Trip Planning Panel: Insights From The BC Coast

  • Panel
  • Zoom
  • All welcome
  • April 22nd, 6 pm
  • Panel
  • Zoom
  • All welcome
  • April 22nd, 6pm

Master the art of adventure with tips from renowned coastal paddlers

Our four-person panel, moderated by BC Marine Trails board member, Andrew Godfrey, will dive into questions like: 

  • What advice would you give your rookie expedition-self?
  • How do you manage group dynamics and ensure effective communication among paddlers during expeditions?
  • How do you plan for meals and manage water storage and purification during longer trips?
  • How do you engage with and respect the cultural heritage and rights of Indigenous communities along the BC coast during your trips?

Looking to have something specific answered? Include it in the sign-up form below!

Meet your panelists

Susan Conrad

Author, Expedition Kayaker

Susan’s jam is long, slow paddles in long, skinny boats, and her all-time favourite place to kayak is the Inside Passage. She’s completed two approximately 1,200-mile solo through-paddles from the Salish Sea to SE Alaska, has authored three books about those adventures, and is working on her fourth. A newly elected Fellow of the Explorers Club, Susan lives in Mount Vernon, WA. Check out her website here. 

Finn Steiner

Youngest person to circumnavigate Vancouver Island, Level 3 Guide Trainer

Finn Steiner is a sea kayak guide and instructor, born in Kiel, Germany, and now based in Ucluelet. He was raised in the center hatch of his parents’ Passat G3, and since spent over a decade guiding the rugged BC coastline, dodging humpbacks, and explaining for the thousandth time that, yes, you do need to paddle together in a tandem kayak.
 
Specializing in leading remote expeditions and guide training, Finn has worked from Canada, to New Zealand, Antarctica, and Spitsbergen, sharing his love for the ocean. As a SKGABC Class-IV endorsed Guide, Level 3 Guide Examiner, and Paddle Canada Level 3 Instructor, he’s passionate about helping paddlers build skills, confidence, and an appreciation for the wild places they explore. He currently works with SKILS, training the next generation of kayak guides and perfecting his camp coffee routine along the way.

Nathan Slater

Outdoor educator, face behind ‘A Little Paddle‘

Nathan hails from North Vancouver in Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh Nation territory. He’s been paddling the West Coast of North America for over a decade and spends much of his time in Haida Gwaii and Clayoquot Sound. Nathan holds a Certificate of Wilderness Leadership from Capilano University and a degree of environmental planning along with certificates in geographic information science and Indigenous studies from Dalhousie University. He has been working as an outdoor educator since 2013 delivering ecology, culture, leadership, and environmental stewardship focussed expeditions for youth. He is a Paddle Canada Level 2 Instructor and an apprentice sea kayak guide trainer. Nathan is passionate about continuing the legacy of high-quality leadership on BC’s coastal waters.

Jerry Kaye

Lifelong paddler, Coastal Café writer

Jerry has been exploring the coast of British Columbia by kayak and sailboat for over 40 years, including a two-month sea kayak expedition from Bella Bella to Tofino with his wife Julee. He is a dedicated contributor to the BC Marine Trail’s Coastal Café, and has been contributing to BCMT and its predecessor, BCMTA, since their inception. Jerry has introduced his three sons to kayaking and hopes to help spread BCMT’s message to a younger generation of paddlers.

Articles: Dangerous Crossings, Kayaking to Boost Mental Health, Guide to BC’s 5-Star Beaches

Event Sign-Up

RSVP has closed — join us tonight (April 22) at 6pm at this Zoom link. 

Please read the below guidelines before hopping on the call this evening: 

  • There are over 100 people signed up for the event — that’s great! This does mean, however, that we will need to be structured in terms of how questions are asked during the Q&A session.
  • We ask that you ensure your mic is muted, and camera off as you enter the call.
  • The panel is planned to last ~1 hour, leaving ~30 minutes for Q&A. 
  • To ask questions, please send them in the Zoom chat — add a (name) in brackets if it is for a specific panelist! 
  • If you see a question you would like to have answered, please give it a thumbs up. I will then ask questions directly to the panelist(s) — please do not unmute to ask questions as this will cause difficulty with over 100 attendees. We may not have time to get to all questions, so prioritizing by ‘thumbs ups’ will allow us to answer those of higher priority.Â