Dragonfly Outfitters is a sea kayak guide service and paddle sports shop based in Squalicum Harbor, Bellingham, WA. Founded in 2017, we run guided tours, rentals, and multi-day expeditions throughout the Salish Sea and San Juan Islands, and stock kayaks, paddleboards, gear, and apparel in our shop on the harbor.

My Story

I followed my heart in the summer of 2016 and made a big cross-country move from Nashville, TN to Bellingham, WA. Urged on by friends who said the Pacific Northwest was a healing place, I packed up my small car with just the essentials and took a huge leap of faith. I knew I wanted to work for myself, and after much soul searching and asking myself, "What are you passionate about?", the one thing that kept ringing in my ears was kayaking. All I had to do was look on the map of Bellingham and I could see it was a paddler's paradise.

A few days after I landed, I put my kayak in the icy waters of the Salish Sea for the first time. I was nervous, but the beauty around me eased away all doubt. I sat in my car at Marine Park and waited for the water to calm, knowing it would as sunset got closer. And calm it did, just in time for a quick paddle south along the sandstone shores of the bay, rewarded with a stunning sunset.

In the weeks that followed, with a harsh winter setting in, I had my doubts this was the right move. After all, I came here to kayak. What I discovered was there's so much more to do and see in and around Bellingham, and my winter quickly filled with exploration and adventure. Any doubt that lingered eventually faded as I settled into life here. I was warmly welcomed by the residents of this quirky little town, and I knew I'd found my people.

There was much to learn, so I spent every moment I could that first summer on the water. I can't wait to get out and show you all the beautiful places I've discovered.

Why Dragonfly?

The name comes from a card my mom sent me in 2015, with a dragonfly on it and a note: "I saw this in St. Augustine and thought you might like it." When I moved to the Pacific Northwest, that card ended up on my vision board, and I kept coming back to it.

Turns out the dragonfly is a symbol of transformation, known for changing direction swiftly and adapting to whatever comes. That resonated. Moving across the country, starting over, building this business, it's all been its own kind of transformation. The card even had a poem on the back about a dragonfly's restless, wandering heart, "a voyage of the heart," and that's exactly what this whole thing has felt like. So Dragonfly it was.

Tori Dawson
Founder & Guide
ACA Certified L2 Trip Leader