*San Juan Kayak Expeditions offers something no other sea kayak outfitter can: an owner/guide who has been leading multi-day sea kayak adventures in the San Juans for 31 years!  Tim puts each of his carefully chosen guides through five weeks of rigorous training and  an assistant-guide apprenticeship program. When they are ready to lead your trip, you can rest assured that they have a solid foundation of experience and knowledge to make your trip safe, educational and adventurous.

Tim Thomsen

Tim(63 yrs.)  has been a resident and avid kayaker in the San Juan Islands for thirty-four years. He has owned and operated San Juan Kayak Expeditions for thirty-one years and has logged over 15,000 miles paddling in the San Juans!  He has personally guided over 450 three and four day expeditions!  His experience with orca whales in local waters is unmatched.  In addition to paddling in the San Juans, he led his own 6 day expeditions in Baja’s Sea of Cortez for thirteen winter seasons.

Tim is also a sea kayak sail inventor and patent owner!

A Washington State native with a Bachelor of Science degree in horticulture from Washington State University, Tim speaks semi-fluent Spanish and plays classical guitar and alto recorder.  In the off-season Tim builds driftwood birdhouses and plays some serious table tennis and swims three days a week.  He has completed one marathon and several triathlons. Tim is also a world traveler. He has spent past winters traveling and kayaking through diverse and exotic regions of the globe(Fiji, Mexico, New Zealand, Costa Rica, etc.).  His latest expedition was a three week exploration of Nicaragua with wife Sally.

“The first morning we were a group of beginners who didn’t know each other. Under your patient guidance, we were soon a well oiled team with excellent safety, paddling, and camping skills. Thanks, Tim, for a great trip. Your knowledge and experience made this a safe and educational three days for us!”
Bob Nowlan/Debbie Stout
Astoria, OR

Anna Nation

Anna(24 yrs.) has a joint Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude in East Asian studies with a minor in Japanese from both Wisconsin’s Lawrence University and Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan.  She is proficient in both the written and spoken language, and has worked in Japan as a translator.  She has led snowshoeing trips in the mountains of Nagano, Japan, as well as canoe and backpacking adventures.  You will be happy to have her along on your trip, as she has taught animal track and scat recognition classes insuring that no grizzly bears will be sneaking up on your campsite(just kidding – we don’t have bears in the islands)!

Anna was on the Lawrence University Rowing Team, is Wilderness First Responder certified and, for you rock climbers, is Type 1 Belay certified.  As you can tell from the photo on the right, she is also an outdoor gourmet cook!

Anna leads our All-Women trips, coed multi-day trips as well as half-day, full-day and sunset tours, and makes them unforgettable!

“I had a wonderful time on your trip! It was absolutely amazing! Your incredible knowledge and expertise, combined with a warm heart and a great sense of humor made this an experience I will never forget! Thank you!”
Audrey “Scotti” McGowan
Portland, OR

“We had a great time kayaking with you! Thank you for sharing your expertise and sense of fun with us.    I hope I can keep a little of your joy of life now that I’m back at my daily grind. You have a true gift for creating a sense of trust and community among perfect strangers. Good luck and light winds.”

Virginia Mohl
Red Lodge, MT

R.P. Oates

R.P.(28 yrs.) comes to us from North Carolina via Colorado.  Along the way, he received a Bachelor of Science then a Masters of Science in Chemistry at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, and is currently pursuing a PhD. in Applied Chemistry at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. His research is bringing to the mainstream new methods of cancer diagnoses and treatment.

R.P. has sea kayaked Virginia’s intercoastal waterway and river canoed down chutes that “may not have been suitable for aluminum”!  He plays ocarina, piano, guitar, banjo and mandolin(he brings his ocarina and mandolin on trips)!

R.P. “appreciates the world from a rich spirit,” and has learned during his “short stint on earth, that experience is the best education.”  R.P.’s down-to-earth, adventurous nature,  clever sense of humor and vast accomplishments help make our sea kayak  trips stand above the rest!

“We just wanted to give you extra thanks for working so hard paddling so my wife could feel more secure and enjoy the beautiful scenery during the 3-day trip we took with you last week. Although neither of us was very experienced at kayaking or seamanship we felt safe paddling in the ocean under your experienced and observant leadership, and were very pleased with the individual attention you gave us. We’re glad we took this trip with you instead of the other tour operators. Best Regards and Happy Paddling!”
Jeff & Alicia Bastl
Chicago, Illinois

Tara Hartman

Tara(28 yrs.) has a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies from Goshen College, Indiana.  She has had a fascination with orca whales and other marine mammals since a wee child, which has led her to study marine biology at Au Sable Institute on Whidbey Island, WA and to assist research of our local orca pods here on San Juan Island.  Tara’s goal is to pursue marine biology as a career and hobby.  She brings strong communication and leadership skills along with extensive experience paddling in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota and the coastal waters of  Florida.

Tara has not just participated in sports, but has excelled in them!  She still has scoring records in soccer at her college, high school and in the state of Indiana!

Tara has also guided eco-tours in the Dominican Republic!  She enjoys educating our clients on the natural history of the San Juan Islands, while leading our half-day, full-day and sunset tours or assisting on our all-women, multi-day trips.  Her sunny smile and pleasant demeanor make her a pleasure to spend a few hours or a few days with!

“We want to thank you for a splendid trip! We especially enjoyed getting to know you, and we were very pleased with the mix of fellow patrons! Your skill, experience and your pleasant and appropriately firm guidance made for a very successful and enjoyable weekend!”

Carleton and Laurel DeTar
Salt Lake City, UT

Ian Connelly

Ian(20yrs.) hails from Maine and is currently a sophomore studying Anthropology, Chinese and, being the well-rounded young man he is, Ceramics at Reed College in Portland, Oregon.

He was a recreational kayaker from a young age where it became clear to him that he wanted to make sea kayaking a serious part of his life.  He has recently completed a semester in New Zealand with the National Outdoor Leadership School, during which he spent an intense month paddling in the South Island’s Marlborough Sound.  Here he mastered his single sea kayak Eskimo roll techniques, bracing and self-rescue skills as well as “cultivating an appetite for cruising from bay to bay and learning the vicissitudes of the sea.”

Ian plays guitar and does a bit of hand drumming(djembes and udus).  He tends to “travel with a hacky sack in one pocket and a harmonica in the other!”

Ian has one of the biggest smiles we have ever seen and his humor, can-do attitude, sea kayak expertise, thirst for adventure and strong leadership skills make him an excellent guide!   Around the campfire, his many adventure stories from travels in Idaho’s Hell’s Canyon, New Zealand’s South Island and Canada’s Vancouver Island will keep you on the edge of your driftwood log!

“I just wanted to say thanks again for a great trip. Learning to kayak, experiencing the moodiness and beauty of the islands from the best place imaginable (the kayak), seeing the sights/wildlife, all the laughs, the great camping food, the beautiful wake-up calls…all made for a fantastic, memorable time. You rock. Thanks!”
Kari Tweiten
St. Paul, MN

Veronica Whitley

Veronica(22 yrs.) has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Environmental Education – Outdoor Education and Interpretation with a minor in Psychology from Western Washington University.  She is a native Washingtonian with a positive, enthusiastic attitude who views herself as a “lifelong learner!”   Veronica worked as a nature specialist for Girl Scouts of Western Washington for two years.   She has led sea kayak trips in Puget Sound, was on her college sailing team and is Wilderness First Responder/First Aid/CPR certified.  She is also a master of outdoor cookery!

Veronica brings her special smile and her passion for sharing the natural history of the islands with her clients on every trip!

“I can’t tell you enough how wonderful the trip was for Amanda and me!  It is a wonderful place to visit, and your leadership made it into a truly unforgetable experience for us!  It was a real privilege to have you share your knowledge, experience and passion with us!  Our only regret was that the trip wasn’t longer!”
Robert and Amanda Sharpe
Castro Valley, CA