Olympic Outdoor Center is a Pacific Northwest specialty retailer and outfitter dedicated to paddlers, bikers, and expedition-minded adventurers.
Founded in 1986 on the shores of Puget Sound, OOC has spent nearly four decades immersed in cold-water paddling, coastal travel, mountain biking, and serious outdoor use. What began as a small local shop has grown into a nationally respected paddlesports institution—trusted by those who value reliability, fit, and informed guidance over trend and hype.
We specialize in equipment that matters when conditions are challenging: kayaks, paddleboards, mountain bikes, dry suits, rescue systems, technical paddling apparel, paddles, PFDs, spray skirts, and SmartTrack rudder systems. These are not casual purchases, and we do not treat them as commodities. Every product we carry is selected because it performs under stress, holds up to repeated use, and solves real problems paddlers face on cold water.
Our team includes professional sea kayak instructors, guides, and long-distance expedition paddlers. We teach with this gear. We paddle with it in wind, tide, and current. We see what works—and what fails—when conditions change. That lived experience informs every recommendation we make.
But Olympic Outdoor Center has always been more than a retail shop.
Over 40 years, we have introduced thousands to cold-water paddling and hired more than 400 youth into our programs, tours, classes, rental locations, and shop. Today, we are welcoming the children of our first employees into the next generation of leadership and instruction. That continuity reflects something we value deeply: mentorship, responsibility, and community.
As a retailer, our role is not simply to ship products—it is to help people make better decisions. We believe honest guidance builds trust, even when it means advising against a sale. That philosophy has made Olympic Outdoor Center a destination shop for paddlers across the country who want clarity, competence, and equipment they can rely on.
Whether preparing for a first season in cold water or refining an expedition-ready setup, our mission remains steady: equip people with the knowledge, confidence, and tools to paddle safely, skillfully, and well.
Forty years in, we are still teaching. Still guiding. Still learning.
And still building the next generation of Pacific Northwest adventurers.
