White Squall Paddling Centre has been getting people onto Georgian Bay since 1985, when it started with the simple idea of sharing paddling with others. The main centre sits at 53 Carling Bay Road East in Nobel, right on the water, with a second shop on James Street in downtown Parry Sound. Between the two stores you will find kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards for sale, plus paddling accessories, camping gear, clothing, charts and maps.
Rentals are the heart of the business. You can take out a sea kayak, canoe or SUP for an hour or a full day, and beginners are genuinely welcome — the staff are known for getting first-timers comfortable on the water, and free test paddling lets you try boats before you commit. The centre sits close to the calm inlets around Nobel as well as the open bay, so there is sheltered paddling for novices and bigger crossings for experienced kayakers, including routes along the Killbear Provincial Park shoreline.
White Squall is also one of Ontario’s leading sea kayak schools. They run lessons, skills courses and multi-day guided trips into the 30,000 islands of Georgian Bay, from relaxed Kayak Weekenders to wilderness expeditions and lodge-based trips where you paddle by day and sleep in a real bed at night. Youth sea kayak trips run in summer for younger paddlers.
The paddling centre is open seven days a week from April through September, and by appointment over the winter. Whether you want to buy your first kayak, rent one for an afternoon, or learn to handle open water properly, it is the established outfitter for the Parry Sound stretch of Georgian Bay.