I started whitewater kayaking at the age of 12, after going on a 7 day family canoe trip on the Whanganui River in New Zealand at the age of 11. I loved the river, although I wanted my independence and longed to kayak.  My uncle took me along to some pool sessions with the local whitewater club where I learned to roll, and that was it. I was hooked.

I was soon paddling technical rivers on the weekends and playing Competitive Kayak Polo at school.  I also dabbled a bit in surf ski racing, though it was the fun of running rivers and surfing waves that had me hooked.

I headed to University to train as an outdoor instructor and guide, and I was soon teaching whitewater skills and guiding rafts in the summer breaks.  A complicated shoulder injury lead me to sea kayaking in my early 20’s as a form of rehabilitation, and opened my eyes to a new form of paddling and a “profession change.” Since then I have worked as a sea kayak guide and instructor all over the world for over 14 years, having also led some personal extended sea kayak expeditions in some pretty far out places (most notably the first Circumnavigation of Svalbard Archipelago Norway by Sea kayak in 2015, with Tara Mulvany and PG Porsanger). Currently my favorite trips to guide are in Antarctica and up in the Arctic, though my heart never strays far from the Johnston Straight in BC, Canada and the stunning magnitude of wildlife there (including hundreds of Orca).

I hold qualifications in numerous international bodies, Level 3 Sea Kayak Guide with the Sea kayak Guides Alliance of British Columbia (SKGABC), Trained British Canoeing 5 Star Sea leader, Coastal Guide Trainer for the International Sea Kayak Guides Association (ISKGA), Paddle Canada Advanced Canoe Tripping Instructor.

I love the feel and challenge of dynamic water; it is what got me hooked to whitewater originally and why I still paddle on rivers today, however in the ocean you can find features that rival any class 5 run on a river, and the surf… well who doesn’t like to surf? I am a big believer that whitewater makes you a strong paddler, though paddling long boats makes you think more. Combine them, and strive to master both, and you open a huge world of possibility in all realms of paddling.

On top of kayaking I’m an adventurer at heart, indulging in all forms of adventure as well as being a semi-pro photographer (with images appearing in numerous kayak magazines) and short film maker, all this while still leading group adventure trips all over the world.