Paddling The Blue Podcast

Welcome to today's episode of the Paddling the Blue, featuring guest Eila Wilkinson

In this episode Eila discusses her coaching philosophy, Paddle UK pathways and qualifications, the importance of using your feet and core in kayaking, and dramatic expedition stories including surf, rescues and navigation challenges in the Bahamas.

Mike Hammond oversees the Great Calusa Blueway, a nearly 200 mile paddling trail in Florida’s Lee County.  Mike joins today’s episode to talk about the area’s fascinating indigenous history, its interesting utopian history, the beauty of the trail, and why this might be your next paddling destination. 

Highlights include the region’s unique subtropical wildlife (manatees, dolphins, shorebirds), the Calusa people and shell mounds like Mound Key, the Koreshan historic site, protected mangrove tunnels, safety considerations, volunteer stewardship, and inclusive outreach programs.

In this episode Katrin Tomanek describes how she moved from climbing to kayaking and developed a style of multiimodal trips that combine sea kayaking and cycling to minimize driving. She shares how she learned skills, used careful planning and spreadsheets, and progressed from local trips to big expeditions.

Katrin recounts standout journeys including a foggy, remote Lost Coast outing, a 52‑day mostly-solo paddle through the Inside Passage, and a counterclockwise circumnavigation of Vancouver Island that finished with a bike ride across the island. She discusses navigation in fog, wildlife encounters, food and gear choices, and how solo days and unexpected social connections shaped her experience.

Enjoy today’s discussion of learning  and discovery!

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Wes Moses operates the Soufriere Outdoor Center in Dominica. Wes joins the show today to talk about the Waitukubuli Sea Trail in Dominica — a 66 km sea kayaking route that highlights volcanic landscapes, sulfur baths, sea arches, snorkeling sites, and vibrant Creole villages. If you’re interested in paddling a Caribbean blue sea with warm water, rugged mountains spilling to the coast, sea arches, and unique foods, this might be the place for you.

Paddling Chef Mike Keen shares his solo 3,200‑km kayak journey up the west coast of Greenland, where he lived on a traditional Greenlandic Inuit diet of seal, whale, fish and fermented foods while researchers tracked his health and microbiome.

In this episode of the Paddling the Blue podcast, we discuss his preparation, camping and paddling challenges, surprising physical results, the role of fermentation in food preservation, and ongoing scientific follow‑up — all framed by vivid Arctic landscapes and encounters with local hunters.

Eat your environment

Mike Keen (Instagram)

Endurance paddler Billy Butler joins today's episode to talk about his transition from rivers to sea kayaking, recent record-setting performances, and the training and preparation behind them.

The episode covers highlights like the Isle of Wight and Anglesey circumnavigations, a North Sea crossing, upcoming plans including surf ski competitions, and practical lessons for touring and expedition paddlers.

Lucy Graham is today's guest on the Paddling the Blue podcast.

Lucy fostered a love for outdoor and environmental education and guiding programs early on and that led her to undertake the trip of a lifetime along the Inside Passage. She and her friend Mathilde added a twist, making the trip single-use plastic free.  In today's episode, we talk about that trip and her follow up source to sea solo of the Yukon by canoe.  

Passage Adventures

The Film - Changing Tides

Today’s episode with Mark Evans is a bit backward from our other episodes. Normally we talk about a trip that has already happened. Well, this one hasn’t happened yet and is about to kick off.  Mark Evans brings a vast adventure pedigree, from crossing Greenland, a year in Svalbard, teaching in Africa, and retracing famous routes overland through Africa.  His latest exploration is a second attempt at paddling the coastline of Oman, a country not known for kayaking but surprisingly rugged by land and rich in water.

The trip combines expedition paddling with science and education: eDNA sampling, hydrophone recordings, daily podcast updates, VR 360° imagery and classroom outreach. Mark explains support logistics and the coastal landscapes and challenges he expects to face.

Listeners can follow the journey and access podcasts, live tracking and resources at oman3165.com and via the Oman 3165 podcast feed.

In today's episode, John Connolly recounts his 75-day, 1,500-mile solo journey connecting the Northern Forest Canoe Trail and the Maine Island Trail, traveling by canoe and sea kayak through rivers, lakes, portages, and the tidal Bay of Fundy.

John describes the trip’s challenges and highlights—upstream paddling, long portages, dramatic tides, wildlife encounters, and community support.

ConnellyOutdoors.com

"Dying out here is not an option: PaddleQuest 1000--A 1500 Mile, 75 Day, Solo Canoe & Kayak Odyssey"

"If We're Going to Die, It's Probably Here: Everglades Circumnavigation by Canoe - A 174 Mile, 8 Day Tandem Canoe Exploit" 

Maine Island Trail Association

Northern Forest Canoe Trail

Photo credit: Rafael Gallo

Ed Hill joins today's episode of the Paddling the Blue podcast to share a 1,000-mile canoe vision quest along Canada’s west coast that partnered the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Indigenous communities to celebrate culture and offer alternatives to addiction.

The episode explores the physical challenges of the voyage, the restoration of canoe culture, powerful cross-cultural ceremonies and songs, and the creation of the Vision Quest recovery program.

Before we get to today’s conversation with Ed,

I shared a trip that I took to Alaska’s Prince William Sound back on episode #50. I’m doing that trip again and if you’ve been considering an intro to Alaska, you can come along too. Experience the beauty of Alaska’s Prince William Sound on this 6 day experience from July 12-18, 2026.  Along with peaks rising 4,000 feet from the sound, you will experience glaciers calving in the distance, catch a glimpse of the area’s diverse wildlife, camp on remote beaches, and more. It’s a small group experience limited to a total group of six and I have two spots remaining.  Learn more at www.paddlingtheblue.com/alaska.

James Stevenson and Simon Osborne at onlineseakayaking.com continue to produce great content to help you evolve as a paddler, and as a coach.   You’ll find everything from basic strokes and safety to paddling in tides, surfing, coaching, documentaries, expedition skills and incident management, and more. If you’re not already a subscriber to Onlineseakayaking.com, here’s your opportunity to get started. Visit onlineseakayaking.com and use the coupon code PTBPODCAST at checkout and you’ll get 10% just for being a member of the Paddling the Blue community.

For those of us who enjoy also paddling whitewater boats, their newest offering is Online Whitewater and they’re also offering the same discount to listeners. Check out onlinewhitewater.com, use the code PTBPODCAST at checkout and explore.     

Enjoy today’s interview with Ed Hill.

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