Our Guides
Your safety is our #1 priority. In addition to First Aid and CPR, our guides have, at the minimum, kayak skills training by the British Canoe Union (BCU) and American Canoe Association. The BCU and ACA are internationally recognized systems of training and assessment for the kayak industry. Our guides are kayakers and outdoors people first, with years of experience on the waters of San Juan Islands. In addition to rigorous in house safety training our guides, are also sent to numerous outside sea kayak and kayaking rescue skills courses. Discovery Sea Kayak guides not only paddle in the protected waters of the San Juan Islands but train in the winter season along the open coast of Washington, Oregon and Northern California. This experience gives our guides one of the highest standards of sea kayaking and kayak safety skills in the San Juan Islands. Your safety and comfort is the most important part of your kayak adventure with us.
Our Kayak Guides, Biologist/Naturalist
At Discovery Sea Kayaks, our guides are our most important asset for our success and your safety. They make your kayaking adventure safe, educational, informative, and enjoyable.
Richard Swanson
Usually the voice on the phone when you call and the face that greets you when you arrive at our shop. Richard Swanson has over forty years experience exploring the San Juan’s by boat and kayak. When not traveling the world he resides at his home in Friday Harbor. He has traveled extensively by kayak throughout the San Juan Islands as well as the entire Pacific Northwest. Richard has combined his love of travel and kayaking, having paddled in Florida, Oregon,California, Hawaii, Australia and Indonesia but finds the San Juan’s the most beautiful area to kayak.
Richard is a Certified PADI SCUBA Instructor and spends his off season as a Dive Master and dive guide in the tropics. He holds the PADI Medic First Aid and CPR designation, American Red Cross First Aid and CPR as well as Wilderness First Aid. He is Three Star assessed and Four Star trained British Canoe Union Paddler with BCU Lifeguard award and is a certified Naturalist with the San Juan Island Whale Museum.
His experience on and in the water and past experience as teacher and swim coach will make your paddle with us safe, informative, enjoyable and educational.
Jason Gunter
(7th Season with Discovery Sea Kayaks)
A true American adventurer, superb paddler, gourmet wilderness cook, research naturalist, wildlife photographer with many of his photos used in books and manuscripts, extensive outdoor experience including caving, mountaineering, whitewater and sea kayaking. Jason completed his BS in Biology from the University of Arkansas. He now lives full time on San Juan Island where he has been leading overnight kayak tours throughout the San Juan and Canadian Gulf Islands for many years.
“Leading multi-day trips is one of my favorite things about guiding, along with a chance to meet people and chat about the environment, wildlife, or great adventures”
First Aid and CPR certified, and BCU Three Star and Four Star trained. Jason also holds the BCU Canoe Safety Award. He enjoys demonstrating his paddling skills to his guests and can be persuaded to do his Eskimo roll for you.
Jason’s motto
“A venturesome minority will always be eager to get off on their own, and no obstacle should be placed in their path; let them take risk, for God sake, let them get lost, sun burnt, stranded, drowned, eaten by bears, buried alive under avalanches-that is the right and privilege of any free American.” –Edward Abbey-