Meet some of the Instructors and Guides who will be leading you though your course or trip, and the Companies who's products help us along the way.

We came to kayaking from completely different places in our lives but met each other from the seat of a kayak and haven’t looked back. We have made many treasured friends in kayaking through our students and fellow instructors. We’ve taught countless people to kayak; from a few over seventy year old women who couldn’t swim but were determined to kayak at the cottage whether their husbands would join them or not, to 16 year old triplet boys who we couldn’t get to stop rolling long enough to teach them a forward stroke! We’ve had too many laughs to count, and shared and heard life stories as the sun goes down that we’ll treasure forever.  We are so lucky that we are able to share the joy and exhilaration of all of our students as they achieve their dream of becoming a kayaker, and that, as they say, is priceless.

Happy Paddling!
James and Dympna

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 and North Devon. James became certified and worked as a carpenter/joiner but spent all of his free time in his kayak, riding the waves alongside his surfer mates.

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 six years, James has guided countless trips on Lake Superior, Georgian Bay and taught loads of Paddle Canada skills courses.  As well as in the surf or on beautiful wilderness beaches you may have seen him on the cover of a National Kayaking Magazine, paddling in an IMAX movie of the Great Lakes or giving his Keynote speech at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival.  James is still happiest playing in the waves and now enjoys mastering new Greenland rolls as well.  He’s combined his two skills and recently built a custom Greenland skin on frame kayak. James is a Paddle Canada Level 4 kayaking skills, Level 3 Skills 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 Paddle Canada Level Three skills, Level Two Instructor and Level 1 Instructor Trainer. She took her Wilderness Advanced First Responder 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.

 

 

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 Qajaq USA training camp (2006 & 2008) learning from top North American Greenland instructors including Dubside, Turner Wilson, and Cheri 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.  Brett is now a Level 2 skills paddler and one of our Level 1 instructors.

 

Alan Drummond

Alans first kayaking experiences were up in Cottage Country in his teens.  After taking a sabbatical for a little while he has come back to the sport with a passion. Alan is a Paddle Canada Level 3 paddler, and a Level 1 instructor. You can regularly find Alan out leading trips to, among other places, the Toronto Islands, shamelessly promoting learntokayak.ca or helping out new paddlers which is where his passion and skills lie. Alan also loves kayaking wherever his travels take him, most recently in Scotland with castles in the background and to Florida to paddle with manatees and to watch the space shuttle blast off. After taking a long time to solidify his roll, now that he has it, he HAS it!  Alan is now the king of the combat roll, try and capsize him and see what happens! :)

Todd and Sarah Fisher

 

Todd and Sarah got hooked on paddling firstly in canoes during annual pilgrimages to Algonquin park.  Eventually starting to rent kayaks instead of canoes there love flourished and they just had to buy their own.   Sarah and Todd were on the first ever Learntokayak.ca Level 1 course and have since both graduated our Level 2 skills program (Sarah while 3 months pregnant with Cole, who we gave an honorary baby level 2 award to!)  Both now Level 1 instructors they make a great team and offer plenty of laughs on and off the water.

Sophia Jambor

Sofia has been teaching Hatha yoga for 5 years. She has completed trainings in Hatha, Hot, Restorative and Anusara Yoga. Her classes are infused with an exuberant and playful nature, creating opportunities for students to overcome challenges, find acceptance and integration, and learn to act more skilfully in the face of adversity and resistance, on and off their mats. Her background includes studies in applied anatomy and physiology, multiple languages, partner yoga and Thai yoga massage. She strives to find balance between her studentship and teaching, knowing that her capacity to serve others grows from her ability to seek guidance, wisdom and peace within first. Off the mat, Sofia spends her time actively, surfing, diving and climbing in foreign lands.

Birgit Kuhle

Birgit started her paddling career from the bow of a whitewater canoe, but switched to sea kayaking when 'the ex got the canoe'.  Seakayaking has become her passion where she has taken on sea kayak instruction, guiding, and recently achieved her PC level 3 skills on beautiful Lake Superior surf. Although most of her kayaking is done on the Great Lakes, she has tripped as far south as Belize and Florida and assist guided as far east as Newfoundland. She is best known as the social convener and official photographer on trips, and is the proud owner of five kayaks ("But only for personal use, Officer!"). As a health care professional, Birgit's interest has also extended to Wilderness Medicine and a WAFA certification. She is also proud to say that she paddles year 'round in the City of Greater Sudbury, where it is not always easy to find open water (kayaking season never ends!).