OUR INSTRUCTORS

Robert Schrack, co-owner of Adventure Crafters with his wife, Kerrie, believes that every paddling experience should be fun, safe and respectful of the environment. That philosophy, plus his enthusiasm for kayaking, has fueled Adventure Crafters since 2004. When he isn't paddling or teaching in the Chesapeake Bay or on the Atlantic Ocean, Robert trains with top coaches in the US and UK. He has paddled the tidal races of Penrhyn Mawr and North Stacks in North Wales, volunteered at Sea Kayak Georgia's BCU Week, and taught and guided trips in Roatan, Honduras for Uncommon Adventures. Robert is an ACA Level 4 open water kayak instructor with certifications in CPR, Wilderness First Aid and Canoe Safety.

Dan (a.k.a. Diddey) Diddlemeyer has worked as a guide in various activities since 2002, including paddling in Canada, climbing in Georgia, and hiking in Maryland. Though Dan's main passion is kayaking, he is also an experienced flatwater canoeist, a technical tree climber, a level two archery instructor, a CPR/First Aid instructor, and an avid hiker. When he can't be paddling, he works for nine months out of the year as a professional outdoor educator in Baltimore City for students with special emotional needs. Working with students of all ages, Dan creates programs that blend academics with novel adventure or wilderness experiences.

Alec Bloyd-Peshkin adapts his coaching to fit each student he works with. He especially enjoys creating games and challenges that enable students to experiment with the skills they are learning. He finds this to be a fun way for students to absorb information for themselves. "I think it is great to see how much further a new paddler can go with their skills than they ever thought starting out."

Alec is an ACA Level 4 sea kayak instructor and SKUK Coach 1. He is a staff instructor at Geneva Kayak Center in Illinois and teaches at numerous symposia around the Great Lakes. He and his wife, Sharon, maintain the paddling blog Have Kayaks, Will Travel (www.bloyd-peshkin.blogspot.com) and have written articles about paddling for Sea Kayaker and Adventure Kayak magazines. He's looking forward to his fourth year of coaching at Adventure Crafters.

Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin enjoys helping students develop both confidence and competence as paddlers. "I love sharing my excitement about kayaking and teaching the skills necessary to enjoy it," she says. "But above all, I love enabling students to safely enjoy being in small boats on big water."

Sharon is an ACA Level 4 sea kayak instructor and SKUK Coach 1. She is a staff instructor at Geneva Kayak Center in Illinois and teaches at numerous symposia around the Great Lakes. She and her husband, Alec, maintain the paddling blog Have Kayaks, Will Travel (www.bloyd-peshkin.blogspot.com) and have written articles about paddling for Sea Kayakerand Adventure Kayak  magazines.She's looking forward to her fourth year of coaching at Adventure Crafters.

Hannah Bloyd-Peshkin began kayaking seven years ago and has been obsessed for the last six of them. She has instructed at many Midwest sea kayak symposia, volunteered at Chicago Whitewater Association pool classes, and taught for Geneva Kayak in Chicago, Illinois. She loves working with kids and has been working with and leading children's programs at symposia over the last few years. In addition, she has paddled on Lake Michigan and local rivers as well as the Georgian Bay, the Adirondacks, Tybee Island, and the Ottowa River. When she isn't paddling, Hannah enjoys sonwboarding, climbing, and camping. Hannah is a Level 3 ACA sea kayak instructor and BCU 3 star paddler with certifications in Wilderness First Aid and Canoe Safety.

Lyn Stone  is passionate about paddling, but quiet - like her Greenland blade entering the water.  Lyn's teaching philosophy was influenced  by the many great coaches and instructors with whom she has trained.  She strives to find each student's starting point and help them move  on their own path with a focus on safe, effective, efficient, equipment specific paddling.

An ACA Level 3 sea kayak instructor, an ACA level 2 canoe touring instructor and BCU/UKCC Coach 2 trainee with Wilderness First Aid training, Lyn enjoys a range of  paddlesports and both Greenland and contemporary paddles. She is on  staff at Geneva Kayak Center and Northwest Passage in Illinois, and  coaches at Midwestern symposia, including those offered by the West  Michigan Costal Kayakers Association, Inland Sea Society, Great  lakes Sea Kayak Association and Ladies of the Lake. Lyn is on the  board of directors of the Chicago Area Sea Kayakers Association.

Ben Lawry has been paddling for over 30 years, and teaching/guiding for over 20. He has taught paddling on four continents and competed on three. Presently he works at the Kayak Centre, Wickford, RI and is co-owner and head instructor of Kayak Camp with his wife, Elizabeth. He has led trips and traveled extensively in South America, South Africa, Europe and North America. Ben splits his time now teaching paddling and working with stores. His teaching also takes him to symposiums, shows and paddling rendezvous all over the United States. As a brand ambassador, he is involved with kayak design in sea, light touring and racing kayaks. All of which has led to an in depth knowledge of instruction/guiding practices and procedures, strong commitment to quality service, as well as excellent organizational and problem solving skills. He enjoys competing in sprint , sea kayak, slalom, rodeo, marathon canoe and kayak, outrigger, surf ski and wildwater events.

Russ Cowls fell in love with paddling when his dad took him out in a canoe 1961. After the usual Boy Scout experiences and some time in a club made fiberglass kayak he took a break from surface waters and spent 5 years in the US Navy Submarine Service. After leaving Poseidon’s world Russ co-founded the Outdoor Adventure Club at Lycoming College in Central PA in 1980. That was the beginning of 30 years of pool classes and paddlesport instruction.

Russ started as a Prijon Kayak Rep in 2001 and has worked with paddlers from New England to South Carolina. His instructing style focuses on doing less work and having more fun. Russ believes that kinetic instruction, communicating directly with the body instead of the brain, coupled with a discovery of where the edges of a paddlers comfort zone are brings paddlers into the performance paddling zone.                         Performance Paddling=Less Work+More Fun

With nearly 25years in the business, Michael Gray is one of the most experienced instructors and guides in the Great Lakes region. He's led trips all over the world including Alaska, New Zealand and Central America. Of particular note is Michael's reputation as a phenomenal back country cook. Michael's cooking presentations and demonstrations are among the most popular sessions at the countries leading kayak symposiums, and his articles appear in major kayak publications, websites, and, by popular demand, his upcoming cookbook! Having taught outdoor skills and environmental workshops all of his adult life, Michael interprets wild places with warmth and respect. Michael has teamed with Adventure Crafters in the past at our winter Caribbean base and is looking forward to working with Rob in his home waters of Chesapeake Bay.