SAFETY

Acadia Park Kayak Tours

Done correctly sea kayaking is a very safe activity, especially within the protection of the bay.  Two person kayaks are very stable and do not tip over easily.  With me or one of the other highly qualified guides that work with me as your guide you do not need to have any prior sea kayaking experience to go out and have a safe and fun trip.

Although I may hire several other people at different times to help with various aspects of the business Only I or a few other guides lead trips.  Any guide who is currently working with me will have their own profile page on this website so you can read about their experience and qualifications.

Unlike some guiding services when you come out with Acadia Park Kayak Tours there is no possibility that your guide will not take appropriate safety precautions, not be properly equipped, be inexperienced, be a teenager, or be someone who had never kayaked or maybe had never even seen the ocean before this season.  The vast majority of guides but not all guides are responsible, knowledgeable, and safe.

I am a Registered Maine Guide.  Maine is one of the only states that requires a license to lead most types of sea kayak tours and the test to receive the license is rigorous.

I am a certified Wilderness (medical) First Responder.  This means I have 80 hours of medical training that is specifically geared towards giving care in a wilderness setting.  The typical first aid course gives as little as four hours of training.  Maine guides are only required to be certified in first aid and that is the certification most guides have.

I am a certified lifeguard.  Sea kayak guides are not required to hold this certification.

I am originally from mid-coast Maine and was raised sailing and kayaking.  I am familiar with the ocean and how to be safe on it.

Unless the conditions are safe I will not take out a group.  I listen to weather broadcast, look at radar, and observe the conditions on the ground.

I have placed reflectors  on my life-vests, kayaks, and paddles that reflect light and to some extent radar to help make us more visible to other boats on the water.

I use Wilderness Systems Northstar two person kayaks.  These are the longest and most stable two person plastic sea kayaks made and are the most comfortable kayaks for taller people.

I have paddled most of the plastic two person kayaks that are made and have paddled all of the two person kayaks that the other outfitters in the area use and while they all perform well in perfectly calm conditions in even mild wind and waves the Northstar two person kayaks I use are noticeably more stable and easier to steer.

On every trip I carry with me as all guides should a tow rope so I can tow a kayak if someone is fatigued or disabled.  A compass, a back up compass and a chart, a paddle float and bilge pump, a back up paddle float and bilge pump, an air horn or other signaling device, a spare paddle, a waterproof flashlight (for sunset and night tours), a VHF waterproof marine radio with weather alert, and a back up radio.

Most but not all guides will have this equipment but without the backups.

I am sorry to say that I have seen on more than one occasion guides go out without even the bare essentials.  It was undoubtedly against their outfitters policies but when you have many employees you can’t watch all of them all of the time.

In addition to the above I also carry a safety knife, flares, an emergency shelter, space blankets, extra dry clothes, a cell phone, a GPS, and a satellite personal tracker that is capable of relaying a distress signal and our location to the coast guard, harbor master, and 911 from anywhere where the sky is visible.  

I carry a first responder medical kit which includes all of the items you would expect to find in a medical kit such as bandages and over the counter pain relievers but also includes two epi-pens for treating severe allergic reactions, glucose gel and tablets for those with diabetes or hypoglycemia,  splints, and antibiotics (really only important for the overnights).

In the early and late parts of the season I wear a wetsuit or dry suit when leading tours.

I am the only guide I know of on the Mount Desert Island to take all these extra measures for every trip although there are a few other guides who are as careful as me in their own ways.

In any given season any additional guides who I may have working with me will follow the same safety procedures and will be highly qualified  guides, otherwise they wouldn’t be working with me.

You can help to make a safer trip in several ways.  Most importantly by always following your guides instructions when on the water,  by letting your guide know of any relevant medical conditions, injuries, present illnesses, or medications that you are taking, by paying attention to your guides pre-trip paddle and safety lesson and asking questions if there is anything you don’t understand, by not wearing heavy cotton clothing, by wearing appropriate footwear, by not horsing around and/or purposefully trying to tip your buddy over (that mostly applies to the teenagers), and by showing up for your trip on time so that everyone is relaxed and focused on the trip.  Anyone who is visibly under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be allowed on the trip.   Please take the time to read this paragraph again.

How I always make safety the first Priority