About us

Originally from Ireland he is now based in Auckland New Zealand.

He is a passionate outdoors person, with a keen focus on protecting and regenerating our local environment. Daniel shares these passions through guiding and instructing clients from around the world in the waters surrounding Auckland, New Zealand. Daniel is the Operations Manager and Head Guide for Auckland Sea Kayaks.

In a previous life he worked as a site engineer for a large construction company. He found the paddle in 2015 and made the transition into the outdoor guiding/instructing industry. Learning his trade in the fjords of Norway with NJORD. He went on to spend 4 seasons guiding and instructing in the fjords of Norway.

His passion for sea kayaking and being in wild and remote places have seen him paddle and guide in some remote and stunning places in Patagonia, British Columbia, Scottish Isles, dynamic waters off the Isle of Man, fjords of Norway, Wilson’s Promontory, Australia and of course his favourite Great Barrier Island in NZ.

In July/August 2019 Daniel paddled solo around Vancouver Island, Canada in an NDK explorer and using a Celtic Pro Sea Touring 650 Paddle.

When not on the water with clients he can usually be found exploring Auckland islands and wild west coast.

Daniel holds qualifications in BCU (4* sea leader), NPF (Activity Leader), NZOIA Sea Kayak 1& Leave No Trace Master Educator, Wilderness First Responder and ISA SUP level 1 Instructor. Daniel is constantly looking to challenge and push his limits and is currently working towards higher qualifications in BC & NZOIA.

Follow Daniel’s adventure on instagram

Vancouver Island Circumnavigation Blog

I am 22 and I live in Newbiggin-By-The-Sea, Northumberland. I love the water, and in particular the sea. I have been out on the sea since I can remember; from my local sailing club I learned to enjoy the sea and to harbor a healthy respect for it.

Qualifications:

BCU UKCC 5* Sea Kayak, 4* Canoe and Kayak, 4* training Surf, Level 2 coach kayak and canoe. By this summer I hope to be updated on the coaching front with the new Level 2 and have moderate water Endorsement Sea and Canoe.

Expeditions

In 2012 myself, my brother Stuart Leslie and Friend Lee Wilson decided to start our expedition portfolio with a big trip. It was a challenge to find something that had not been done already and was within budget.
To Kayak around our country, mainland Great Britain, but to be the first to do so anti clockwise, against superstition and prevailing winds oddly took our fancy. We set out from our home town on 26th May 2012 and arrived back 96 days later. I reckon there are a few more trips in me yet but nothing to disclose just now.

Paddling Career

I started paddling at 16 when my dinghy sailing club enrolled me on a Kayaking course with the eventual goal of becoming a coach. The course took place in many crafts, in any weather, every weekend without fail but I loved it.
Thanks to my involvement with coach Tom Thomas at Wansbeck Paddlesports Club I now have a healthy list of qualifications and a host of experiences to take me forward.

Other Interests

Between 2007 and 2010 I gained invaluable experience whilst working as first mate on James Cook, a 70ft sail training vessel. I had the opportunity to lead teams of up to 16 people from all walks of life on sailing adventures to all sorts of exciting locations.

During my work I took part in 3 Tall Ships events and got to visit great countries including Russia, Lithuania, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Holland and Finland. These trips exposed me to the planning and attitude required to stay safe whilst journeying on the sea.

This brilliant job came to a swift end when I was diagnosed with epilepsy after an episode at the end of 2010, thankfully the condition is now under full control and I have embarked on a new career path. In my spare time I love to do anything in the outdoors, cycling, walking, sailing, climbing (despite my lack of skill), I also have a passion for food, cooking and real ale.

Sea kayaking tops it all, for me if I had to choose a favorite activity it wins hands down every time.

The sea represents something bigger than we are used to; it is the road to anywhere, seemingly never ending, dynamic and changeable beyond our control. It can mean freedom, adventure or fear therefore a journey on the sea is the greatest journey there can be.

What little wisdom I would share

I think the most essential things about kayak expeditions is getting the right kit, the right skills and the right company.
I have been lucky so far in that I have had the support of Lendal, Sea Kayaking UK, other organisations and people that have made it possible for me to learn in safety and complete life changing expeditions.

Chris Duff has travelled over 15,000 miles by sea kayak since 1983 when hepaddled 8,000 miles around the eastern third of the US and Canada. In 1986 he became the first person to solo circumnavigate England, Wales and Scotland. With the completion of the Irish expedition in 1996, he is the only person to have soloed the entire British Isles. In 2000 Duff completed the second ever, 1700 mile solo paddle around New Zealand�s South Island.His book �Southern Exposure� will be published in March 2003. He is currently planning a team circumnavigation around Iceland in the summer of 2003. In addition to these trips he has paddled extensively throughout Washington State and British Columbia both as a sea kayaker and a whitewater river paddler.

Duff has been a guest speaker at many national sea kayaking symposia- L.L.Bean Symposium (Maine 1987, 1999, 2000, 2001), West Coast Symposium(Washington 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000), the British Canoe Union skills 2000 symposium Peekskill NY, and the British Canoe Union skills symposium onOrcas Island in 2001, and The Great Lakes Symposium (Michigan 1997 and2001), the Anglesey Sea and Surf Centre symposium in Holyhead, Wales 2001.Other speaking engagements have included inspirational talks to school groups and civic organizations as well as more specialized talks to outdoor recreation and paddling clubs such as being the keynote speaker at Canoecopia 1999 in Madison Wisconsin and again in 2001.

Sea Kayaker magazine (Spring 1987) published an article entitled The LuckyOne- about his first kayak trip around the US and Canada. Chris was a contributing author to Seekers of the Horizon (Globe Pequot 1989), and hashad his article, An Emerald Isle To Starboard, published in Sea Kayakermagazine (June 1997). His first full length book, ON Celtic Tides- One Man'sJourney Around Ireland by Sea Kayak was published in August 1999 by St.Martin's Press (NY). On Celtic Tides won the 2000 National Outdoor BookAward- Literary category.

Duff has recently signed on with Werner Paddles, a Washington State basedleader in the paddling industry that has donated paddles for his past expeditions. Werner Paddles was a major participant in Chris's successful solo circumnavigation of New Zealand's south island- winter of 1999-2000. He is also sponsored by Sea Kayaking UK of Holyhead Wales who provides kayaks for his expeditions, Kokatat Watersports Wear, the premium manufacturer of paddling equipment and clothing, Cascade Designs camping equipment, and Snap Dragon paddling accessories.

In addition to the exposure of being associated with his various sponsors,Duff has also been featured in newspaper articles, radio talk shows and,while on his various expeditions, television coverage.

Duff is ranked has a five star proficiency paddler in the British Canoe Union and holds a Coach Level Four (sea)rating.
He teaches sea kayaking and continues to be a well known and sought after public speaker for many national and international sea kayaking symposiums.

Duff can be contacted for motivational speaking engagements, slideshows and/or kayaking instruction at:

Chris Duff
73 Klahhane Ridge
DrivePort Angeles,
Wa. 98362
Tele. (360)452-6052

After extensive solo backpacking trips in the western and north-western states of the USA, Canada and Alaska between 1988 and 1993 Axel took up kayaking in 1994. In that year he paddled from his home town of Rijswijk in the Netherlands all the way to the tidal harbour of Noordpolderzijl in the northeast along inland waterways; a 21 day and 650 km solo trip.

In 1995 he started sea kayaking with the national Peddelpraat (translates as "Paddle Talk") club and attended their annual sea camps ever since.

From 1997 he organised his own trips and expeditions with friends to Isle of Mull (1997), Shetland (1998), West coast of Chichagof and Yakobi Island in Alaska (1999), German Bight (2000), Islay (2001), Outer Hebrides (2002) and Faroe Islands (2004). In 2003 he paddled around the Netherlands by sea kayak; 1241 km in 28 days.

By assisting at sea camps and club trips he got into coaching and guiding. He became a Dutch sea kayaking instructor in 2001. At about the same time, during visits to the Anglesey Sea Symposium, he entered the BCU coaching scheme to become a Level-4/A1* sea coach holding 5-star sea. In 2004 he gained the ACA Advanced Open Water Coastal Kayak Instructor qualification. He is a member of the Peddelpraat and NKB sea kayaking committees and the NKB coaching committee. He guides sea kayaking trips in Wales and Scotland.

He likes photography and he wrote articles for Peddelpraat, NKB and Sea Kayaker Magazine and gives lectures about his trips, and among them, at the "Op Pad" national outdoor show. Many of his trip reports and pictures are now on-line on this web-site.

Qualifications:

• BCU Coach level 4 Sea, A1* assessor
• ACA Advanced Open Water Coastal Kayak Instructor
• NKB Sea Kayak Instructor

Website: www.seakayaker.nl

Alon Ohad was born in 1971. Although home is Israel for him, he was living in different parts of the world including Scotland, Australia and Denmark. He travelled in many other countries such as New Zealand, Thailand, Cuba, Mexico, Turkey and many more.

His paddling career started after a friend told him to try sea kayaking to alleviate the back pain he was suffering from. A few years later he decided to make kayaking more than just a weekend hobby. He went on some serious trips and expeditions. This hunger to explore still exist.

In the past few years he also started to go on whitewater adventures, although not as much as he would want.

His expeditions to date are:
2003 370 km of trips in Wales and Great Britain (with Misha Hoichman).

2003-2005 Paddling hundreds of kilometres along the New South Wales eastern coastline.

2005 1300 km circumnavigation of Tasmania, Australia, with Misha Hoichman. 240 km solo circumnavigation of Stewart Island(NZ), around latitude 47 south, way into the roaring 40's. Whitewater paddling on different rivers in New Zealand. Kayak surfing on the west coast of the USA.

2006 Circumnavigation of Ireland with Misha Hoichman.

2008 Attempting to circumnavigate Svalbard with Tim Starr. This epic expedition ended with a five hour walk on the ice dragging the 80-90kg kayaks toward the land while the ice mass was moving north very fast.

In 2009 Alon spent three weeks exploring the Faroe Islands.

Website: www.ohad.info

Alain, for whom adventure and a life in the open air are second nature, is a rowing competitor and instructor delta wing and hang glider pilot.

Experienced in travelling by sea kayak for more than 15 years, presenter and author of numerous magazine articles, particularly in respect of his descriptions and photographs of Southern Africa.

One example from many made the first non-motorised flights over the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, on a delta wing and then a hang glider. Has driven teams of huskies in Alaska and Yukon. Has made many single handed trips in a sea kayak Spitzberg, Norway, Scotland, Iceland.

Alain and his wife Nathalie have embarked on a project lasting several years, travelling by sea kayak round the coast of Greenland, with the aim to meet, listen and report on the views of the Inuit people. 600 nautical miles were covered during their 2009 expedition. Photos and eye-witness reports are available on their website.

Website: www.phototeam-nature.com