Some of the top names in kayaking will be joining us for this very special event!

Nigel Foster: An exceptionally talented kayak instructor, Nigel holds the highest level of British Canoe Union Coach award in both sea kayaking and kayak surfing. He has been teaching both to kayakers of all levels for nearly 30 years, as well as leading expeditions all over the world. Among his more noteworthy accomplishments are the first circumnavigation of Iceland and the first solo crossing of the Hudson Strait. Nigel has written several excellent instructional manuals and has a comprehensive 10 part video series in production! His elegant kayak and paddle designs are currently produced by Seaward Kayaks. Nigel claims to live in Seattle, but seems to spend most of his time traveling about the country promoting the sport and teaching his graceful style to paddlers everywhere.
Steve Maynard : Steve has been sea kayaking in the UK, Europe, and North America for the last 15 years. He is one of the few people world wide to have qualified as a British Canoe Union (BCU) Level 5 Coach Sea and Level 5 Assessor Sea.  This is regarded internationally as the highest level of qualification for teaching, guiding, and assessing skills in sea kayaking.  He is also an American Canoe Association (ACA) Advanced Open Water Instructor and qualified in a variety of other kayak and mountain sports.  Steve is the head kayak instructor for the Adirondack Experience and Expeditionary Studies Program at SUNY - Plattsburgh. He is also East Coast RCO for BCUNA
Brent Reitz: Brent has 6 national titles in Wildwater and Marathon kayak racing. He competed nationally and internationally for 10 years before turning his focus to coaching. Brent has taken his many years of racing experience and developed effective coaching techniques that allow the average kayaker to experience the benefits of an efficient stroke that racers have long enjoyed. Both in person and through his excellent video ("The Brent Reitz Forward Stroke Clinic"), Brent has taught hundreds of recreational kayakers to paddle faster and longer with less effort and less chance of injury. Whether you've been paddling for years, or are just getting started, everyone can improve their forward stroke!
Jennifer Kleck: BCU 5 Star Sea, 4 Star Surf, Level-5 Sea Coach / A1* Assessor, ACA Coastal Kayak Instructor and President of Aqua Adventures Kayak Center in San Diego. Jen is the FIRST American to achieve the Level 5 Coach award in the British Canoe Union and is one of only 5 women world-wide who hold the award! Jen loves the challenge of dynamic, moving water whether it be ocean swell and surf, tidal currents, or rivers, and is passionate about sharing the sport of kayaking with others in all it's varied forms.
Russell Farrow: Russell is a partner in Sweetwater Kayaks in Tampa, Florida. He is a Level 3 BCU Coach, an A3 coach assessor, and 5 Star Trainee. In addition to sea kayaking, his outdoor background includes mountain biking and climbing. These sports have taken him all over the world; Scotland, France, Switzerland, Canada, Andorra, Spain, Morocco, Hawaii, and North America. Most recently, Russell has paddled down the northeast coast of Labrador (some call it one of the most challenging coastlines in the world) and Croatia. Among Russell's many talents, he is also a professional musician and you will find him jamming around the campfire Saturday night with our local talent. As lead guitarist, Russell has appeared on Saturday Night Live and many other stages. Russell recently won the Immersion Research contest "Vacation To Hell". For his efforts, he and 3 friends get an all expense paid kayak trip to the arctic this summer! Ask him about it!
Jean Totz: President of Sweetwater Kayaks, Jean is also the Director of the Florida Gulf Coast International Sea Kayak Symposium at Sweetwater Kayaks. Jean received her Level 3 BCU Coach Award and 5 star training at Nigel Dennis' Anglesey Sea and Surf Center in Holyhead Wales. Jean has paddled whitewater and had a taste of what surfing is all about, but her passion is open water kayaking; "Experiencing the dynamics of the sea along with the wind, waves, and current from a kayak is exhilarating and challenging.". In addition to kayaking, Jean enjoys gardening, homemaking, beading, inline skating and running. In her previous life, she practiced dental hygiene for 12 years. She is married Greg, who is a police Lt. and her business partner.
Sean Morley

Sean Morley: A transplant from Great Britain, Sean now lives in the Bay Area where the waves are better! Sean grew up racing kayaks in the UK 30 years ago and once circumnavigated Great Britain, including all of the wee outlying islands like St. Kilda. He is a current World Champion kayak surfer, new Dad, and rep for Valley Kayaks, Kokatat, and other quality products. Basically, he can do it all! Join him for a surf session, or find him on the demo beach - you're sure to learn something new or hear a great story.

Photo to come. You'll recognize her by her southern drawl!

Marsha Hensen : Marsha co-owns Sea Kayak Georgia on Tybee Island with Ronnie where she paddles among the marsh grasses and surfs in "The Triangle". Marsha is a fine naturalist and gifted painter who embraces her roles as guide, instructor and extended trip coordinator with the same dedication as her art. Her easygoing nature and love of kayaking make her a favorite with groups of knowledge-thirsty students on forays to Little Tybee and Cumberland Islands. She is an ACA Open Water Instructor and a BCU Coach 3 Trainee.
Photo to come. You'll recognize him by his southern drawl! Ronnie Kemp : Ronnie co-owns Sea Kayak Georgia on Tybee Island with Marsha and tries to spend as little time "off-island" as possible! Born in a canoe on the Ohoopee River, Ronnie has had one leg in the water ever since. He loves to lead overnight trips to the Everglades, Okefenokee Swamp and Cumberland and Little Tybee islands, where he prepares culinary feasts in his Dutch oven. Ronnie is an ACA Open Water Instructor Trainer with enough patience and empathy to float an armada of kayaks, and a BCU Coach 3.
 

Mike Franklin

Mike Franklin: Mike is a photo editor at the San Diego Union Tribune and an avid kayaker. Many of the wonderful photos on this website were taken by him and he hones both his kayaking skills and photography skills on Aqua Adventures Kayak Center trips. His kayaking photos have appeared in Canoe & Kayak Magazine and the San Diego Reader. Mike will be sharing tricks of the trade for capturing great images while kayaking.
 
 

Contact us at:
E-mail:

Southwest Kayak Symposium
C/O Aqua Adventures Kayak Center
1548 Quivira Way
San Diego, CA 92109
Phone: (619) 523-9577
Fax: (619) 523-9579