Ontario’s Best Mighty River Sea Doo Tours…
Photo ©2015 by Craig Nicholson
Related: Fav Ontario Day Rides
Sheer pleasure is what you can expect from recreational boating on one of five best Ontario Sea Doo river rides! Even a jet ski beginner can cover a lot of distance on a self guided, daylong Sea Doo tour, clipping along at 64 to 80 kph (40 to 50 mph) wherever there’s no speed limit. Talk about great PWC adventures!
Even given rest breaks, sight-seeing and fuel and food stops, racking up a couple of hundred kilometres of jet ski riding is easy. And that means we need a lot of navigable water. Unlike with snowmobiling, where there are so many trail options that we can usually ride loops, our jet ski or PWC Sea Doo river rides are linear; there and back on the same waterway.
So one of my favourite places to ride my personal watercraft adventures is on a navigable river, many of which are included on my top 10 list of Ontario day rides. But there aren’t that many fully passable ones around. By the time you factor in dams, rapids, shallows, sand bars and other such obstacles, only a handful of rivers are suitable for long distance Sea Doo riding or recreational boating on #ontariowaterways. Before going, check out my recreational boater advice about safe launching and going through locks.
Sea Doo River Rides Advantages
River running has many advantages. One is that a navigable river can run for quite a distance without encountering big water, whereas a large lake with similar distance usually means battling big waves somewhere. Two is that it’s tough to get lost with a shore on both sides to guide you. Three is that rivers are generally more sheltered and protected than lakes, so winds tend to be less of a factor. Four is that on a river, you’re closer to shore (and likely roads) if something goes wrong and you need to make an emergency landfall. And five is that every river is unique.
So if you’re looking for a great location for a Sea-Doo tour, try one of these five great Ontario Sea Doo river rides, each of which has fuel en route (listed alphabetically)…
Sea Doo River Rides – Lower Ottawa River
Rideau Falls Photo © by Craig Nicholson
Navigable Water: Montreal to Ottawa
Ride Duration: 2 days
Starting Point: Lefaivre (or Hawkesbury)
One-Way Distances: Day 1 – Lefavre to Ottawa 71 km / Day 2 – Lefaivre to Montreal West 104 km
Where to Launch: Lefaivre Marina with free public launch and parking. Alternate Launch: Hawkesbury
On The Water Fuel: Lefaivre Marina, Ottawa
On The Water Food with Dock: Rockcliffe Boathouse (Ottawa), various on Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue waterfront
Locks: Carillon and Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue
Where to Stay: Motel Rouleau, Alfred (11 km from launch)
Special Note: Carillon is Parks Canada’s tallest lock and may take a while to get through.
More Info: Check out my tour article to help plan your own river ride.
Sea Doo River Rides – Otonabee and Trent Rivers
Otonabee River Photo by Allan Glanfield for Ontario Tourism
Navigable Water: Peterborough to Healy Falls
Ride Duration: 1 day
Starting Point: Peterborough
One-Way Distances: Peterborough to Rice Lake on Otonabee – 30 km / Rice Lake to Healy Falls on Trent – 52 km
Where to Launch: free public launch at foot of Mark Street, with free parking at Rogers Cove Public Park, Peterborough
On The Water Fuel: Peterborough Marina, Bensfort Bridge Resort, Gore’s Landing (3), Paradise Escape Marina.
On The Water Food with Dock: Peterborough Marina, Boathouse Cafe at Golden Beach Resort
Locks: Scotts Mills, Hastings
Where to Stay: Comfort Inn, Peterborough
Special Note: If it’s a windy day, just ride the Otonabee River to Rice Lake and back again to avoid big waves.
More Info: Check out my tour article to help plan your own river ride.
Sea Doo River Rides – St. Lawrence River/1000 Islands
St Lawrence River Photo © by Craig Nicholson
Navigable Water: Kingston to Cornwall
Ride Duration: 2 days
Starting Point: Ivy Lea
One-Way Distances: Day 1 – Ivy Lea to Kingston 42 km / Day 2 – Ivy Lea to Cornwall 121 km
Where to Launch: Free public launch and parking beside motel
On The Water Fuel: Portsmouth Olympic Marina (Kingston), Gananoque (beside Thousand Islands Playhouse), Brockville Marina
On The Water Food with Dock: Kingston (Day 1), take shore lunch (Day Two)
Locks: none
Where to Stay: Motel Capricorn Royal, Ivy Lea; Glen House Resort; Boathouse Country Inn, Rockport.
Special Note: This ride includes the famous 1000 Islands, but don’t land on the American shore without your passport!
More Info: Check out my tour article to help plan your own river ride.
Sea Doo River Rides – Severn River
White’s Falls Photo © by Craig Nicholson
Navigable Water: Sparrow Lake to Port Severn
Ride Duration: 1 day
Starting Point: Sparrow Lake
One-Way Distance: Sparrow Lake to Port Severn 43 km
Where to Launch: Lauderdale Point Marina on Sparrow Lake
On The Water Fuel: Lauderdale Point Marina, Severn Falls, Big Chute, Port Severn (various)
On The Water Food with Dock: Port Severn (various)
Locks and Transfers: Swift Rapids, Big Chute
Where to Stay: Comfort Inn, Orillia
Special Note: The view from the top of the Big Chute Marine Railway is awesome!
More Info: Check out my tour article to help plan your own river ride.
Sea Doo River Rides – Upper Ottawa River
Upper Ottawa River Photo © by Tim Vandersall
Navigable Water: Pembroke to Mattawa
Ride Duration: 2 days
Starting Point: Pembroke
One-Way Distance: Pembroke to Mattawa 142 km
Where to Launch: Pembroke Marina
On The Water Fuel: Pembroke Marina, Chalk River Marina, Rapides des Joachim, Antler’s Kingfisher Lodge
On The Water Food with Dock: Rapides des Joachim (chip truck)
Transfer: Rapides des Joachim (shuttle around hydro dam)
Where to Stay: Best Western, Pembroke; Valois’ Motel & Restaurant, Mattawa (with docks)
Special Note: Make time to climb to the top of Bird Rock where there’s a secluded, spring-fed lake for a refreshing swim!
More Info: Check out my tour article to help plan your own river ride.
Sea Doo River Rides Honourable Mention – Magnetawan River
The tips and advice in this article are the opinions of the author, may not work in every situation and are intended only for the convenience and interest of the reader, who has the personal responsibility to confirm the validity, accuracy and relevancy of this information prior to putting it to their own use.