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- SMSKN Social Gathering Event:Sea Dog Brewing Company Topsham, Topsham, ME
We hope you enjoyed our first social gathering and building on that success we have planned another.
Please join us for the second Social Gathering, at Sea Dogs Brewing Company https://maps.google.com/?cid=9136752934612156265 1 Bowdoin Mill Island Topsham, Thursday July 17th, 6.30pm to continue those conversations, start new ones and meet new people. Just look for the Red Paddle
We will provide a variety of pizzas so everyone can each enjoy a slice or two, and people can grab their own beverages and whatever additional food they want themselves.
Please RSVP on MeetUp so that we can provide the brewery with an accurate headcount.SMSKN Social Committee.
Edwina Ducker, Aaron Kiander, Don Gorman, Harry Nelson and Deb Walsh. Contact any of the committee members thru MeetUp or at the event if you have questions, ideas for activities or would like to join the committee.
The club has a geographically diverse membership and to honor that, we are striving to move the social events around our catchment area so nobody feels that “they always have to drive the furthest” The committee is working on a variety of future different social events, watch this space for more fun. Heads up we are planning a late Summer Social details to follow soon - Well Done SMSKN! 2 Kayakers Volunteered in Peaks to Portland Swim!P2P Launch, Peaks Island, ME
Update:
Thank you, SMSKN, for coming through to support the community! We have 2 volunteers to support swimmers in Peaks to Portland. If you're in the area, you may want to go out and cheer on the swimmers.Courtesy Post: While at SMSKN's Rolling Practice at SMCC, I met a Portland resident who has 2 family members coming from out of state to swim the Peaks to Portland (P2P) race to qualify for future triathlons. They are racing in different classes, so they each need a volunteer experienced sea kayaker to accompany them on the swim.
I am posting on behalf of the family member, so I don't have any additional information. Please use the contact information below to volunteer. While the race is in July, they would like to confirm paddlers asap.P2P Swim:
The swim is on July 26 and is starting at 8 AM on Peaks, so obviously, you will need to get started earlier. The swim ends at the East End Beach in Portland.If interested, and for more details, please contact Barb Linnehan Smith
blslinnehansmith@gmail.com
Or text 207/ 712-3104
Do NOT reply to this post on Meetup.Feel free to share with other interested groups.
Post will be updated when Barb lets me know we have confirmed 2 volunteers.
Participation is a great way to live the SMSKN mission!
Thanks for any and all help!Additional Information:
Peaks to Portland, A Swim for Kids
Calling all open water swimmers! The Peaks to Portland, one of the world's oldest swims, is returning once again! This historic 2.4-mile challenge traverses the scenic Casco Bay from Peaks Island to Portland's East End Beach. Whether you're a seasoned competitor or a recreational swimmer looking for a unique adventure, the Peaks to Portland offers an unforgettable race experience that benefits the YMCA of Southern Maine.Not open - Paddling Skills with Nate and Simon: Intermediate to AdvancedMidcoast Maine, Brunswick, ME
July 26-27, 2025, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. each day.
In conjunction with SMSKN, Nate Hanson of Pinniped Kayak will host international coach, Simon of Online Line Sea Kayaking (OSK), from Cornwall, UK. (Yes, it is THAT Simon.)
Nate and Simon will work with paddlers to expand their skills, understanding, and safety in challenging environments. This course is appropriate for sea kayakers who are very comfortable with self- and assisted-rescues and have considerable experience paddling in bumpy water.
Limit of 10 folks per 2 day session. SMSKN members only (no guests until July 1st). One day signups are not allowed; this is a two day course. You may only sign up for one of the two weekend classes. If possible, please choose the class that most closely matches your skill level.
Location: To be determined. The location will be in Midcoast Maine, between South Portland and Georgetown. If possible, there will be a different location each day.
Sign-ups are by email only to Ellen Gluckman at LNG@MADRIVER.COM. Your registration will only be completed once payment has been received. Ellen will give you instructions on how to pay and complete signing up. SMSKN members take priority. We will create a waiting list to accommodate last-minute cancellations.
Cost for SMSKN members is $270 per person for the two-day event, a 30 percent discount of the usual $385 cost. Nate is discounting his rate by 10 percent and SMSKN is subsidizing 20 percent.
Nate's bio: Nate's enthusiasm for kayaking is hard to hide. With an encouraging teaching style, he enjoys helping students discover new possibilities in a sea kayak, working with each individual to attain his or her own personal paddling goals - whether that's surfing a tide race, or simply getting into a boat without tipping over. The owner of Pinniped Kayak, Nate spends most of his time teaching and paddling on the waters surrounding Acadia National Park in Downeast Maine, though the sport of sea kayaking has also brought him around the globe to the coasts of Chile, Croatia, Scotland and more.
Nate's credentials include: British Canoeing Sea Kayak Coach, ACA L5 Advanced Open Water Coastal Kayak Instructor, ACA L4 Open Water Coastal Kayak Instructor Trainer, ACA L4 Whitewater Kayak Instructor, BCU 4-Star Sea Leader. He is also certified as a Wilderness First Responder (WMA). He has served as an instructor at the East Coast Paddlesports Symposium, Symposio de Kayak del Pacifico Sur, the Bay of Fundy Sea Kayak Symposium, and the Downeast Sea Kayak Symposium. Nate is proud to be a Team Paddler for P&H Custom Sea Kayaks.
Simon's bio: Simon started kayaking when he was 7 years old. He is a BC Level 5 coach and advanced sea kayak leader assessor. His introduction to the world of kayaking was through Whitewater but after circumnavigating Great Britain in 2002 his passion turned to the sea. He began a career of teaching sea kayaking and guiding expeditions, while planning personal expeditions in his free time.
In 2002 Simon became the youngest person to circumnavigate Great Britain which took 112 days of kayaking. In 2004 he completed a solo circumnavigation of Ireland in 6 weeks. In 2009 Simon attempted to become the first person to circumnavigate Madagascar. In 2011, Simon and Marin Medak became the first people to paddle the coastline of South Korea. His most recent expedition was to row across the Atlantic as part of a four-man crew which took 45 days to complete.
From kayaking with alligators in Florida to rock hopping through Icelandic lava fields to surfing clean barreling waves in Cornwall, it’s the variety the sport offers that keeps Simon interested and coming back for more. His skill and ability to share it with others drives his dedication to instructing kayakers all over the world through Online Sea Kayaking. This program provides access to structured online skills courses, as well as opportunity for individualized interactions and feedback through its unique format.
We are proud and excited to have this accomplished duo provide this level of programming for our membership.
Not open
