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.

*Follow the podcast for upcoming episodes

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.

What does real risk management look like when planning a kayak trip?

In this episode, we explore how to identify, prevent, and manage risks — from the early planning stages to decisions made on the water and even back on land. Preparation, sound judgment, and responsibility are at the heart of every successful trip.

My guest Mike Gilbert, recognized as one of Canada’s top sea kayak instructors. With over 15 years of experience as an instructor, coach, and guide, Mike has paddled across most provinces and territories in Canada, as well as in the United States, Mexico, Iceland, and New Zealand.

Today, Mike consults in corporate risk management through Paçantic Risk Management Corporation, and during the warmer months he teaches and guides along Canada’s beautiful — and challenging — West Coast.

We used two rescues examples from YouTube:

https://youtu.be/pPimFg65HX4?si=jFGlginkfdG27UiV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG_3U3U5jqE&t=2s

“The Tiny Little Needle” known as Deception Pass in Washington, will truly test your technique and your connection to the boat.

In this episode, Chessy Knight breaks down the magic and mechanics of Deception Pass. Along a constantly shifting eddy line wedged between the rip current and the boiling water lies a dynamic playground for skilled paddlers.

Chessy shares how she plays in giant whirlpools instead of fighting them, and offers practical tips for moving confidently through powerful, ever changing water.

You can find her short movie about Deception Pass here below.

This conversation is all about precision, flow, and learning to feel at home in the chaos of moving water.

#chessyknight

#MasikRolling

#deceptionpass

#kayakingindynamic

How do you turn goals into real progress on the water?

In this episode, Mike Gilbert returns to talk about paddler development and the power of intentional practice. With more than 15 years as a sea kayak guide and instructor, and nearly half that time serving as President of Paddle Canada, where he helped shape and develop national training programs.

In this episode he shares what it really takes to improve as a paddler, how to practice with purpose.

#seakayaking

#paddlecanada

In this episode, Daryl Spencer has taken the Level 3 course three times. In our conversation he shares how each experience was different. Now on the path to becoming a Level 3 instructor himself, Daryl also offers practical advice for paddlers who are considering taking the course.

Unlike Levels 1 and 2, where paddlers are introduced to new skills, Level 3 expects participants to arrive with a solid foundation of knowledge and ability. According to Paddle Canada - Just around 15% of those who passed level 2 moved on to level 3 . The course focuses on applying those skills in more dynamic conditions.

1. Paddle Canada Courses Delivered in 2025;

(Data provided by paddle Canada)

Basic Sea Kayaking Skills - 212 courses (838 participants)

Level 1 Sea Kayak Skills - 323 courses (1440 participants)

Level 2 Sea Kayak Skills - 108 courses (481 participants)

Level 3 Sea Kayak Skills - 20 courses (84 participants)

Level 4 Sea Kayak Skills - 4 courses (20 participants)

Level 3 Sea Kayak Instructor - 3 courses

Level 4 Sea Kayak Instructor - 2 courses

Designed and built in the heart of the Inside Passage on Quadra Island, BC, "Nimbus Paddles" shaped by the waters they’re meant to paddle. This boutique paddle maker owned by Rob Bender, and Damon Stapinsky.

In this episode, Rob joins me to explore how paddling styles have evolved, how to match a paddle to the paddler and their style of paddling, and the question many paddlers face: is the paddle we want always the paddle we actually need?

Not many boutique, handcrafted boat builders are still around. One of them has been doing it for over 50 years on the west coast of Canada.

On Quadra Island, Steve Schleicher of Rainforest Designs Ltd is the mind and hands behind Nimbus kayaks. In this episode, he joins me with Rob Bender of Nimbus Paddles to share insights into their newest boat design coming out this spring.

A special thank you to Kathy, Don, Lynda, and Ken for sharing which Nimbus boats they paddle and why they love them.

https://www.nimbuskayaks.com/products.htm

Thomas Bechmann from the island of Fyn in Denmark, moved to Greenland for a year to gain experience paddling one of the most remote stretches of the Greenlandic coast. He paddled for 2 months, about 1600 kilometers from Assissut to Sisimiut.

In this episode, he shares lessons from his solo expedition: What to do when the wind pulls you under the ice, why walruses are wary of white paddles, what happens when polar bears miss their ride on drifting ice, and even what to do with leftover caribou. This is a raw Arctic experience for kayakers.

During his expedition, Thomas listened to the same love song every day. We end this episode with that song. With gratitude to Rasmus Lyberth Greenlandic singer for allowing us to share his beautiful song “Asanaqigavit” - Because I love you .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPWifJcqZGs

In this episode we will focus on the body/blade position during different strokes and the differences between euro blade and a Greenland paddle.

To explain all that I invited Robert Nisenbaum who is a Coastal kayak and Greenland style paddling instructor based in Seattle Washington.

rnissenbaum.com

We constantly face the tension between curiosity and comfort. When do we step outside our comfort zone?

Explore or exploit?

Are you a technical or a tactical paddler?

Today’s guest is deeply interested in how paddlers make decisions.

Finn Steiner, co-owner of Skills, is based in Ucluelet on Vancouver Island, BC. A highly experienced kayak instructor and guide, Finn shares his perspective on the explore vs. exploit paradox and how it plays out on the water.

“Sea kayaking sits right in the middle of that relationship between instinct and analysis,” he says.

https://skils.ca/our-team/

To better understand communication and rescue in dynamic water, I invited back Robert Nissenbaum coastal kayak and Greenland style paddling instructor.

In this conversation, Robert breaks down how he teaches behavior in moving water, and how decision-making, technique, and communication come together when conditions become dynamic like surf, Rock Gardening and Surf.

rnissenbaum.com

“My days on the river are not done yet,” says Patricia (Pat) Jones, 72.

Pat has taken on the Yukon River Quest 3 times, completing it twice, finishing second in the women’s category both times, and becoming the oldest woman to finish the race. one if them was a flood year. Waves reached up to 2 meters, and many boats capsized along the 715 km (444-mile) course of the longest paddling race in the world.

In the last episode, she shared the story of the race she never finished. In this episode she Shares the lessons learned, saved a few people on the way and did it all over again.

Registration for the race closes May 13, 2026.

https://www.yukonriverquest.com/

The Yukon River Quest is the longest paddling race in the world.

Its 715 km (444-mile) journey from Whitehorse to Dawson City, tracing routes shaped by the Klondike Gold Rush. Racers come from around the globe, competing in categories ranging from solo paddlers to eight-person canoe teams.

My guest, Patricia (Pat) Jones, has taken on this challenge 3 times, completing the race twice and finishing second in the women’s category both times. In this episode, she shares the story of the race she didn’t finish and what it truly takes, physically, mentally, and emotionally, to face one of the most demanding river races on Earth.

Registration to the race close on May 13 2026

https://www.yukonriverquest.com/

Real learning happens outside the comfort zone. In this episode, I speak with Caroline Ross, owner of Crosscurrents Kayak on Central Vancouver Island.

Caroline specializes in sea kayak training, including dynamic and moving water courses, and teaches a unique program called underwater, composure helping paddlers build confidence and control in challenging conditions.

https://crosscurrentskayak.ca/

Large herring bait balls can still be seen along parts of the west coast of Canada and the United States. While salmon often gets most of the attention, this time of the year, herring are what truly bring the coast to life: attracting whales, sea lions, seabirds, and countless other marine species.

Roy Jantzen, author of Wildlife Weekends is back to share insights about the herring spawn, the wildlife it attracts, and some fascinating hydrophone surprises recorded beneath the surface.

Listen live to whale's sounds, BC Hydrophone Network: https://whalesound.ca/whales-and-sound/

Orca Lab: https://www.youtube.com/live/_M2WVpSzgCI

The west side of Haida Gwaii, BC, is one of the most exposed stretches of coastline in Canada.

More complex than the east coast and offering a mix of reefs, current channels, exposed headlands and tidal currents with far fewer landing options.

This 155 nautical-mile journey from Sandspit to Rose Harbour demands strong skills, careful planning.

My returning guest, Finn Steiner, co-owner of SKILS, shares how he is preparing for his 16 days solo expedition to Haida Gwaii this summer beside taking a 3 pieces kayak and a camera.

https://skils.ca

Personal goals are what drive us to improve, grow, and get better.

Caroline Ross of Crosscurrents Kayak, lives in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island and has set a personal goal to circumnavigate 40 small islands.

So far, she has paddled 186.27 nautical miles (344.97 km). In this episode, she shares the challenges and highlights of this ongoing journey.

https://crosscurrentskayak.ca/

Known for his skill and experience in dynamic coastal environments, Rowan Jones Pardy believes:

"Rock gardening is the intersection where skills, technique, and energy meet."

Growing up on the west coast of Vancouver Island, Rowan is a sea kayak guide and instructor who learned to paddle before he learned to walk.

In this episode, we explore what it takes to paddle confidently in and around rocks.