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- Nav Night with Tom BerghMaine Island Kayak Co, Portland, ME
MIKCo is offering a free progressive series of four navigation sessions with Tom Bergh, with hands on chart and compass, route planning, and problems to delve into. The fourth session will feature Night Navigation.
##### Session I
- The Secret to Navigation
- 3 Functions
- Dead Reckoning & Piloting
- Measuring & Estimating Distance
- Magnetic Pole
Join us at the iconic Boathouse on the beach at Peaks Island! Paddle over or take the ferry. (For Casco Bay Lines ferry schedule, click HERE.) Participants are welcome to bring your own brown bag dinner.
- 3rd Annual SMSKN Ocean Kayaking Dryland Spring Kickoff & Boat/Gear SwapPayson Park Playground, Portland, ME
SMSKN is holding its 3rd Annual "Stone Soup" Kayak Gathering ...
Stone Soup is a dryland, "kick-off" party, social gathering, skill sharing, and boat/gear sale/swap to get the season started! This is a low-stress, low-key event for kayakers of ALL experience levels to come together, meet new friends, and talk about all things ocean kayaking.
- Do you consider yourself very experienced, and just want to expand your circle of paddling friends?
- Are you relatively new to the sport and would like to meet new people and ask questions?
- Are you just now considering the sport and wondering where to start?
- Do you have a particular part of the sport that you are passionate about and would like to share with others?
- Do you have an ocean kayak you would like to sell? Or, some used gear?
- Are you LOOKING for a new / used ocean kayak and are interested in trying out a bunch in one location?
Come join us Saturday morning, May 17, from 8AM till noon.
We are having it at Payson Park in Portland, on the triangle over-looking the Back Cove.
There two parts to Stone Soup:- Knowledge & experience share: This is opportunity for members to share a display, gear, or some such skill they are passionate about with the larger community. (We need volunteers to consider putting together a little static display or something like that ... thing something like a science fair presentation.)
- Gear / Boat swap or sale: It's a great opportunity if you have a boat or gear you're looking to sell. Or, if you're looking for a new boat! Have gear you're not using?
In the spirit of the "Stone Soup" parable, SMSKN provides the cooking pot, and everyone contributes to provide the ingredients.
Please reach out to Joe Herlihy (joegkayak@gmail.com) if you are able to help with some very light "day-of" coordination. We definitely need folks to consider bringing their boats and gear to "lay-it-all-out" so we can discuss and swap stories and knowledge.
Look forward to seeing you all at the THIRD Annual SMSKN Stone Soup Kayak Gathering!
