Instructors
All Jersey Kayak Adventures staff are local residents who have lived on the island for many years and have an in depth knowledge of the local waters, history and environment.
Derek Hairon.
British Canoe Union Sea kayaking coach holding the prestigious level 5 Coach award. Holds First Aid and Coastal navigation certificates. A trained teacher who has taught outdoor pursuits in the UK. Over 25 years sea kayaking experience including major expeditions to circumnavigate Ireland by kayak, North Scotland, Faeroe Islands and Alaska. Also white water-kayaking expeditions in Nepal to paddle the Tamur and Marsyandi Rivers.
When not kayaking he has completed long distance mountain walks such as the famous GR20 in Corsica, cycles and skis.
Gary Kemp.
British Canoe Union level 4 Sea kayaking coach & 5 Star Inland qualified, with over 27 years experience. Extensive sea kayaking experience in the Channel Islands and adjacent French coastal waters, as far as Brest, other sea areas include Pembrokeshire, Cyprus, S.E. Spain & Italy. First and only unsupported 30 nautical mile paddle to the Roches Douvre Light House with John Richardson, from the Minquiers Reef . Completed the 1990 Devises to Westminster 125 miles non-stop race. Dragon boat pace man, on the Thames great river race. White Water kayaking expeditions to the French & Italian Alps, Pyrenees, and the Mighty Tamar in N.E. Nepal. Kayaking Surfing experience includes Morocco, Maldives, Portugal, France, Devon and Steamer Lane Santa Cruz Califonia as a Member of the Jersey 2001 World Surf Kayak Championship Winning Team.
Other interests include Snowboarding, Motorbike Track days and Enduro riding, mountain biking, and Long board surfing.
John Richardson
British Canoe Union level 4 Sea Kayaking coach plus First Aid certificate. John has been paddling for 26 years and has extensive sea experience paddling as far a field as the West Coast USA, Corsica, France and Western France. Closer to home he paddles to Les Ecrehous, Les Minquiers and Chausey. John and his partner Ian Hamon completed the first circumnavigation of the Channel Islands and also with Gary Kemp was the first to successfully paddle from Jersey to the Roches Douvres Lighthouse. John has surfed his kayak in the US, France and Hawaii and competed in the World Surf Kayak Championships in Costa Rica.
John also has a love of river paddling (despite living in Jersey with no rivers!) and has travelled to the UK, France, Costa Rica and Nepal to run the rapids.
John Bulmer
British Canoe Union level 4 Sea kayaking Coach, First Aid certificate. John has sea kayaked extensively in the Channel Islands waters and paddled further a field in France, Nova-Scotia and New Zealand amongst others. He worked abroad for several years as a White Water Rafting Guide and Safety Kayaker on a variety of rivers, including the Zambezi in Africa and the Sun-Kosi in Nepal.
John is a Fireman with the Jersey Fire and Rescue Service, and enjoys nothing better than going out for a paddle.
Leighton Jenkins
Leighton holds the British Canoe Union Level 3 Sea Kayaking award. He has been paddling for 10 years and has paddled to and around many of the pretty and interesting offshore reefs and Islands that surround Jersey. He has completed expeditions in Wales, the Lake District and Northern France.
When not kayaking Leighton keeps himself busy climbing, teaching First Aid for St. John Ambulance and being the Training Officer for the local Air Training Corps.
Chantal Quaeck
Chantal is an outdoors enthusiast who is passing on her love of the outdoors by leading a Cub Scout troop. She also runs art classes for young people and lectures in tourism and leisure studies.
An active sea kayaker and British Canoe Union coach with extensive kayaking experience around Jersey, Shetlands, Hebrides, Skye and the Brittany coast.
Chantal often works with our young persons kayaking groups and draws upon her extensive experience of young people.
Chantal has also undertaken some major overland treks. This includes overland trips to Nepal via Afghanistan (before the Russian invasion), treks in the Himalayas and walking in North Wales.
A fluent French speaker.
Len Van Halm
Lens' kayaking experience started when he was 12 years old in Holland. He has paddled almost every type of kayak ranging from open canoe to sprint K4 (4 person). His paddling trips include tackling white water grade 5 rivers throughout Europe.
A British Canoe Union level 4 coach and member of the Jersey surf kayak team. His best result is third in the British surf kayak-ranking list and a third place in the 1999 World Championships in Brazil.
Len is an active sea kayaker who has paddled in Scotland, North Wales Brittany and many European coastal areas.
His other interests are, Mountain biking, Squash, Skiing and walking.
With a surname like Van Halm it is only natural that he should speak Dutch fluently and also a little German.
David Priddis
A British Canoe Union Level 2 coach with more than 10 years kayaking experience.
Dave has paddled rivers in the U.K. and further afield in Europe and Africa, including the Zambezi. He has extensive experience of the coastline of Jersey, surf kayaking, rock hopping and sea kayaking around the island. He has undertaken the challenging long distance offshore paddles to Les Ecrehous and Sark.
When not kayaking he enjoys running, rock climbing and hiking as well as travelling to far-flung places. This includes a solo overland expedition in his Land Rover Defender from Jersey to South Africa and back. On the way he trekked to the summit of Kilimanjaro.
Recently he trekked to Everest base camp.
