Meet the Friendly Faces at Deep Cove

The Deep Cove Canoe & Kayak Centre team is made up of an active, self-motivated group of people who have a passion for the outdoors and enjoy meeting and helping paddlers of all types. They bring a variety of skills to our organization, and participate in an intensive training program that will make your paddling experience fun and rewarding.

Ingrid Baxter, Founder In 1966 Ingrid Baxter was the creator and Co-President of N.E. Thing Company Ltd., an art statement that exhibited widely in Canada, the USA and Europe. In 1981, while finishing a M.Ed. at UBC, she moved to Deep Cove. Ingrid needed a boat to get out on the water, and found a newspaper ad for the Watson's canoe & paddle boat rental business. Ingrid ended up with 16 canoes, 6 paddleboats and added 3 combo rowboats. She ran the business herself for many years, teaching canoeing and leading tours, hiring only part-time help, which consisted mainly of family and Deep Cove locals. Safety, education and fun were the focus. When Merv Ovesen retired he pitched in to help out.

Bob Putnam, General Manager Bob came to Deep Cove Canoe & Kayak Centre in 1996. His background was in the ski industry but now focuses all his energy on enhancing the services of the "kayak shop". Bob is an avid paddler and feels very fortunate to be working in a sport that he is passionate about. He also enjoys cycling, cross-country skiing and spending QT with his family.

James Dunderdale, Director of the Ocean Kayak and Canoe School James has kayaked since he was a child at summer camp. He is passionate about all aspects of the outdoors especially kayaking in the summer and telemark skiing in the winter. His passion for the outdoors led him to achieve a Wilderness Leadership Certificate as well as a diploma in Outdoor Recreation Management. Certification: SKGABC Assistant Guides CRCA Instructors Level 1 CRCA Skills Level 2 VHF Restricted Operator’s (Maritime) Canadian Red Cross CPR-C

Erian Baxter, Administrator Erian has worked at the kayak centre for the past 4 years. Working behind the scenes she keeps the kayak shop on the straight and narrow. She needed to get out and paddle more so she started the very popular Women on Water (W.O.W.) Program.

Tallina Wielders When Tallina first stepped into a kayak at the age of 13, a spark ignited and her passion for the sport blossomed. Since then she has traveled most of the southern BC coast enjoying the many diverse climates and landscapes by kayak. Achieving her goal of graduating with an Adventure Tourism Diploma, she has been Guiding / Instructing for a couple of years now and sees a life time worth of adventure ahead of her. Certification: CFOKE assistant ocean kayak guide CRCA level 1 instructor Wilderness Alert Advanced Backcountry First Aid CPR level C

Cindy Carson Cindy had always wanted to get on the ocean but it took her till she was an adult to finally discover a way. Kayaking doesn't have a noisy motor and you can get close to shore to see the sea life. She was sold. She has been paddling for the past 12 years. Cindy began teaching new kayakers at the Sea Kayak Association of BC. She enjoyed helping others discover kayaking so much that she decided to instruct professionally. Cindy looks forward to years of discovering new places you can only find by travelling on the water. Certification: Paddle Canada Sea Kayak Instructor Level 1 Paddle Canada Skills Level 2 St John Ambulance Wilderness First Aid CPR Level C VHR Restricted Operator's (Maritime)

Marty Perry Marty's background is the veterinary field. Ten years of bites and barking was enough, I had to reinvent myself, so I chose my passion. I still work with animals, mushing with huskies in the Yukon during the winter season. Solo expeditions are my thing. Labrador's Atlantic coast was my last adventure, gone for 21 days, four gales, two snow falls and one whale breached the water (which was warning for another gale). On my longest open water crossing, I was visited by two dolphins. For me that's kayaking!

Garry Rathbone Loves being outdoors, running or riding the trails around the North Shore, or paddling around Indian Arm. Coming from Manchester, England he thought he knew what rain was and then he came to Vancouver and found the real thing! But paddling in the rain is cool! After spending years paddling mainly on lakes in England, now totally addicted to sea kayaking. A firm believer that you should never stop learning.