Rick Snowdon is currently one of the owners of Spirit of the West Adventures, a guided sea kayaking tour company based on Quadra Island. Still actively working in the field as a guide on commercial as well as paddler training trips , he has not only gotten deep into the big picture of operating trips, managing staff and dealing with regulatory issues, but has remained in touch with the day-to-day reality of working as a guide. Rick's educational background related includes degrees in Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism and Natural Science from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. He's also had the good fortune to work as a leader in Ecuador, Mexico, Grenada, Greenland, Australia and Vanuatu. His involvement in the sea kayaking industry in British Columbia began in 2002 when he moved here from Ontario, where he had worked in water-based tourism and training for several years.

Kate Hives: Contact Kate Hives

Raised on the Pacific waters of Vancouver Island, some may call Kate Hives amphibious! Starting kayaking at an early age, Kate has had a committed love affair with the natural world. Turning her passion into a career, she has worked as an outdoor educator, instructor and guide both commercially and in adaptive settings with school students and adults from around the world. A graduate of Lakehead University, with an Honours BA in Outdoor Recreation Parks and Tourism and a BA in Geography, specializations in Cartography, she has continued to pursue her training. Kate has worked with Liquid Skills Kayak School, and United World College in South East Asia. She is a Level 3 guide with the SKGABC, currently apprenticing to be a Guide Trainer, a white water kayak Level 2 Instructor Leader with CKC and a Level 2 Instructor with Paddle Canada. While traveling the world, Kate is a ‘west coast girl’ and has been returning to the BC coast for the past 10 years guiding paddlers through its western waters.

Sheila Porteous: Contact Sheila

Sheila Porteous is a Level Three kayak guide with the SKGABC and a sea kayak instructor with Paddle Canada. In joining the executive Sheila hopes to subvert the stereotype that every kayak guide is a 25 year old guy wearing a wool toque. She is an active member of the South Island Sea Kayak Association & Nanaimo Paddlers and hopes to represent diverse aspects of the kayaking industry. She spends her summers in Desolation Sound and winters in Victoria, B.C. When off the water, Sheila can be found working on her Masters of Arts in Child and Youth Care.

Matt Kellow: Contact Matt

Matt Kellow is a certified Level III guide, and Guide Trainer.  Matt currently works at Vancouver Island University (VIU) as an Outdoor Recreation Instructor.  He hold many industry certifications in different adventure sports.  Matt completed the Adventure Travel Guide Diploma from Thompson Rivers University (1997), did a Resource Management Diploma from VIU (2002), and is currently finishing a MA in Environmental Education and Communication from Royal Roads University.  Matt likes to spend his time, whitewater paddling, ski touring, and mucking around on his portable saw mill.  He lives on Saltspring Island with his wife and two boys.

Sandra Szabo: Contact Sandra

Besides sporting her wonder woman costume at every opportunity, Sandra can on occasion be found in a kayak working as a level II guide, and if you're lucky you might be able to spot her wearing her wonder woman costume in a kayak. Having left the ivory towers of Toronto where she worked in Human Resources, Sandra has graduated top of her class from the Coastal Adventure Tourism program at North Island College in 2009 and has been kayaking ever since. Her degree in psychology from Queen's University comes in handy at parties to quote fun studies or to analyze dreams, but she has also used it to work with various groups of youth from those with learning disabilities to Human Rights NGOs around the world. In the winters she spends her time looking for ways to slide around on the snow in a downhill or linear direction and is working as a cross country ski/snowshoe instructor at Mount Washington in Courtenay this winter.

Erin Paul: Contact Erin Paul

Liam McNeil Contact Liam

Liam McNeil was raised on Vancouver Island, and can be found in his kayak most days in the summer.  As a Level 3 guide with a Class 4 waters Endorsement, Liam has lead trips all over the Island.  He is a continuing student, with a passion for anthropology, geography, and all aspects of our natural world.  When not guiding, Liam can be found based in Tofino, where he devotes time volunteering for environmental and community groups, and the West coast Inland Search and Rescue team.