About us
Southern Maine Sea Kayaking Network (SMSKN) is an organization for ocean-going sea kayakers to meet paddling friends, learn about safe paddling, and plan trips together. We are an all-volunteer nonprofit and have been active since 1992. Our trips are mostly in the open ocean along the wild and beautiful coast of Maine. Except for some training sessions, all trips are on tidal waters.
We are an active group with trips, training sessions, and monthly membership meetings where we socialize (mostly on-line at this point) and hear interesting talks about many aspects of ocean paddling. Additional information, including recordings of past meeting presentations, are on our website, **smskn.net**, so check there for additional paddling resources. Sea kayaks with sealed bulkheads and static deck lines are required for our trips, as is the use of spray skirts, PFDs, and appropriate immersion protection and safety gear.
Most of our activity, including joining, event planning, and paying dues, is handled through our Meetup page, so please browse the upcoming and past events to learn more about us and what we do. If you're a long-boat ocean sea kayaker looking for paddling friends and skill-building opportunities within a fun and active year-round paddling community, you're in the right place. Come join us!
To join, please complete two steps:
- Join using your full name, please, on the Meetup profile. (The full name is for safety purposes.) Membership is $20 annually and helps pay for coaches, speakers, pool sessions, and other paddling resources.
- Please sign our online Participant Agreement, https://www.smskn.net/membership/participant-agreement/. Again, for safety purposes, this is required of all members.
Glen Gordon, President
Southern Maine Sea Kayaking Network
Upcoming events
13
Muscongus Bay Hog Island Adventure 2026
Hog Island Audubon Camp, 12 Audubon Rd., Bremen, ME, USLast June SMSKN members enjoyed a three-day paddling trip to Muscongus Bay – the Muscongus Bay Melange - with accommodation at Maine Audubon’s Hog Island center in Muscongus Bay and dinners provided by Audubon staff.
This year Audubon is offering SMSKN two opportunities to use Hog Island as a base for exploring Muscongus Bay. The first is June 1-4 (four days, three nights), and the second September 14-17 (also four days, three nights). This Meetup post concerns the June excursion.Our home base for this adventure will again be the beautiful Hog Island Audubon Camp. We’ll arrive on Monday morning, June 1 and depart Thursday afternoon, June 4. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights will be spent on the island in the Porthole Lodge, which has ten double and four single rooms and shared bathrooms (https://hogisland.audubon.org/programs/lodging-porthole). For this trip, Audubon staff will prepare breakfasts, lunches and dinners for us. They have offered to pack our lunches to take with us on our paddling trips.
Each day we’ll divide up into paddling groups based on interest, so whether you’re interested in sheltered paddles, bird watching, rock gardening or a distance paddle to a destination, there will be something for you! Audubon has offered to include a 90 minute birding program with its staff naturalist.
Another private group will be using Hog Island at the same time as our visit, but they will have a separate program.
To take advantage of this opportunity, we need at least 10, and no more than 20, SMSKN members to sign up for this trip. (There will be a separate posting for the September trip later.)
Cost for this adventure is $450, all inclusive. To reserve your spot, two things are required:
1. RSVP to this post on Meetup.
2. Once we have at least ten members sign up for this trip, you will need to send your $450 payment to the SMSKN bank account (instructions will sent to you when you RSVP in Meetup).More details will be sent to participants closer to the date.
13 attendees
Incident Management With Todd-Wright (Fee Required)
Location not specified yetSMSKN is sponsoring an Incident Management course, which will be taught by Todd Johnstone-Wright and co-taught by Glen Gordon. This is a fee-based course. SMSKN has arranged for members to recieve a 40% discount. The cost is $160 per person for 2-days of on-water instruction. **Please read the SIGNUP INSTRUCTIONS BELOW**
This two-day coastal paddling clinic is designed for xperienced paddlers comfortable in Paddle UK Moderate Water or ACA Level 3 conditions who want to deepen their mental and physical skills for handling potential incidents in moderate-to-advanced water environments.
Over two engaging and purposeful days, we’ll explore how to move, play, and travel safely as a team in dynamic coastal conditions. Through realistic scenarios and shared reflection, we’ll unpack the judgment, decision-making, and communication tools that help paddlers anticipate, avoid, and manage incidents when things get busy.
While grounded in core leadership principles, the clinic focuses on leadership through prevention, mitigation, and effective response—and on how we work together to balance safety and fun. The course uses a learner-centered approach shaped around your goals and experience, ensuring every participant leaves more capable, confident, and connected to the sea.
Schedule:
The course will run from 9am to approximately 4pm on Tuesday June 2 and Wednesday June 3. The course with be in the Casco Bay area. The location for each day will be selected based on conditions and communicated to attendees one to two days in advance.Sign-up Instructions:
This course is open to SMSKN Members only. To sign-up please email Glen Gordon at gordo.env@gmail.com Payment ($160 per person) will be accepted via check or Venmo. Your spot will be reserved when payment is received. Cancellations will be accepted and refunds given if we can refill the spot. Please contact Glen with any questions.8 attendees
Past events
888
Group links
Members
219
