paddlers' realm

Ryan is a great guide. He made our Alaska adventure incredible and personal. He arranged logistics of kayak boats, sightseeing, lunch, and paddling near Whittier flawlessly. The experience with Ryan is a great value.

Went on a full day paddle to the glaciers. If you enjoy the outdoors and the exercise that comes with paddling, this is an absolute must. I would rate this tour as the best Alaska experience I had while visiting. You paddle up close to massive glaciers. The scenery is breathtaking. And we were able to enjoy seeing some wildlife (seals, eagles, and a whale on the taxi out to the glaciers). The food provided was delicious. Everything about this tour was great, but the best part of booking with Paddler's Realm was the treatment and customer service we received from the guide, Ryan. Awesome tour guide. Knowledgable about the glaciers and land. He is considerate to every need of his customers. Book with Paddler's Realm! It's worth every penny and I would do this tour again if I ever get the chance to visit Alaska again. Thanks for the amazing day Ryan!

I just returned (July 2014) from an extended kayak trip (12 days) from Valdez to Whittier on Prince William Sound with Ryan Collins of Paddlers Realm. It truly was extraordinary. Calving glaciers and magnificent rock formations were all within our view. From whales to bears, from sea lions to otters, from puffins to seals the wildlife was beyond compare. Ryan is an expert in back country camping which guaranteed that we found high quality campsites with spectacular views and fresh and safe drinking water. Ryan's deep knowledge of and respect for the Sound provide a rare and unique perspective. His higl-level kayaking skills, capable leadership and sense of humor insured that our group had a truly memorable and safe experience. I came back enriched and inspired to return. Ryan will be my first and only call. From a one day journey to an extended trip I can heartily recommend Paddlers Realm. You won't be disappointed!

In July 2014 I had the true pleasure of joining Ryan and 3 others for a trip of a lifetime. We paddled in Prince William Sound from Valdez to Whittier--140 plus miles. The trip could not have better. Ryan, the company owner, is a fantastic guide. He knows the sound well and obviously loves it. His affection for it is infectious. He is an excellent paddler and teacher. He will teach you as much as you want to learn. If you want to just do your own thing, he is happy with that too and does not force learning on you. He has excellent equipment available to rent but is also ok if you want to bring your own. He let us do as much of the trip planning and navigation as we could do but gracefully stepped in where our knowledge and decision making was lacking. Ryan has a fun sense of humor and is a joy to spend time with rain or shine. He even picks up any little bits of trash he finds that others may have left. We saw lots of otters, sea lion, sea birds, and coastal flowers. The cedar trees in East PWN are lovely and grace the temperate rainforest landscape so beautifully. I literally can not think of a thing to criticize re Paddler's Realm. I highly recommend Ryan to you for a day paddle or if you are lucky a more extended trip.

We didn't have the best conditions. A huge storm had just blown through and it was still pretty windy, but we still had a great time. One of my sons is allergic to Gluten, so Ryan created a completely gluten free lunch for us that was so delicious. We were taken by power boat out to a beach in Blackstone Bay to begin the kayaking tour. the ride out was very comfortable in a covered heated boat.I highly recommend this adventure.

I recently took classes with Ryan at Paddlers Realm. I was a little nervous about doing the wet exits but with excellent instructions and patience I now am comfortable in my sea kayak. I learned so much and had a great time in class. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in sea kayaking. I would love to take more instruction or go out with Ryan in the future. Ryan and his staff are caring and very knowledgeable which made the experience awesome!!!

I just had the best weekend learning how to sea kayak with Ryan the owner of Paddler's Realm. The class was very informative and with lots of hands on practice I went from knowing nothing to feeling confident that I could start sea kayaking on my own. Ryan and his team were awesome!!

From the start you know Ryan is really passionate about what he does. The trip was really really good. Food was so awesome. If you want the real Alaska experience then do this trip. Ryan will take care of you. The weather was perfect (we were lucky), we did see a bird rookery and lot of seals. Water taxi ride was comfy, Eric had sharp eyes and did spot a baby whale too. We even waited for about 10 minutes until everyone saw the whale. All in all, if you are anywhere near whittier, then this trip is a must. Its worth every penny. Cheers Ryan, keep it going..

We went with Ryan, and he was a wonderful tour guide! The day started off not very ideal because the weather in Anchorage was very rainy and windy. Ryan kept in contact with us, and once he got to Whittier the weather was actually fine to go kayaking. Even though it was a confusing morning due to the uncertainty of if we can go kayaking or not, Ryan was great with his communication with us.Once we got there, Ryan has all the gears we needed to keep us dry and warm kayaking in a "freezer" with all those icebergs and glaciers. My brother didn't wear enough layers, and Ryan offered him a long-sleeve shirt and a hat to keep him warm. We also forgot water and sunscreen, but worry not because Ryan have all those!Once we got to Blackstone Bay, Ryan got us all readied for kayaking. It was my brother's first time kayaking, and Ryan made us feel very safe throughout the trip. Kayaking at Blackstone Bay was an awesome and unique experience! The scenery was majestic: clear water, floating icebergs, snow-covered mountain in the backdrop. It was breath-taking! We saw otters, seals (and baby seals), and birds. It was peaceful and quiet kayaking in Blackstone Bay, enjoying nature to the fullest.Ryan also has nutrition bars in case we needed a snack before lunch. The lunch Ryan's wife prepared was delicious! He brought so much food we couldn't finish! Lunch included pasta, Salmon, carrots/red peppers, bread, cheese, cherry, dried mango, etc.Overall, it was an awesome experience kayaking with Ryan at Blackstone Bay. We would do it again in a heartbeat! Thanks Ryan for the wonderful experience, we love it!

Amazing trip all around! Ryan is a wonderful and knowledgable guide. Lunch was provided and was great, we saw glaciers, seals, birds and even a young whale! Truly an unforgettable experience! If my boyfriend and I get back up to Alaska we'll have to do a multi-day trip. Ryan good luck with all your future adventures!

Going kayaking with Ryan is a great way to spend a day. He takes time with each person and is sure he is comfortable before starting out with any paddling or instruction. He gave us expert instruction and got us out in the water quickly, but not so quickly that we had any concerns before setting out. Once on the water we had no concerns about his leadership or our safety. His training and experience are impressive as are his instruction skills. I've taken classes with him and paddled with him several times in several settings and always am comfortable. Cannot say enough about his leadership skills and look forward to paddling with him in the future!

My wife, two teenage kids and I spent the day paddling with Ryan. The day was great and every nuance was handled. We were new to kayaking so the instruction was great and personal. The route was perfect and the lunch superb. As we look back over a two week vacation in Alaska my teenagers remember this as a top highlight.

Unbelievable experience in the deep alaskan wilderness. My dad, his girlfriend, my sister and I did a 4 days/3 nights trip in Prince Williams Sound around Icy Bay and Whale Bay, mid-septembre 2013. It is the highlight of our trip to Alaska and one to remember for a lifetime. First of all, our guide Ryan is a wonderful person. He is experienced, interesting, passionated about outdoors and nature, fun to be around, adaptable to different type of personalities, he is a quick thinker (in creating tarps on rainy days for instance), assess level of risks regarding weather patterns and prudent, competent and very creative. We enjoyed his company and personality to the fullest. Although it was our first experience on a multi-days kayaking trip, we felt confident and in good hands. Secondly, the area we explored was desolated and beautiful to no end. Curious seals, icebergs, glaciers and so on. Lots to explore and discover! We are already dreaming about coming back and kayaking longer, with Ryan as our guide. Also! Besides the actual kayaking portion, the boat-taxi and Epic Charters team were fun and very helpful and just, great! If you have appreciation and respect for nature & wildlife and love being outdoor on the water in different kind of weather, book Ryan with Paddlers Realm without hesitation!! Enjoy~

My husband and I, along with my sister and brother-in-law, did a day-long trip out of Whittier to Blackstone Bay. We learned about Ryan's company, Paddling Realm, and Epic Charters, from a friend of a friend who had regularly used them and loved the trip. So we called, but found that Ryan was booked. He brought in another guide for Paddling Realm, Brian, who took us out on our trip. Brian was a great guide! Though we were seasoned lake kayakers, kayaking in cold, icy water was something new. He got us all set up with our gear, gave us some good instructions for the tandem kayaks, and we were off. He stayed at our pace; told us all kinds of info about what we were seeing, fed us a great lunch (smoked salmon, great pasta salad, etc., etc.), and took us for a hike to the base of one of the glaciers. The glaciers were beautiful, the waterfalls were stunning, the icebergs like sculptures, and kayaking through one area was like kayaking through a giant slushy. I would recommend this trip to anyone wanting to see Prince William Sound. So much more "intimate" with nature than a large cruise would be. Also, our boat captain from Epic Charters (I don't recall his name) did a great job of getting us out and back, and finding sea life for us along the way (harbor seals, sea lions, and sea otters). The only thing I would do differently is I would find room for hiking shoes in the dry bag - it was tough hiking on the glacial field in the rubber boots provided, though they were great for kayaking. Loved the whole experience.

All the positive reviews I had read about Ryan by previous reviewers were 100% accurate. He was so patient and courteous and kind with this first time kayaker who was terrified! My husband and I went on a private trip with Ryan to the Blackstone Bay Glacier Area and it was absolutely spectacular and serene - and FUN! Be aware that you are kind of in cramped quarters in a kayak with little room for movement. But I'd do it all over again! We were blessed with sunny blue skies and water smooth as glass. So I know other weather would have been more challenging. But I would have had total confidence in Ryan under those conditions. The lunch Ryan prepared for us on the beach was plentiful and wonderful. He was so knowledgeable in answering our questions and was very sensitive and "in-tune" and accommodating to our particular needs, making sure we did not over extend ourselves if we felt the need to stop. I know other kayaking companies in the area are good as well as I read all of their reviews prior to making the decision to go with Paddlers Realm. But Ryan has been kayaking these waters for 12 years (he actually trained guides for other companies) and I felt so confident in his knowledge of the area and his abilities to navigate the waters and the weather and do what was best for us. He put us very much at ease which made for a most enjoyable day. We absolutely recommend Ryan at Paddlers Realm for your kayaking trip!!