Paddling The Blue Podcast

John Chase

John Chase interviews inspiring paddlers from the US and across the globe doing great things from the seat of a kayak. If you want to learn about sea kayaking destinations, trips, and personalities from the world of paddle sports, we have you covered!

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20 episodes
Updated July 27

Episodes20

Newest first

July 27 · 45 min
#170 - Rapids to round Ireland with Wild Atlantic Warrior Jon Hynes encore
Today's encore episode of Paddling the Blue features Jon Hynes sharing stories from the Cork coastline, his love for Fastnet Rock, and his solo crossings, plus why adventure, preparation, and resilience matter. He discusses teaching philosophy, “train dirty” skill-building, environmental stewardship for paddlers, and practical tips for planning large expeditions. The episode is a mix of inspiring adventure, coaching insight, and a call to care for our coasts. Learn: Wild Atlantic Way-Ireland's Spectacular Coastal Route Kinsale Outdoor Education Centre Fastnet Rock Royal National Lifeboat Institution Irish Canoe Union Connect: Jon Hynes Facebook Instagram
July 13 · 47 min
#169 - Developing paddling skills and confidence and listening to yourself with Elaine Shooter Alexander
Elaine Alexander, or Shooter as she is known to friends, joins today’s episode of the podcast to speak about her late start in paddling, training and teaching at Share Discovery Village, and the determination that led to a solo circumnavigation of Ireland — 71 days with 51 on the water, stormbound moments, and life-changing encounters. The episode highlights the generosity of coastal communities, the support network that made the expedition possible, Shooter’s fundraising and advocacy work including Summit to Sea for MND, and SHARE’s inclusive outdoor programs. Website: Share Discovery Village Traditional Greenland Games at Share Facebook Summit to Sea for MND
June 29 · 1 hr
#168 - Kayaking 315 Miles Down Florida’s St. Johns River with Daniel Robison
Daniel Robison recounts his lifelong love of paddling and his expedition to paddle all 315 miles of Florida’s St. Johns River. Join us as we talk about changing ecosystems from swamp to brackish estuary, close encounters with wildlife including alligators and manatees, and the challenges of navigating shallow canals and wide lakes. About the St. Johns River St. Johns Riverkeeper To Rivers End by Daniel Robison What is a Nutria?
June 15 · 49 min
#167 - Katie Carr - Moderate becoming good later kayaking the shipping forecast with Toby Encore
Today's episode is an encore presentation of a November 2023 interview with Katie Carr about her brother Toby’s ambitious project to kayak in every area of the BBC Shipping Forecast and the books that followed: Moderate Becoming Good Later and Thundery at Times. Katie describes how she turned Toby’s notes and recordings into a book, took up sea kayaking to finish the remaining regions, and relied on the global paddling community while navigating grief and personal growth. Get your copy of Moderate Becoming Good Later Get your copy of Thundery at Times Connect: Katie Annice Carr (website) Instagram Twitter/X Learn: BBC 4 Shipping Forecast Attention All Shipping: A Journey Around the Shipping Forecast by Charlie Connelly Fanconi Anemia The Churchill Fellowship
June 1 · 46 min
#166 - Kayaks to Classrooms: Building an Expeditionary Studies Career with the Paddling Professor Steve Maynard
Steve Maynard joins today's episode of the Paddling the Blue podcast to talk about about his journey from sea kayaking instructor to professor of Expeditionary Studies at SUNY Plattsburgh. We discuss how the program works, capstone expeditions, mentoring, and the credentials and experience that shaped his teaching and coaching. The episode also explores some of the paddling dogma in our sport along with some of Steve's favorite paddling venues from Wales to down‑east Maine. Resources: Personal website Questioning dogma Instagram Steve Maynard CV-SUNY Plattsburgh SUNY Adventure Sports & Expeditionary Studies
May 18 · 1 hr 9 min
#165 - Crossing Nicaragua: 16 Days of Human-Powered Adventure with Caleb McIntyre
Caleb McIntyre recounts a life-changing 16-day (mostly) human-powered crossing of Nicaragua — mixing kayaking and cycling to move from the Pacific to the Caribbean. He describes logistical challenges (customs, transporting kayaks), dramatic lake crossings, time in remote archipelagos, crocodile filled rivers, and the unique culture and people he met along the Rio San Juan. The episode highlights expedition planning, risk management, and how packable TRAK kayaks made the trip possible, while reflecting on how the journey rekindled Caleb’s love of adventure and shaped his perspective as a paddler and parent. What I found while crossing Nicaragua by kayak (Trak blog) Instagram Email Rat Race Adventures TRAK Kayaks
May 4 · 48 min
#164 - Six Ways Around Ireland: Multi‑Craft Ireland Circumnavigations with Rob Henshall
Today's episode of the Paddling the Blue podcast features Rob Henshall, who has circumnavigated Ireland six times in six different craft — from a Nordkapp kayak to a Contessa sailboat, plus a laser dinghy, a windsurfer, and more. Rob shares how he started on the water, the minimalist gear that carried him around the island, and what kept him going through 66 days and countless challenges. Along the way he recalls near‑misses (including a foggy night with a container ship), close encounters with dolphins, Guinness-courage and pub moments, and the lessons learned across multiple expeditions.
April 13 · 56 min
#163 - 25 Years of Keeping Paddlers Warm and Happy with Chris Reed
Chris Reed joins today's episode of the Paddling the Blue podcast to share the 25-year story behind Reed Chillcheater, from developing the Aquatherm fabric and UK-based production to creating innovative paddling garments used by kayakers, anglers, mountaineers and the film industry. Staying small and focusing on what’s important to him has kept the business grounded. The episode also covers Chris's personal paddling experiences, his embrace of the Greenland stick, community-focused business ethics, symposiums and more. Reed Chillcheater
April 6 · 1 hr 10 min
#162 - Four Years, One Canoe, One Happy Dog: The North American Odyssey of Jennifer Gosselin & Pierre Pepin
Jennifer Gosselin and Pierre Pepin quit the rat race, sold everything, and spent four years paddling a canoe across North America with their dog Jasmine by their side, following historic fur trade routes and the Great Loop. Along the way they faced extreme weather, long portages, wildlife encounters, and unexpected kindness from locals. Join us as we talk about their planning and challenges, memorable human connections that sustained the journey, and what’s next as they build an expedition sailboat to continue voyaging. Wild Raven Adventure
March 23 · 57 min
#161 - Live from Canoecopia 2026
Recorded live at Canoecopia in Madison, Wisconsin, today's episode of Paddling the Blue features interviews with a wide range of guests: activists protecting the Boundary Waters, the team behind the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, international trip operators from Kayak Portugal, organizers of the MR340 endurance race, and makers of paddles and boats sharing design and craft insights. Thanks to Chris Hipgrave and the P&H Sea Kayaks / Pyranha Kayaks team for making space in their booth to record this episode, and of course for building my favorite top quality boats. Thank you to the enthusiastic audience who joined me at each of my presentations over the weekend. It’s exciting to see full rooms of smiling faces learning about ways to love paddling even more. Thank you to all the listeners who stopped by the booth to say hello. I love hearing how Paddling the Blue has inspired and positively impacted you. And thank you to the Rutabaga Paddlesports team for producing Canoecopia! It’s a pleasure to be part of this wonderful paddling community and I look forward to many more opportunities to connect one to one in the future. Save the Boundary Waters Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary Kayak Portugal Tours Old Mustache Canoe Paddles Missouri River Relief MR340 Bending Branches Aqua Bound Guillemot Kayaks Bold Coast Boats P&H Sea Kayaks Pyranha Kayaks Canoecopia Rutabaga Paddlesports
March 9 · 40 min
#160 - Quiet Adventures 2026 Live: Adaptive Kayaks, Orienteering Worlds, River Stewardship, and more from Lansing, MI
Today's episode was recorded at one of our favorite events, the Quiet Adventures Symposium in Lansing. Today's episode features conversations with paddlers, conservationists, and accessibility advocates across Michigan. Guests include Anna Green, a Junior World Orienteering competitor, Team River Runner, Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps), Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind, the Flint River Watershed Coalition, the League of Michigan Bicyclists, and the Michigan DNR Trails team. While not all of today's topics are paddling related, they're paddling adjacent. I'm willing to bet that you enjoy more hiking, cycling, and more, in addition to your time on the water. Today's discussions include orienteering at the world level, adaptive paddling programs, volunteer lake and stream monitoring, watershed stewardship, cycling advocacy, inclusive outdoor programming, and state water-trail and trail management efforts—highlighting ways listeners can get involved, protect waterways, and enjoy paddling in the Great Lakes region. Connect: Southern Michigan Orienteering Club smoc-runs.com USA Orienteering https://orienteeringusa.org/ Flint River Watershed Coalition Flintriver.org Kayakflint.org Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind https://oubmichigan.org/ Team River Runner https://www.teamriverrunner.org/ Creating Ability: https://www.creatingability.com/ Michigan Clean Water Corps MiCorps.net League of Michigan Bicyclists lmb.org Michigan Department of Natural Resources https://www.michigan.gov/dnr Hiking Trails: https://gis-michigan.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/3d190eb423fa4e578049faf36654a8ab_1/about Water Trails: https://gis-midnr.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/midnr::michigan-dnr-designated-water-trails/about
February 23 · 44 min
#159 - Noatun’s Route: One Man’s Kayak Circumnavigation of Europe with Urban Heupgen
Many of us dream of adventures like circumnavigating Ireland and as far as I’m concerned, that’s a pretty lofty goal, and definitely on my list. And then there’s Urban Heupgen...Urban has unexpectedly found himself on a quest to undertake a bold journey to circumnavigate Europe. Join me as Urban and I talk about his humble start, how he found himself on this path, and just how big his plans are for the future. Noatan’s Route (Google Map) Urban Heupgen (Instagram)
February 9 · 1 hr
#158 - Kayaking Madagascar: Chasing the Mangoky Source to Sea with Oscar Scafidi
Oscar Scafidi is a schoolteacher turned explorer specializing in Africa. Oscar joins today’s episode to share his expedition to kayak Madagascar’s Mangok River from source to sea. Oscar describes the months of planning, the grueling approach to the source, and the challenges of navigating largely unexplored river sections. Today's episode covers heavy portages, unpredictable terrain, local guides and communities, wildlife encounters (lemurs, crocodiles and more), and the logistics of carrying a Klepper folding kayak. Oscar also discusses the Guinness World Record process, fundraising for the charity Our Kids, Our Future Madagascar, and his related book and documentary. Kayaking the Mangoky (Amazon) Kayaking the Mangoky (YouTube) KayakingtheMangoky.com Kayaking the Kwanza (YouTube) Kayaking the Kwanza (Amazon) Klepper Mangoky River Remove River Expeditions Our kids our future Madagascar
January 26 · 50 min
#157 - How a class project packrafting in Nepal led to a kayak career with Alex Lalonde
Alex Lalonde joins today's episode of the Paddling the Blue podcast to talk about about his path from packrafting whitewater rivers in Nepal to taking over the iconic Body Boat Blade instruction and guiding company. Alex shares stories from a 40-day Nepal expedition, favorite paddles and venues in the Pacific Northwest, and the challenges of reopening a specialty paddle shop. Karnali river Burrows Island Allan Island (private, permission required to visit) Deception Pass Cypress Island Matia Island Sucia Island Patos Island Body Boat Blade International Instagram
January 12 · 57 min
#156 - Paddlesports Coaching and Kayaking the Bahamas with Nigel featuring Eila Wilkinson
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. Eila Wilkinson Sea Kayaking Andros Island Wolf's Kayaking Club - Bahamas
Dec 29, 2025 · 53 min
#155 - Paddling Florida's Great Calusa Blueway: Mangroves, Mounds & Manatees with Mike Hammond
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. Great Calusa Blueway: https://www.leegov.com/parks/Blueway About the Calusa Tribe: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/earth-systems/blog/tell-me-about-the-calusa-tribe/ Who were the Koreshans?: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koreshan_Unity
Dec 15, 2025 · 49 min
#154 - Multi-modal solo kayaking and cycling on the US west coast and the Inside Passage with Katrin Tomanek
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! Connect: Blog: Wildly Inside: A Visual Journey Through the Inside Passage by Susan Conrad Katrin's planning spreadsheet
Dec 1, 2025 · 52 min
#153 - Kayaking Dominica's Waitukubuli Sea Trail with Wes Moses
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. Soufriere Outdoor Center: www.soc-dom.com Paddle TV on YouTube: Paddle TV Dominica Blog: Lori Does The Thing - Dominica Time Magazine: Worlds Greatest Places Instagram SOC: @soufrieroutdoorcentre Instagram Wes: @mrweskayak
Nov 17, 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
#152 - Kayaks, Kiviak & Ketosis: A 3,200 km Greenland Experiment with Paddling Chef Mike Keen
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)
Nov 3, 2025 · 50 min
#151 - Breaking Waves & Records: Billy Butler's Kayak Endurance Push
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. Performance Sea Kayak (Search Billy Butler) Paddlecast