About Us

James Roberts

Born on the Isle of Wight just off the south coast of England, James grew up in and around the water and can’t imagine his life without it. James’ first kayaking experiences were the eight years he spent surf kayaking in the English Channel. James became certified and worked as a carpenter/joiner but spent all of his free time in his kayak, riding the waves alongside his surf buddies.

Although James loved the rural beauty of the Isle of Wight, he had visited Canada many times as a child and felt drawn to come and explore a life here. Thanks to his dual citizenship he immigrated to Canada in 2003. He attended Algonquin College one year later. Graduating with honors as an Adventure Naturalist there was only one path he wanted to travel and that was the way of the paddle. For the last four years, James has guided countless trips on Lake Superior. James is still happiest playing in the waves and now enjoys mastering new Greenland rolls as well. He’s combined his two skills and has recently started building custom Greenland paddles. James has achieved his Level 3 kayaking skills, Level 2 Instructor, Wilderness First Aid Responder and is an AESKO certified great lake sea kayak guide.

Dympna Hayes

Dympna bought her first kayak in 2001 and began her time in a kayak as a weekend warrior. Working in the corporate world, hauling back and forth on the Go Train into Toronto each day, she dreamed of getting out of the office and into her kayak. Her dream trip was to paddle Pukaskwa National Park on Lake Superior but knew she needed to improve her skills.

She began improving her paddling skills through Paddle Canada courses. She is currently a Level Three paddler and Level two instructor. She took her Wilderness Advanced First Aid Training and AESKO Guides Training then proceeded to certify as a Paddle Canada instructor. Along the way she somehow convinced herself she could make a living at it, so she left her job in the city and never looked back! She began guiding trips on Georgian Bay and has also had the opportunity to guide the Pukaskwa section of Lake Superior she had always dreamed of paddling.

Dympna is also a Yoga Alliance certified yoga instructor so don’t be surprised if you do a few yoga postures before settling into your kayak.

Dympna takes particular pride and enjoyment in finding the student whose is struggling and helping them to relax through laughter and gain some confidence. Her main goal is to give her students the paddling skills and outdoor skills they need to paddle their own dream trips. Dympna loves to kayak, loves tripping, and truly enjoys the privilege of introducing anyone to the joy of kayaking.

Brett Kril

On a day trip with his family, in July of 2003, an unsuspecting Brett climbed into a kayak for the first time. Scorned by the guide for paddling ahead and leaving the group, Brett realized he was hooked. Within a matter of months he had bought a kayak and taken a couple of courses to gain some preliminary skills. A few months later he upgraded his first kayak to another, than another, and another. The local paddling shop staff took notice of his interest and offered him a job.

Over the next four years, he spent his time between York University, studying for a bachelor of environmental studies degree, and The Complete Paddler, working in sales, repairs, and instruction.

Brett’s interest in traditional Greenland kayaking was ignited in 2005 when he first learned a standard layback roll using a Greenland paddle. From there he delved into Greenland Inuit history, rope gymnastics (Qajaasaarneq), paddle construction, and boat design. He has twice traveled to Michigan for the QajaqUSA training camp (2006 & 2008) learning from top North American Greenland instructors including Dubside, Turner Wilson, and Cherry Perry.

Brett has been teaching Greenland kayak lessons for the last three years. This is complimented by his status as a certified teacher with the Ontario College of Teachers.

In teaching Greenland kayaking skills, Brett’s focus is on providing direction through an understanding of the basic dynamics of how the rolls work. He works on a one on one basis to optimize the student’s understanding of the techniques and improving their skills.

Brett’s passion for kayaking is clear and contagious; he not only ensures that you further develop your own skills, but more importantly that you have fun in the process.

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 03 November 2009 20:44 )