Paddling The Blue Podcast

Jon Dawkins - Searching for Kayak Bill and exploring the Outer Coast of British Columbia

Jon Dawkins received some advice from a friend that may surprise you that has led him to some of the best places on the outer coast of British Columbia as he explores the region one segment at a time. Along the way, he is also searching for a local legend affectionately named Kayak Bill. We’ll talk about all that in today’s episode.
Connect:
3MeterSwell
Facebook
Instagram
Resources:
Looking for Kayak Bill, by Neil Frazer (3MeterSwell)
Kayak Bill-A Requiem (3MeterSwell, originally appeared in Sea Kayaker Magazine, October 2005)
Blue Highways of the Inside Passage (3MeterSwell)
Randel Washburne's articles about his cabin building activities and the Burnett Bay cabin journals from 1985 – 2009
Triquet Island and Burnett Bay
Burnett Bay and Deserters
Burnet Bay Cabin Journals
To Be A Warrior: The Adventurous Life and Mysterious Death of Billy Davidson, by Brandon Pullan
John Kimantas books (Wild Coast series, Wild Places, BC Coast Explorer, BC Atlas, Vancouver Island Recreation Guide)
BC Marine Trails Association
Port Hardy to Klemtu (YouTube)

Cristi Manea AKA Lownlee Kayak - Building and learning from an online kayak community

Cristi Manea is someone you probably know, but whose name you probably haven’t heard.  Cristi started his paddling journey four years ago and in that time he has learned a lot from the online community and stepped up to build one of the largest online paddling communities in Facebook. We’ll talk today about how that process has made a Lownlee kayaker a happy kayaker.
Connect:
Solo Kayaking (Facebook)
Sea Kayak Surfing (Facebook)
Kayak Camping and Expeditioning (Facebook)
Learn:
Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park
Bay of Fundy
Georgian Bay
Bruce Peninsula
Lonely island 
Tobermory
And, speaking of online communities,
James and Simon at onlineseakayaking.com continue to produce great content to help you evolve as a paddler, and as a coach.   Everything from basic strokes and safety to paddling in tides, surfing, coaching, documentaries, and their latest addition, expedition skills and incident management. It’s all in one place. And, they've just announced their new partnership with P&H Sea Kayaks, another great supporter of Paddling the Blue and for whom I am also a Team Paddler. If you’re not already a subscriber to Onlineseakayaking.com, here’s your opportunity to get started. Visit onlineseakayaking.com and use the coupon code PTBPODCAST at checkout and you’ll get 10% just for being a member of the Paddling the Blue community.
Enjoy today’s episode with Cristi Manea, AKA Loenlee Kayak!

#115 - Eileen Murphy - Leading the way through slalom, marathon racing, and sea kayaking

Today I have the pleasure of talking with Eileen Murphy for a fascinating conversation. Eileen has led an incredible paddling career through many phases, from hitchhiking across Europe for slalom races, to marathon racing in Australia, to sea kayaking Ireland and beyond. So many great stories to share!
Contact Eileen
Shearwater Sea Kayaking
Liffey Descent
 
Thanks again to our partners at Online Sea Kayaking for extending a special offer to you. 
Visit Onlineseakayaking.com. Enter the code PTBPODCAST at checkout and get 10% off, just for being a member of the Paddling the Blue community. 
 

#114 - Conny Bell - A Truly Superior Circumnavigation

Conny Bell joins today’s episode of the Paddling the Blue podcast to talk about her 57-day circumnavigation of Lake Superior.  She shares her experience on this voyage of self-discovery, overcoming personal challenges, and describes how the lake changes as you make your way around.  It’s an inspiring tale that makes you want to start planning for your own trip. 
Learn:
Lake Superior map
What are Agates?
Crisp Point Lighthouse
Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
Pukawska National Park
Lake Superior Provincial Park
Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Grand Sable Dunes
Wilderness Inquiry
Such a Nice Day Adventures
Naturally Superior Adventures
Sjana Shanning's documentation of her Lake Superior trip (Mentor to Conny)
Richardson's Lake Superior Chart Book & Cruising Guide (Maptech)
Connect:
Facebook
IG: @authentic_imperfection 
Email

#113 - Jim Kennedy - Bioluminescence, seaweed and Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way

Jim Kennedy is another legend in the Irish paddling world and he joins us today to talk about his racing days, his love for the Wild Atlantic Way, bioluminescence, seaweed, and how paddling keeps him grounded.
Atlantic Sea Kayaking
Wild Atlantic Way
About West Cork
Skibbereen Rowing Club

#112 - Amber Champion - Leaping squid, kindness, and a passion for kayaking

Today I am joined Amber Champion. Amber burst on to the paddling scene a few years ago and quickly ascended to become known as one of the top coaches in the Paddle Canada system. In this episode, she shares how a leaping squid, a lot of hard work, and a big helping of being a good human brought her from intern to owner.
 
Learn
Blue Dog Kayaking
Amazon Canoe Challenge
Amber takes on the Amazon
New Era blog
Connect
Amber on InstagramBlue Dog on Instagram

#111 - Alison French-Fun with flapjacks, a carnival, and Sea Kayak Plockton

Today I am joined by Alison French. Alison runs Sea Kayak Plockton in Scotland. Today we talk about finding your why, the reasons you should visit the Shiants, Alison’s famous flapjack, and more. Thank you to Nick Ray from episode #101 for introducing me to Alison.
Learn:
The Shiant Isles
St. Kilda
Mingulay
Connect:
Sea Kayak Plockton
 
James and Simon at onlineseakayaking.com continue to produce great content to help you evolve as a paddler, and as a coach.   Everything from basic strokes and safety to paddling in tides, surfing, coaching, documentaries, and their latest addition, expedition skills. it’s all in one place. If you’re not already a subscriber to Onlineseakayaking.com, here’s your opportunity to get started. Visit onlineseakayaking.com and use the coupon code PTBPODCAST at checkout and you’ll get 10% off up to 12 months of your subscription investment. 
Enjoy today’s episode with Alison French!

#110 - Canoecopia 2024 - Madison, WI

Today’s episode was recorded from the show floor at the annual Canoecopia show in Madison, Wisconsin. Billed as the world’s largest paddlesports expo, Canoecopia features more than 100,000 square feet of canoes, kayaks, kit, outfitters, everything you can imagine, plus more than 100 speakers on an incredible array of topics.  I am honored to be one of those speakers and it’s one of my favorite events. Thanks to Chris Hipgrave and the entire P&H Pyranha kayaks team for making space in their booth to record this episode. 
We’ve got a great lineup of guests for today’s episode.  We’ll hear from:
Four time Olympian gold and bronze medalist Greg Barton sharing Olympic stories and what's new from Epic Kayaks
Christy Kurtz from Paddle KC on what makes their club successful
Chloe Machula from Rutabaga Paddlesports with an inside look into Canoecopia
Bruce Furrer with Werner Paddles on the origins of Werner and where they are today
David Bain with Pyranha Mouldings and we’ll hear about the new lightweight sea kayaks and the new Reactr from Pyranha
Danny Mongno from NRS talking about the culture of the company and their newest addition to the PFD world
and Stig Larsson from Level Six on their new latex free drysuit
As a reminder, if you’re not already a subscriber to onlineseakayaking.com, James and Simon keep on adding to the menu. Their latest addition is on foraging.  Visit onlineseakayaking.com and use the coupon code PTBPODCAST at checkout and you’ll get 10% off up to 12 months of your subscription investment.  
Enjoy today’s episode from Canoecopia!

#109 - Quiet Adventures Symposium - Lansing, MI

Today’s episode comes from the 29th annual Quiet Adventures Symposium in Lansing, MI.
As paddlers, when we hear symposium we often think on-water education and experiences. This is different. It’s more like a trade show with a Great Lakes emphasis, but even if you’re not from Michigan, or even the USA, I am certain that you’ll find value in hearing from today’s guests.
Our guests today include:
Andrea Graham - Verlen Kruger Legacy
Tony Pascuzzi - Qajaq USA
Stephanie Gandulla - Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Sue Bakkila - Woods and Waters Adventures
Aaron Gascoyne - Kayak Ontario
Wesley Schlenker - Naturally Superior Adventures

#108 - Ken Whiting - Whitewater Kayak World Champion to Media Star

Ken Whiting is a former world champion whitewater kayaker, author, television host, and owner of Heliconia Press, one of the world’s leading media production companies in the outdoor and travel industry.
You’ve seen Ken Whiting in the Facing Waves television program or his extensive and highly engaging YouTube presence, Paddle TV. Today you'll get to hear from him as he shares his story, what he loves about paddling, and some of his favorite places to paddle.
Connect:
Paddle TV (YouTube)
The one where the boat goes rogue
Alligators
Dominica
Okefenoke
Georgian Bay
Heliconia Press 
Facing Waves