Meet the Coaches & Leaders

Hi my name is Ava and I am a young female paddler who has been paddling for the last 10 years, predominantly sea kayaking but I venture into other environments and crafts occasionally. I love getting out on the water and into the waves as much as possible cause it truly is my happy place. Starting with my PSI at 14 I have been ticking of as many coaching and leadership qualifications as it enable me to share my love for paddlesports to as many people as I can as well as being able to help them improve. I also am part of the Paddle Scotland Young Ambassador and Paddle Scotland Equality group to try and open up paddlesports to as many young people as possible which is something I am very passionate about.

Julie discovered sea kayaking after moving to the South West 20 years ago. She enjoys the freedom to explore, guide and coach along the coastlines of the UK, Jersey, France, Spain, Norway and Western Greenland. She also enjoys white water kayaking, canoeing, surf skiing and kayak racing, and is a

British Canoeing Advanced Sea Kayak Leader, Performance Coach, a Sea

Kayak Award Provider and co-organiser of the Women’s Sea Kayak Festival, run in Devon every other year since 2015 and was an original British Canoeing “She Paddles” Ambassador. 

An essential item in her kayak would be a sketchbook to record the journey which has inspired paintings capturing moving water and icy landscapes                

Nigel Dennis started his kayaking career by the circumnavigation of Great Britain in 1980 with Paul Carffyn. This expedition was the first successful circumnavigation of Scotland, Wales & England taking 65 kayaking days. 

He went on to lead major expeditions, including a celebrated rounding of Cape Horn that earned him an appearance on Blue Peter. In 1995, he founded Nigel Dennis Kayaks, designing iconic models such as the Romany, now used worldwide from beginner to expert level. His designs, built in Anglesey, and his collaboration with Lendal on paddle development have shaped modern sea kayaking.

A mentor to many leading paddlers and coaches, Nigel has also helped grow an international network of sea kayaking centres. Having organised the first Nordkapp Meet, the original sea kayak symposium, he continues to be regarded as the Godfather of Sea Kayak Symposiums.

Caoimhe is from Ireland Co. Down where the mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea.  Caoimhe’s passion is all things water from white water tidal races in a sea kayak to rivers in an open canoe.  She is an advanced sea leader and coach as well as a Paddle UK provider for Sea Kayak Leader Award.  There is no better way to see the world than from a sea kayak in Caoimhe’s opinion.  She has travelled far and wide in her sea kayak, exploring, leading and coaching along the way.  

Sea Kayak Coach & Co-Founder of SKUK Adventures

I first picked up a paddle at the age of 15, when I joined the newly formed Wansbeck Paddle Sports Club as one of its very first members. There were about six of us, including my brother Craig, and we were lucky enough to be coached by the incredible Tom Thomas. I wasn’t exactly a model student at school — I struggled with education and often found myself on the wrong side of the rules — but paddling gave me something I’d never had before: purpose. It was the first thing in life I truly felt good at.

Tom was an extraordinary role model, giving up countless weekends to take us paddling in every discipline — surf kayaking, white water, open canoeing, and sea kayaking. As we improved, he began taking us to symposiums and expeditions, sometimes even outside the UK. One of those trips was to the Sea Kayak UK Symposium on Anglesey, where, at 16, I sat with Craig listening to a presentation by Phil Clegg about paddling around the UK. We were completely inspired and promised each other we’d do it one day.

A few years later, after gathering sponsorship and raising funds, we set off on our own anti-clockwise circumnavigation of the UK. I became — and still remain — the youngest person to complete the journey, and we were the first to do it in that direction. On our return, one and only Nigel Dennis offered me a job, I could not refuse but it was only if we finished the trip (clever motivation). We did — so I moved to Anglesey and spent two years working for him before going freelance, coaching for several companies across the island.

This year, Craig and I came full circle and launched SKUK Adventures together — sharing the same passion, inspiration, and adventure that first hooked us as teenagers

Craig is an Advanced Sea Leader and Sea Kayak Coach, he runs SKUK Adventures with his brother Stuart. His journey into the world of paddling began at the age of 16, where he explored the realms of sea kayaking, canoeing, white water and surf with Stuart. Craig also has a passion for sailing and spent his late teens and early 20s working onboard sail training yachts, training groups around the UK, North Sea, and Baltic countries. This gave Craig an intimate knowledge and love of the sea inspired by legends in the sport such as Nigel Dennis, Phil Clegg, and Simon Osbourne.  In May 2012, Craig alongside a friend and Stuart, embarked on an ambitious adventure from their home, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. They paddled an impressive 2,500 miles around the British coast, returning 96 days later.    

A passionate Sea Kayaker and innovator Chris blends technical expertise with hands-on experience to design gear that meets the real-world demands of watersports enthusiasts. Based in North Devon, he continues to lead the Reed Chillcheater with a focus on quality, sustainability, and community. He will be running Greenland rolling workshops throughout the Symposium.

Fi Corfe is an experienced advanced sea kayak coach. She is well known in the sea kayak community for her long and serious sea kayak expeditions completed with her husband James. These include: a circumnavigation of both islands of New Zealand, crossing the Bass Strait a couple of ways, a circumnavigation of Tasmania, and the length of Patagonia and Cape Horn. Fi absolutely loves coaching and sharing her knowledge and experience to help others achieve their paddling ambitions.

Hi, I’m Tom.

I was part of a small group that organised the two Northumberland and Scottish Borders Sea kayak

Symposiums in 2004 and 2006. I am really excited that nearly 20 years later we’ve managed to restart them with the Canny Paddlers Community Hub Symposium. Hopefully this symposium will leave you with great memories of the people and the region, as those first ones did for me

I've been sea kayaking for nearly 10 years ever since I sold my sailing boat and have never looked back. I love the flexibility of being able to load the kayak onto the car and head off to explore stunning coastlines in Scotland and Wales. Closer to home here in the north east we have a fantastic and varied coastline and I try to get out on the water as often as possible.

As a Moderate Sea Leader I'm passionate about helping others build their skills and confidence. Im proud to be chairman of Tynemouth Paddlesports Club.

It's exciting to see a Sea Kayak Symposium taking place in the north east with such strong support from Clubs, Leaders and Coaches. I hope everyone taking part enjoys our beautiful coastline as much as we do.

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Hi folks, I'm a Paddle UK Advanced Sea Kayak Leader and Sea Kayak Coach and have been fortunate enough to paddle far and wide. Some of the more memorable experiences include paddling the length of the Dead Sea and Sea of Galilee, East and West Greenland several times, Svalbard and Northern Norway to name a few. Since covid  I've completed a circumnavigation of Scotland and a bouncy circumnavigation of the island of Ireland with my best buddy and partner Sarah Wootton. We head off  shortly for another adventure, this time Tasmania. The 2026 Symposium is a fab idea, the NE is our home and we both relish the opportunity to introduce the delights of our beautiful coastline and its wildlife to other paddlers.

I'm excited by adventure that involves journeying on the water in the UK and overseas and am looking forward to sharing my passion for the wonderful North East coastline with others at Symposium.

I really enjoy sea kayak touring at home and overseas, especially multi-day trips and wild camping. I’ve been in the outdoors all of my life, being a keen triathlete, fell runner and ultra runner, Ive always loved to spend time in nature and in wild places. Now I like to spend more time off my feet in a kayak. I am a sea kayak leader and have completed the advanced skills award. I’m currently enjoying training for my advanced sea kayak leader award so I can support others to develop on their journey as paddlers as others have helped me to develop over the years. I feel very grateful to have learnt from so many fantastic paddlers and coaches both in the North East and further afield. 

As a member of the Wansbeck Paddle Sports Club for the past 15 years, it's been my pleasure to lead sea kayaking trips along the fantastic Northumberland coastline. The Canny Paddlers Symposium is a great way for people to come and explore what the area has to offer in both paddling and hospitality

I’m excited by the opportunity to show off our wonderful sea kayaking coastline to people from all over the UK and hopefully further afield. I’m looking forward to taking people out in our wonderful place such as the Farne Island, paddling alongside some of our small harbours and stunning castles. I love kayaking with groups of people I’ve not met previously, and hearing about their kayaking experiences. I paddle most weeks on Northumberland coast, and get up to the west coast of Scotland, Anglesey and Shetland as much as possible. Northumberland is a remarkable place, quiet, with stunning countryside, great food and excellent sea kayaking, but most importantly, it’s the people that make it and we look forward to welcoming you to Northumberland.

I’ve been a member of Coquet Canoe Club for over 20 years, regularly paddling on the Northumberland Coast.  Sea kayaking takes priority over other disciplines, I really enjoy introducing new people to sea kayaking and showing off our beautiful coastline to those new to the area.