25 years ago, young, keen and wet behind the ears, I took a 3-piece kayak to Iceland’s west fjords and hoped I knew enough about sea kayaking not to kill myself. During a 2 week solo trip, I wrestled with a faulty stove, got caught out by strong currents, was surprised by surf and taken under the wing of some wonderful, kind people. It was a powerful learning and enriching experience. I vowed to return one day to kayak around the entire island. A quarter century later with dozens of challenging multi-week -month kayaking expeditions, and a decade of teaching and guiding kayaking under my hull – the time has finally come!
I know of about 20 people who have made the multi-month journey (or most of it) around Iceland and I’ve talked to many of them while getting prepared, all of whom shared a deep reverence for the beautiful, wind-swept island. They told me of whale flukes slapping down on a sparkling ocean, of vertical cliff faces fluttering with birds, of soothing tired muscles in natural hot springs and of ice tumbling off glaciers into lagoons. Everyone had warnings too; of raised heartrates in the chaotic waves off the NE tip, of squinting in thick fog in the east fjords, of persistent cold in May and persistent headwinds always. Some struggled to reach Hofn as a strong current poured out of the inlet and most struggled to find campsites during miles of inhospitable cliffs. Each trip brought different challenges but there was one constant worry that kept everyone up at night; the vast volcanic sands that line the entire south-east coat. An endless black carpet that is scoured by powerful rivers on one side, and pounded by dumping surf on the other. For 300km, there are very few natural harbors, almost no roads or towns, and just a handful of rescue shelters to break up the bleak shoreline. Finding a place to land and camp is challenging with ever shifting rivers, and pummelling surf. Once ashore, there are sneaker waves which come much further up the shore than others, and legendary sand storms. “Mark your kayaks location by GPS”, warned Natalie, “If it’s windy they might get buried by sand”. We will take on this crux towards the end of our trip where we will be at our fittest and plan to kayak long days to limit how much we need to land in the surf.
About the team:
Justine:
Justine is an award-winning adventure filmmaker and expedition sea kayaker who has paddled some of the world’s wildest coasts, including circumnavigations of New Zealand’s South Island, Tasmania, Haida Gwaii, and Vancouver Island, plus a 2,500 km journey through the Aleutians and an expedition in Kamchatka.
Through her company Cackle TV, she created the acclaimed This Is the Sea film series, earning more than 20 international awards and recognition at Banff and Kendal Mountain Film Festivals. Named one of the UK’s top 20 living explorers by The Telegraph and a former Surf Kayaking World Championship competitor, Justine is now based in Ucluelet on Vancouver Island and is a SKGABC Guide Trainer, Class-IV Endorsed Level-4 Guide, BCU 5-Star paddler, and Paddle Canada Level-3 Instructor.
JF:
Born and raised in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Jean-François (JF) Marleau started guiding and teaching sea kayaking full-time in 1998. He moved to Ucluelet in 2001 to guide sea kayaking expeditions – and never left. Captivated by the coast, almost all of his guiding since 2014 has been in challenging Class 4 waters across BC, Patagonia, Antarctica, and South Georgia. One of only three people to hold the highest certifications from both Paddle Canada and the Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC (SKGABC), JF is a Level 4 Guide, Guide Trainer, Examiner, and former SKGABC vice-president.
A pioneer of kayak fishing in Canada, he created national training programs, authored books and manuals, and founded SKILS, now a leading paddle-sports training school. Known for sharp humour and a distinct French-Canadian accent, JF brings deep expertise and genuine enthusiasm to every paddle. JF recently sold the kayaking business that he’s been a key part of for over 20 years, so he can do more personal trips. What better way to jump in the deep end than a 3-month, 2500km-ish paddle around Iceland!?
Sponsors:
Kokatat: Justine has been on Team Kokatat for 2 decades, and trusts their gear to keep her warm, dry and comfortable. She’ll be in an ICON drysuit. (www.kokatat.com)
Hilleberg: We will use our trusty Hilleberg Tarra tent. We have so much faith in Hilleberg gear that we are using a 5-year old tent for the trip. (www.hilleberg.com)
Exped: We are both big fans of Exped sleeping mats for comfort, insulation and compactability. (www.exped.com)
ICOM: The Icom M25 is a great VHF which is USB-chargeable – important when based out of a kayak for 80 days or so! (www2.icomcanada.com)
Orange Canoe: JF is in a custom drysuit and storm cag made by local B.C. designer, Alex Kosma. (www.orangecanoe.ca)
Valley Sea Kayaks: Justine is paddling her favourite expedition kayak, the Valley Etain 17.5 – a three-piece version. (www,valleyseakayaks.com)
Sterling Kayaks: JF is paddling the first ever 3-piece Sterling Grand Illusion. (www.sterlingkayaks.com)
Online Sea Kayaking: We are filming the expedition for Online Sea Kayaking, who will make a film about the trip for their online platform. (www.onlineseakayaking.com)
Werner Paddles: Justine and JF will be using lightweight Werner paddles for the trip.Thanks also to Nikki Reckman Sales for help with this. (www.wernerpaddles.com)
Latitude 49North: in Comox is providing us with some great gear from Ukraine. (www.latitude49n.com)
Around on my Kayak: is providing us with some compression dry bags, made and tested by Felipe. (www.aroundonmykayak.com)
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You can follow Justine and JF progress on Justine’s Blog.
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