Sea Kayak Guide / Naturalist Educator

~ Our Goal is Simple: We Want You to Have the Best Sea Kayaking Tour of Your Life! ~

Join us for a kayak adventure that offers the full range from energized fun to calm serenity. Our guides skillfully hand-craft every Sea Quest Kayak Expedition into a custom learning experience – one that will surely enhance your appreciation of our natural environment. Our kayak tours are mainly led by actual biologists and environmental scientists who double as highly-trained outdoor educators and sea kayak guides. This level of excellence distinguishes us from other outfitters and transforms your experience into an adventure in learning.

Position Overview

Are you interested in working outdoors, teaching natural history, and leading sea kayak trips? Then apply now to join our cadre of professional sea kayak guides. Keep in mind that guiding is hard work and requires a great deal of training and preparation. Sea Quest guides need to excel at a wide array of skills, including leadership, sea kayaking safety and rescue, instructing outdoor skills, teaching natural history, and preparing great meals.

Work location is near Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, Washington.

Responsibilities

• Assist in all phases of field operations, including leading sea kayak tours, transportation of gear, preparation of food and equipment, routine maintenance, etc.
• Summer program: full-time from mid-June to mid-September and part-time in our shoulder season months of April/May and October. Depending on your individual agreement with us, you could begin work sometime from April to late June and finish between late August to mid-October.
• Mandatory “Sea Kayak Guide Training Program” for first-year guides takes place mid to late May with dates announced later.

Qualifications

• A degree in one of the natural sciences; strong leadership abilities in outdoor situations.
• Able to lead detailed discussions on marine natural history.
• Experience traveling on marine waters; camping and kayaking.
• Driver’s license and clean record with no moving violations in past 3 years.
• Current CPR and at least standard first aid required.
• Possession of tent, suitable outdoor clothing, and other miscellaneous items.
• Successful completion of our intensive pre-season “Sea Kayak Guide Training Program” is mandatory.
• Internships are available for students working towards their degree and those with little experience.

Compensation: Salary Up to $200+ per day depending on skills and prior experience.

To Apply

Please click "Apply" below to upload the following:

Applications are by resume only. A cover letter and list of employer references should be included. A recent photo of yourself, especially in an outdoor situation, can be helpful. Send a standard resume augmented with details of sea kayaking and/or marine travel experiences, and marine natural history skills. Please be very complete when providing the augmented kayaking and marine experience information. We must have the specific information requested to properly evaluate applicants.

Even if you don’t have much paddling experience, we can train you to be a safe and strong kayak guide very quickly if you are in good physical condition. On the other hand, natural history knowledge is something that takes much longer to acquire, and you will need to be knowledgeable in this area or spend several months studying before you arrive for training. We provide a required reading list for this purpose.