Beyond The Eddy Line podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Today’s guest is a true play boater at heart. Chessy Knight, from Squamish, BC, is a Paddle Canada rolling instructor with a deep love for Greenland paddle techniques. In this episode, we talk about boat fitting, her favorite Greenland paddle, and how she brings those rolling skills into dynamic water.

In our very first episode, we’re joined by Spencer Jones — a rough-water sea kayaker known throughout the paddling community for pushing boundaries in some of the most powerful tidal conditions on the planet.

Spencer has become especially recognized for his feats at Skookumchuck Narrows in British Columbia, Canada — a world-class tidal rapid where, during the biggest tides of the year, a massive standing wave forms.

Paddling Skookumchuck demands precision, confidence, and deep respect for the ocean’s power, and Spencer has built a reputation for meeting that challenge head-on.

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In this episode I’m joined by J.F. Marleau, co-owner of SKILS https://skils.ca/ on Vancouver Island, now semi-retired after more than two decades of teaching and leading paddlers on big, advanced expeditions.

J.F. has spent over 20 years teaching coursed and taking paddlers into remote, powerful environments, pushing limits and embracing the realities of true wilderness travel. In this conversation he shares stories from some of his most extreme expeditions like Haida Gwaii and Antarctica where you’re no longer at the top of the food chain—and why that challenge keeps calling him back.

*This is the first of a 3 part conversation I recorded with J.F. who, at the time (December 2025), was on lighthouse relief duty at Nootka Island adding an extra layer of perspective from one of the most remote stretches of the BC coast.

In this second part of my conversation with J.F. Marleau, we talk about his role as a lighthouse relief keeper, while he and his partner were stationed at the Nootka Island Lighthouse.

Along the BC coast, there are 27 active staffed lighthouses, and J.F. shares what that responsibility really looks like. The daily weather observations that being report so vessels of all kinds, including kayakers, rely on for safe travel, repair and maintenance.

There isn’t much kayaking during this kind of duty, but there’s no shortage of storms and wildlife. J.F. shares stories from life on some of the lighthouses where he has served on duty.

Happy new year Paddlers!

In the third part of my conversation with J.F. Marleau, we explore what it means to live as sustainably as possible. He shares how fishing, foraging, hunting, and harvesting have become an essential part of his life.

He also explains key considerations for fishing while kayaking and his best recipe for cooked seaweed. This episode brings the conversation full circle, grounding expedition paddling in respect for place, resources, and self-reliance.

Kayak fishing course and trips: https://skils.ca/kayak-fishing/

My guest, Annelisa Pedersen, offers a unique approach to paddling development.

As a kayak instructor, classical musician, and somatic movement teacher, she helps paddlers build strength, stability, and mobility through deeper body awareness. In this episode we explore how sensory awareness and refined technique can help paddlers build confidence and move more fluidly. Annelisa provides some ideas for a dry land practice for paddlers.

Susan Marie Conrad is a long distance adventure kayaker who solo paddled the Inside Passage twice!

Each expedition: Nearly 2,000 km in 78 days.

Susan followed her hero, Audrey Sutherland who paddled this route 3 times, last one when she was 82 years old. What an inspirational story.

In this episode, Susan shares how her relationship with nature looks like the “Beauty and the Beast” . From waiting through the night to see if the tide would claim her tent, to a close encounter with a mother grizzly and all the fabulous view and wild life in between .

If you enjoy stories of self-reliance, respect for nature, and what is truly means to travel beyond the eddyline, this episode is for you.

More info about Susan and the books she wrote can be found here: https://www.susanmarieconrad.com/

If the sound of current flooding -in excites you and the word “narrows” sparks visions of big possibilities, this episode is for you.

Meet "The Swell Pirates". Five young skilled paddlers who came together to push their limits and support one another in dynamic water. Their favorite playgrounds include Surge Narrows, Okisollo Channel’s standing wave, and Ucluelet. My guest, Caelin Harris, explains what it takes both physically and mentally to build skills, gain confidence, and learn how to "thrive rather than just survive".

www.youtube.com/@SwellPirates

Wildlife is a big part of our experience on the water — often heard before it’s ever seen.

In this episode, we tune into the sounds of the coast with the help of Roy Jantzen, as we explore the voices of the wild that surround us while paddling.

Roy spent his career as an educator in marine tourism, natural history, ecotourism, and climate change in tourism. He is also the author of several books, including Wildlife Weekends in Southern British Columbia, a guide to discovering the region’s rich natural life.

Join us for a listening journey into the rhythms, calls, and stories of the wildlife that make every day on the water unforgettable.

https://rmbooks.com/products/wildlife-weekends-in-southern-british-columbia?srsltid=AfmBOortC6G5oWkjnhoJ2zomYRX7N00m97qG_hRRzyHQyEHIZLxvXKaN

My returned guest is Annelisa Pedersen. She is a Paddle Canada Level 4 paddler, a rolling instructor, and a classical musician. She loves surf and dynamic water, and that’s exactly where she wants her students to feel comfortable. She’s back to share her insights on how to choose the right instructor for your paddling journey and why it is important when learning technical skills.