Paddling The Blue Podcast

#158 - Kayaking Madagascar: Chasing the Mangoky Source to Sea with Oscar Scafidi

Oscar Scafidi is a schoolteacher turned explorer specializing in Africa. Oscar joins today’s episode to share his expedition to kayak Madagascar’s Mangok River from source to sea. Oscar describes the months of planning, the grueling approach to the source, and the challenges of navigating largely unexplored river sections.
Today's episode covers heavy portages, unpredictable terrain, local guides and communities, wildlife encounters (lemurs, crocodiles and more), and the logistics of carrying a Klepper folding kayak. Oscar also discusses the Guinness World Record process, fundraising for the charity Our Kids, Our Future Madagascar, and his related book and documentary.
 
Kayaking the Mangoky (Amazon)
Kayaking the Mangoky (YouTube)
KayakingtheMangoky.com
Kayaking the Kwanza (YouTube)
Kayaking the Kwanza (Amazon)
Klepper
Mangoky River
Remove River Expeditions
Our kids our future Madagascar
 
 
 

#157 - How a class project packrafting in Nepal led to a kayak career with Alex Lalonde

Alex Lalonde joins today's episode of the Paddling the Blue podcast to talk about about his path from packrafting whitewater rivers in Nepal to taking over the iconic Body Boat Blade instruction and guiding company. Alex shares stories from a 40-day Nepal expedition, favorite paddles and venues in the Pacific Northwest, and the challenges of reopening a specialty paddle shop.
Karnali river
Burrows Island
Allan Island (private, permission required to visit)
Deception Pass
Cypress Island
Matia Island
Sucia Island
Patos Island
Body Boat Blade International
Instagram
 

#156 - Paddlesports Coaching and Kayaking the Bahamas with Nigel featuring Eila Wilkinson

Welcome to today's episode of the Paddling the Blue, featuring guest Eila Wilkinson
In this episode Eila discusses her coaching philosophy, Paddle UK pathways and qualifications, the importance of using your feet and core in kayaking, and dramatic expedition stories including surf, rescues and navigation challenges in the Bahamas.
Eila Wilkinson Sea Kayaking
Andros Island
Wolf's Kayaking Club - Bahamas

#155 - Paddling Florida's Great Calusa Blueway: Mangroves, Mounds & Manatees with Mike Hammond

Mike Hammond oversees the Great Calusa Blueway, a nearly 200 mile paddling trail in Florida’s Lee County.  Mike joins today’s episode to talk about the area’s fascinating indigenous history, its interesting utopian history, the beauty of the trail, and why this might be your next paddling destination. 
Highlights include the region’s unique subtropical wildlife (manatees, dolphins, shorebirds), the Calusa people and shell mounds like Mound Key, the Koreshan historic site, protected mangrove tunnels, safety considerations, volunteer stewardship, and inclusive outreach programs.
Great Calusa Blueway: https://www.leegov.com/parks/Blueway
About the Calusa Tribe: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/earth-systems/blog/tell-me-about-the-calusa-tribe/
Who were the Koreshans?: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koreshan_Unity

#154 - Multi-modal solo kayaking and cycling on the US west coast and the Inside Passage with Katrin Tomanek

In this episode Katrin Tomanek describes how she moved from climbing to kayaking and developed a style of multiimodal trips that combine sea kayaking and cycling to minimize driving. She shares how she learned skills, used careful planning and spreadsheets, and progressed from local trips to big expeditions.
Katrin recounts standout journeys including a foggy, remote Lost Coast outing, a 52‑day mostly-solo paddle through the Inside Passage, and a counterclockwise circumnavigation of Vancouver Island that finished with a bike ride across the island. She discusses navigation in fog, wildlife encounters, food and gear choices, and how solo days and unexpected social connections shaped her experience.
Enjoy today’s discussion of learning  and discovery!
Connect:
Blog: Grumpy Kat
Resources:
Inside: One Woman’s Journey through the Inside Passage by Susan Conrad
Wildly Inside: A Visual Journey Through the Inside Passage by Susan Conrad
California Coastal Records Project aerial photography
Katrin's planning spreadsheet

#153 - Kayaking Dominica's Waitukubuli Sea Trail with Wes Moses

Wes Moses operates the Soufriere Outdoor Center in Dominica. Wes joins the show today to talk about the Waitukubuli Sea Trail in Dominica — a 66 km sea kayaking route that highlights volcanic landscapes, sulfur baths, sea arches, snorkeling sites, and vibrant Creole villages. If you’re interested in paddling a Caribbean blue sea with warm water, rugged mountains spilling to the coast, sea arches, and unique foods, this might be the place for you.
Soufriere Outdoor Center: www.soc-dom.com
Paddle TV on YouTube: Paddle TV Dominica
Blog: Lori Does The Thing - Dominica
Time Magazine: Worlds Greatest Places
Instagram SOC: @soufrieroutdoorcentre  
Instagram Wes: @mrweskayak
 

#152 - Kayaks, Kiviak & Ketosis: A 3,200 km Greenland Experiment with Paddling Chef Mike Keen

Paddling Chef Mike Keen shares his solo 3,200‑km kayak journey up the west coast of Greenland, where he lived on a traditional Greenlandic Inuit diet of seal, whale, fish and fermented foods while researchers tracked his health and microbiome.
In this episode of the Paddling the Blue podcast, we discuss his preparation, camping and paddling challenges, surprising physical results, the role of fermentation in food preservation, and ongoing scientific follow‑up — all framed by vivid Arctic landscapes and encounters with local hunters.
Eat your environment
Mike Keen (Instagram)

#151 - Breaking Waves & Records: Billy Butler's Kayak Endurance Push

Endurance paddler Billy Butler joins today's episode to talk about his transition from rivers to sea kayaking, recent record-setting performances, and the training and preparation behind them.
The episode covers highlights like the Isle of Wight and Anglesey circumnavigations, a North Sea crossing, upcoming plans including surf ski competitions, and practical lessons for touring and expedition paddlers.
Performance Sea Kayak (Search Billy Butler)
Paddlecast

#150 - Kayaking the Inside Passage single use plastic free and Yukon source to sea with Lucy Graham

Lucy Graham is today's guest on the Paddling the Blue podcast.
Lucy fostered a love for outdoor and environmental education and guiding programs early on and that led her to undertake the trip of a lifetime along the Inside Passage. She and her friend Mathilde added a twist, making the trip single-use plastic free.  In today's episode, we talk about that trip and her follow up source to sea solo of the Yukon by canoe.  
Passage Adventures
The Film - Changing Tides
 
 

#149 - Sea Kayaking Oman 3165 with Mark Evans

Today’s episode with Mark Evans is a bit backward from our other episodes. Normally we talk about a trip that has already happened. Well, this one hasn’t happened yet and is about to kick off.  Mark Evans brings a vast adventure pedigree, from crossing Greenland, a year in Svalbard, teaching in Africa, and retracing famous routes overland through Africa.  His latest exploration is a second attempt at paddling the coastline of Oman, a country not known for kayaking but surprisingly rugged by land and rich in water.
The trip combines expedition paddling with science and education: eDNA sampling, hydrophone recordings, daily podcast updates, VR 360° imagery and classroom outreach. Mark explains support logistics and the coastal landscapes and challenges he expects to face.
Listeners can follow the journey and access podcasts, live tracking and resources at oman3165.com and via the Oman 3165 podcast feed.