Mark Scriver - (Ottawa, ON) White Water Canoe and SUP Coach

Mark began his paddling career at summer camps in Ontario. He taught at Kandalore Outdoor centre and moved on to Black Feather Wilderness Adventures in the mid 80's where he continues to guide a trip a year in the Canadian Arctic or Greenland. He has also worked in the paddle sport industry as a retail buyer, sales representative and canoe designer and currently represents many leading paddle sport brands. He has authored and co-authored several books including, Thrill of the Paddle, Canoe

Tripping; an Essential Guide and the Black Feather Camp Cookbook. He competed in white water freestyle for over a decade culminating in hosting the world championships and winning a gold medal. Though best know as a white water canoeist, he enjoys paddling all crafts and SUP is his latest interest.

Rob has been paddling for most his life, and teaching for most of adult life. He holds IT certifications in Sea Kayak, Canoe Tripping, Lake, and White Water Canoe and is an active River Kayak Instructor. Rob serves on the Paddle Canada Program Development Committees for River Kayak and Canoeing. Rob teaches water rescue courses for Rescue Canada.

Rob Lemmon - (Fredericton, NB) White Water Kayak and Sea Kayak coach

Grahams love of canoeing and kayaking stretches back beyond his 16 years of sea kayak teaching and guiding. At the Muskoka, Ontario cottage he learned to solo canoe at 7 yrs old, then in his teens went on long canoe trips in northern Canada. In 1993, Graham apprenticed with Nahanni River Adventures and spent a few seasons guiding on the mighty Nahanni. Since 1994, Graham has worked as Manager of White Squall, Georgian Bay, until recently relocating to Kingston, Ontario in 2010 and taking over the helm as Executive Director for Paddle Canada. He has taught courses in the Arctic and Newfoundland and on most of the Great Lakes. He is a Paddle Canada Level 2 Sea Kayak Instructor-Trainer.

Graham Ketcheson- Paddle Canada Executive Director

(Kingston, ON) Sea Kayak Coach

Blair has been paddling in the Maritimes since he was introduced to a canoe in 1985. With Paddle Canada he is an advanced Lake Tandem and Solo Lake Canoe Instructor, Sea Kayak Level 2 Instructor and a River Kayak Level 1 Instructor. Through teaching wilderness medical courses and being involved in Search and Rescue since 1988 he has become a strong supporter of certification and training. He is currently the President of Canoe Kayak Nova Scotia and President of Paddle Canada.

Blair Doyle - (Dartmouth, NS) Paddle Canada President

Special Guest Coaches

Christopher has been paddling since 1994 in locations as far away as the UK, New Zealand, Iceland, Norway as well as countless places in North America. A graduate of Acadia University with a degree in Recreation Management, Chris is currently the owner and driving force behind Committed to the Core Sea Kayak Coaching. www.committed2tecore.com  He holds certifications with the British Canoe Union and Paddle Canada, is a former Outward Bound Instructor, and is KANAWA magazine’s “Ask a Pro” Columnist. P&H Pro sea kayak team member and Kokatat regional representative. He works as a GIS tech as a day job. 

Christopher Lockyer - Executive Director and Founder (Hilden, NS)

Andrew Westwood - (Ottawa, ON) White Water Canoe Coach

Andrew Westwood is a wilderness canoe adventurer, whitewater paddler, open canoe slalom competitor and school teacher, living in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He has 20 plus years experience instructed canoeing, and coached canoe slalom in both Canada and the United States. Working as a guest instructor for a variety of host organizations, Andrew can frequently be found instructing on one of his favourite rivers at the Madawaska Kanu Centre.  Author of Canoeing, Essential Skills and Safety and DVD titled Canoeing, Andrew is also a regular contributor to Rapidmedia. Always willing to share his instructional experiences, he currently is a member of Paddle Canada’s Canoe Program Development Committee.

Sean Morley- (San Francisco, California) Sea Kayak Coach

Originating from the UK and now a resident of Marin Co, CA, Sean began kayaking at the age of ten with the Boy Scouts and often paddled alone, exploring the relatively sheltered waters on the south coast of Cornwall, England. He took part in his first kayak race in 1978 and has competed in many disciplines of paddle sport since then including white water slalom and downriver racing, marathon, sprint, wave ski, surf life saving and surf kayaking with success at national and international level. He began expedition sea kayaking in 1996 and in 1998 set a record for the fastest crossing of the Irish Sea. In 2004 he achieved his childhood dream by completing the first solo circumnavigation of the UK and Ireland by sea kayak; the first ever to include all of the inhabited islands. The 4500 mile expedition took 183 days and is the longest kayak journey ever undertaken in British waters. His achievement was featured in the DVD ‘This is the Sea 2’ by Justine Curgenven (Cackle TV). Sean is an ACA Level 4 Coastal Kayak Instructor and Level 3 Surf Kayak Instructor. He is supported by Werner paddles, P&H sea kayaks, Kokatat Watersports Wear and Snap Dragon Designs spray skirts.

Matt met Shawna and Leon at Body Boat Blade in 2004 and within a year began coaching for Body Boat Blade, progressing as a coach and paddler, fuelled by the passion for blending knowledge of the marine environment with the enthusiasm for a very physical, and engaging way to interact with the water.  Since then, he has delved into whitewater, surf kayaking, rock gardening and expeditions.  In 2008, he and his wife Djuna circumnavigated the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska, while raising funds for an environmental non-profit.  Matt appeared in Bryan Smith’s “Pacific Horizons”, and has been involved with other kayaking films focusing on technique. Matt is a coach level 3 and holds the five-star award for sea kayak.  Matt is also a P&H team paddler, and teaches at symposiums in North America. Matt is featured in Pacific Horizons and in This is the Sea film series.

Matt Nelson - (Orca’s Island, Washington State) Sea Kayak coach

Local Talent Coaches

David is a Paddle Canada Instructor who has been teaching people how to putter around in a kayak for the past 10 years. He maintains the instructor resource website, www.paddlinginstructor.com and sits on the Paddle Canada Sea Kayak Program Development Committee.
When not in a boat, he can be found running around Toronto trying to keep up with his young family. Dream future jobs include being an official water slide tester or a professional wrestling referee

Kevin is a Paddle Canada Level II Sea Kayaking Instructor with over ten years experience guiding and instructing throughout the Maritime Provinces. He also holds a Masters in Adult Education and loves to apply this background in education to his padding courses. Kevin enjoys sharing his passion for the great outdoors and sea kayaking with others and he is always ready for a ‘good game’

Kevin Gallagher - (Halifax, NS )

Craig has been paddling since 1998.  He did his first Paddle Canada (then CRCA) course in 2000 never to look back.  Craig worked as a sea kayak guide for 7 years and is still known to guide an occasional extended trip.  He has paddled throughout Atlantic Canada, British Columbia, Northern Labrador, most of the island of Newfoundland, and Mexico but still says that the coastline in Gros Morne National Park rivals them all. Craig is a graduate of Memorial University's Outdoor Pursuits degree program. Craig holds instructor certifications in the disciplines of canoeing, track skiing, telemark skiing, avalanche safety, wilderness first aid and of course sea kayaking. Craig has a Level 3 instructor and a Level 4 skill designation from Paddle Canada.When Craig is not on the water he is in the trees!  In his professional life he is a Park Warden for Parks Canada in none other than Gros Morne National Park. www.learntoseakayak.com

Craig Burden - (Norris Point, NL - Canada)

David Johnson - (Toronto, ON) Sea Kayak Coach

Alan Stanley- (Charlottetown, PEI) Sea Kayak Coach

2012 Sponsored Coach

2012 Sponsored Coach

2012 Sponsored Coach

2012 Sponsored Coach

2012 Sponsored Coach

Special Friday night Presentation

Zac Crouse- (Halifax, NS)

Zac will be doing a presentation of his recent trip from Ontario to Nova Scotia promoting alternative transportation. He will also be playing some tunes after.

Born & raised in Nova Scotia, Zac Crouse taught himself to play bass guitar and sing at the same time; as a means of avoiding depression while working in Oklahoma. Zac is currently working on his 1st solo album, a collection of acoustic pop songs about ladies, politics and adventure. Most of the songs were written on uke (it fits in the back of a sea kayak), but are performed with banjo, bass, and drums. “The world does not need another guitar player.

Zac has been paddling canoes & kayaks for most of his life. He participates in whitewater play boating, creeking, sea kayak expeditions, & open canoe. Zac has paddled class IV & V creeks & rivers throughout Canada, the USA, Mexico & Uganda. www.zaccrouse.com

Monica is a bundle of energy wrapped up in a warm blanket of enthusiasm.  Monica has been devoted to the challenging and restorative benefits of yoga for 11 years and has been sharing her knowledge as a teacher for the past four years. Monica continues to study, train and practice with amazing local Teachers and Master Teachers whenever possible. She finds much joy in sharing the power of yoga with others and finds particular satisfaction teaching yoga classes to teens who have addictions and mental health issues. Monica, a Registered Holistic Nutritional Consultant, believes in treating the body as a whole, paying attention to what you consume, how you exercise and how you feed your soul.  She runs city streets and rugged trails, kayaks whitewater and spends as much time outdoors as possible

Monica Lynns- (Halifax, NS - Canada) Yoga Session Leader

Trudy was first introduced to kayaking in high school where she competed in K1 and K4 competitions. Although the urge to get on the water never left her, it wasn’t until 2004 that she discovered the exciting possibilities of sea kayaking.  A natural coach, Trudy has motivated and mentored fellow kayakers in a recreational capacity since 2004. She has accreditations with both Paddle Canada and British Canoe Union, and enjoys kayak surfing, rock hopping and learning new skills. Trudy is an enthusiastic instructor for the Committed 2 the Core coaching team. She paddles year round and dreams of the day when she can quit her real job and kayak full time.

Trudy Killam - (Dartmouth, NS ) Sea Kayak Coach

Jeff started sea kayaking in 1998 and hasn’t looked back since.  He loves to paddle, whether it is in a canoe, going down a river or paddling a sea kayak on the coast of Newfoundland.  Jeff is a graduate of Acadia University’s Outdoor Recreation program and is a Level 3 Sea Kayaker, and holds instructor certifications in Intermediate Lake Water Canoeing Tandem and Solo, Advanced Canoe Tripping and Level 1 Sea Kayak Skills .In his professional life, Jeff has been teaching in the Adventure Tourism/Outdoor Recreation program at the College of the North Atlantic in Corner Brook, since 2004, where he instructs lake water canoeing, canoe tripping and sea kayaking.

Jeff  Martin- (Corner Brook, NL ) Sea Kayak Coach

Originally from England, James began his kayaking days playing in the surf on Compton Beach, Isle of Wight, England 12 years ago. He started learntokayak.ca in 2008 with his partner Dympna and has now been teaching kayaking for six years. Kayak surfing is James’ passion and Greenland rolling is how he relaxes. Learntokayak.ca hosts Ontario Greenland Camp every year in Muskoka, ON where they bring in leading Greenland instructors from both the US and Greenland.  As well as rolling them James is also passionate about building skin on frame Qajaqs and Greenland paddles. He is a PC Level Four paddler, Level Three Instructor and Level One Instructor trainer.

James Roberts- (Parry Sound, ON ) Sea Kayak / Greenland padding

For Dympna there’s nothing more fun than laying in static brace watching the clouds float by overhead. She discovered the joy of Greenland rolling through the enthusiasm of her partner James and is now almost as comfortable upside down as she is right side up. She is the co-owner of learntokayak.ca and together with James they run Ontario Greenland Camp, Canada’s largest Greenland kayaking event. Dympna is also a Level Three Paddler, a Level Two Instructor and a Level One Instructor trainer. Dympna takes particular pride and enjoyment in finding the student whose is struggling and helping them to relax through laughter to gain confidence on the water

Dympna Hayes- (Parry Sound, ON ) Sea Kayak / Greenland paddling