Badge of Awesome Communities invites you to share your favourite things to see and do in cool destinations around the world. We caught up with the folks from East Coast Outfitters — one of our featured attractions from Nova Scotia — to learn about what they have to offer.

What makes East Coast Outfitters awesome?

East Coast Outfitters: We offer the best paddling places for sea kayaking anywhere in Nova Scotia. We are where Halifax paddles.

We are only a 30-minute drive from downtown Halifax and a 45-minute drive from the Halifax international airport. East Coast Outfitters (ECO) is located in the community of Lower Prospect, Nova Scotia and halfway between the city of Halifax and world famous Peggy’s Cove. Lower Prospect is a small fishing village with a population of about 200. Weather still matters in Lower Prospect. Everyone still waves.

We offer one of the most varied outdoor programs in Atlantic Canada, and we are the only outdoor operator driven largely by community economic development. ECO is a community-based outdoor resource centre featuring premier quality guided sea kayak tours, lessons, and equipment rentals.

We give visitors a chance to learn about the natural and cultural history of the area while experiencing some of the best sea kayaking anywhere. We allow even the mild outdoor enthusiast the opportunity to experience coastal scenery, ocean views and natural beauty all within a short distance from the city. We offer the experienced kayaker a chance to explore around our islands and open coast and feel the ocean swell.

No need to make us the focus of your trip to Halifax, but a part of your day. After you have kayaked the calm bays and inlets of the Lower Prospect area you can continue to Peggy’s Cove and the rest of St. Margaret’s Bay to complete your day of adventure.

We have the most variety of tour options then any other place in Nova Scotia. Along with our Half day, Full day, seascape and sunset tours, we offer evening tours (daily specials) every day of the week with different themes: Ladies Night, Family Night, Skills Clinics and After Work paddles. We get you paddling more for less and these tours are perfect for locals and tourists.  See: www.eastcoastoutfitters.com/tours

We have also partnered with many companies and tourism associations to increase the variety of our tours. Dock & Dine: A Local Feast is an opportunity for people to go on a 2 hour kayak tour and then return to ECO and dine dockside on a full course meal created by a local chef. All food is locally sourced and caught from our ocean.

Our Sea-to-Table Lobster Adventure allows you to kayak Nova Scotia’s dramatic granite coast and clear, turquoise waters to Lower Prospect for the inside scoop on lobster fishing in this sea-to-table adventure! A chef-prepared lobster dinner, featuring local ingredients and seafood awaits you at the ocean’s edge at sunset. See: http://www.novascotia.com/packages/experiences/sea-to-table-lobster-adventure/204267

We offer a full rental program for those more experienced kayakers that wish to explore at their own pace. Our staff fully outfits and instructs clients how to paddle and where they can go on their self-guided tour. With the many islands around the bays an inlets, you can stop for a break and enjoy being in the middle of nowhere while right in the heart of Halifax. We are the only provider in the Halifax area that offers this time of rental experience. See: www.eastcoastoutfitters.com/rentals

We offer skills clinics and a variety of Paddle Canada sea kayak courses for those interested in developing their paddling skills. We value the importance of learning and developing skills in our paddlers so that they can enjoy all aspects of paddling in a fun and safe way. See: www.eastcoastoutfitters.com/lessons

The guides at ECO are some of the best in the industry, and it is they who will make your experience with us truly unique. Each one of our guides has completed our intensive Guide Training program, which spans a period of 8 months. They are certified by Paddle Canada, and have been trained and certified in Wilderness First Aid and Leave no Trace Ethics. Over the years, we have trained and certified over 100 guides, and there are currently 35 of them in the area. Our guides are professional, conscientious, and experienced.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced kayaker we have everything you will need for your kayak adventure. Come to Nova Scotia and experience it all; come to ECO because it is where Halifax paddles.

Visit the East Coast Outfitters website to learn more!