed rivers - all provided, all checked before and after every single trip. The gear meets or exceeds industry standard, but more than that, it's been selected to keep you confident on the water, not just compliant. Show up ready to paddle. We've handled the rest.
Guest Training
Before you hit the water, you'll know exactly what to do on it.
Your guides walk you through everything - how the gear works, how to paddle, and what to do if you end up in the river. That last part matters out here, so we make sure you're comfortable with swimmer rescue and the rare event of a raft flip before any of that becomes relevant. Ask questions at any point. There are no stupid ones on a glacial river.
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.
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