What we’re about
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 (4+)
See all- COW ISLAND - MITA ISLAND MAY STEWARDSHIP PADDLEFort Road, South Portland, ME
It's that time of year again! Once again The SMSKN Island Adoption Team will be off on an island monitoring paddle to Cow Island. For those of you not familiar with it, it's a really nice MITA Island in Casco Bay that we have adopted and look after periodically on behalf of MITA. It's a great opportunity to enjoy a nice sheltered and moderate length paddle, meet and paddle with some nice folks and help out our good friends at MITA with some island stewardship.
Let's plan to meet at the SMCC Beach (Fort Road, South Portland) around 9:00am in time to launch at 9:30am sharp. We'll paddle go up through Diamond Pass stopping at Little Diamond Island around 10:00am to meet up with Steve Bishop. From there, up to Diamond Cove and around to the MITA camp site on east side of Cow Island (about 3.5 miles). Once there, we will inspect the campsite and adjoining area and collect any trash and/or debris we will happen to find (and we will!) I'll be sure to brief you on all the details when we arrive.
In addition to your normal paddling kit, pleases bring some plastic trash bags (at least 2), gloves and suitable clothes to rummage around in (I find it easier to move around without my drysuit while on the island). We'll carry out whatever trash we can in our kayaks but any excess or larger items, we'll leave to be collected by a MITA boat in the following days.
Time-wise, we should plan on about 4 1/2 to 5 hours; about 1 1/2 hours out, 1 1/2 to 2 hours there, 1 1/2 hours back give or take. Be sure to bring a lunch.
As with all paddles, please have a properly fitted sea kayak, with a spray skirt, PFD, sound hatch covers and make sure to dress for immursion (dry suit or web suit) as the water is still quite cold. Also, please make sure you all have signed the online Participation Agreement which can be found at https://www.smskn.net/club-documents/1116-2/. (You only have to sign it once, so if you have already, you're all set.)
Hope you can make it and looking forward to seeing you on the water!
