WHO WE ARE
We Are Sea Kayak Carolina
Owners: Deb Mitchum | Scott
Szczepaniak | Sue Kershaw |
Ryann Lydenn
Staff: William Seabrook | Steve Bleezarde | "Jammer"
Jane
Sea Kayak Carolina is a paddling
school: All three owners are passionate paddlers
— and each is passionate about getting others excited about
kayaking. All three are American Canoe Association Open
Water Coastal Kayak Instructors.
Pictured (l to r) are owners Deb Mitchum,
Scott Szczepaniak and Sue
Kershaw.
Sea Kayak Carolina is the premier kayak store in
South Carolina. We carry boats we paddle
ourselves, and gear that we use ourselves.
The instructional staff of Sea Kayak Carolina loves to work
with paddlers of all levels. We are experienced at teaching
the basics to people that have never been in a kayak before
— in an introductory class, or a mellow tour around Oak Island at Folly
Beach. We will challenge intermediate paddlers in our rescue classes and surf classes.
We have the experience to help our students learn the finer
points of boat control, strokes and maneuvers, and
navigation. If it happens in a kayak, we can help!
Sue Kershaw
Sue Kershaw is our S&M expert! (Strokes &
Maneuvers, that is.) Sue is adept at helping paddlers of all
experience levels to refine their grace and style. She is
precise in her strokes, and proven at perfecting her
students’ strokes.
Sue's precision is a clue to her
other life: she is a Chief Financial Officer for an
international business consulting company based in Boston,
Massachusetts. But they let her live in Mount Pleasant,
South Carolina, and fly her "up North" as needed. Sue
was also certified as a South Carolina Coastal Master
Naturalist in the Summer of 2008 - she knows her critters!
Sue became serious about kayaking in 2006, obtaining her
first ACA Instructor certification in the Spring of
2007. On the fast track, she became an owner of Sea
Kayak Carolina in early 2008. She keeps our books in order
(Sue is a Certified Public Accountant), brings over 25 years
of business acumen to the shop, and most importantly, loves
to share her passion for kayaking with others. She is an
awesome instructor, and was awarded her ACA Coastal Kayak
Open Water (L 4) Instructor certification by Dale Williams
in September 2008, and was certified by as an ACA Open Water
Coastal Kayak Instructor Trainer in the Fall of 2011
(mentored by Josh Hall). Sue has trained with Tom
Nickles, Gordon Brown, Jen Kleck, Steve Sherrer, Hadas
Feldman, Jean Totz, Jeff Allen, Josh Hall and Dale Williams.
Sue's primary sea kayak is a Maelstrom Vital.
Sue is an ACA Coastal Kayak Instructor Trainer Level 3, and
Coastal Kayak Open Water Instructor, Level 4.
Deb Mitchum
Deb
Mitchum is also known as the “Alpha Dolphin!” Deb
is the one you want to teach you to surf a kayak, roll a
kayak, and the one that you want on the big, wide ocean when
things become challenging.
Deb was an occasional paddler for years, but got serious in
2004 and decided to learn to roll. So, she learned to roll,
and then she learned to teach rolling (she is among the best
roll instructors in the world.) She learned to surf a sea
kayak, and learned to teach others this skill.
Deb
also competes as a surf kayaker in the short boats. She was
awarded her Open Water Instructor Certification from Josh
Hall and Steve Hutton. She is a BCU 4* sea paddler; having
trained with Gordon Brown (her favorite coach!) Steve
Maynard, Steve Braden, Phil Eckels, Ben Lawry, Mark Schoon,
Mel Rice, Fiona Whitehead, Nigel Dennis, Tom Nickels, Dale
Williams, Tom Bergh, Nigel Foster and other greats. Deb has
been paddling a NDK Romany hard for the past few years.
Deb is a Charleston native. She is a Registered Nurse and
also works as an executive in the health insurance industry.
Ryann Lydenn
Ryann joined the ownership team of SKC in January of 2013.
Though she was born in TN and raised all over the south, she
spent the last 15 years in New York starting a family and
fine tuning her skills as a middle school biology teacher.
Growing up in Lake County Florida afforded lots of
opportunities for her to learn about southern flora and
fauna first hand. From this environment she developed a love
for invertebrates and reptiles. To that end, her
volunteering at the SC Aquarium allows her to keep
learning. After paddling the glassy Folly river on a
beautiful fall day with Ashley, Don, Fern, Scott and Sue,
she was easily hooked. She loves to explore
Charleston’s pristine waterways with her fly-fishing husband
(who is now in heaven amongst the Lowcountry Redfish).
Scott Szczepaniak
Scott Szczepaniak started paddling in the Spring of
1991. When he was recently described as 4/5ths fish –
Scott thought that was the ultimate complement!
In addition to his love for sea kayaking,
Scott has had a Coast Guard career, has been a SCUBA
Instructor, and worked with Outward Bound as a marine
science educator and ferry boat captain. He has been to sea
on research vessels, tall ships, and training ships.
He spent many years riding Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) ships
and 1000’ container vessels into and out of Boston
Harbor. Scott brings his experience as a marine
science educator and boat captain to bear when teaching
navigation, meteorology, oceanography and coastal ecology to
his students. And anyone else within earshot!
Scott was certified as an Open Water Coastal Kayak
Instructor in the early 1990s by Vaughn Smith in the
Atlantic Ocean on the backside of Cape Cod. He paddled
extensively in New England before moving to Charleston,
South Carolina in the Spring of 2002. Scott holds a
traditional paddling endorsement with the ACA; he lists
among his Greenland gurus Greg Stamer, Josh Hall, Ray and
Margaret Killen, and Becky and Mark Molina. Some of
his “euro-blade” mentors are Dale Williams, Karen Knight,
Nigel Dennis, Josh Hall and Steve Hutton. Scott is an
ACA Coastal Kayaking Instructor Trainer, Open Water, Level
4.
Scott is a member of Team P&H -- and often is seen
paddling a P&H Aries or a P&H Cetus HV.
Wiliam Seabrook
William is our shop manager in addition to being a full-time
kayak instructor and guide. He was born and raised in the
Charleston area and has been playing in the local waters
since before he learned to walk — He did take a sabbatical
from living here to serve 20-years in the U.S. Air Force,
returning to the area fulltime when he retired in the spring
of 2008.
William has been kayaking for around 13 years but really got
serious about it when he retired from the Air Force. He is
currently an American Canoe Association Level 4 Open Water
Instructor.
He brings with him a wealth of knowledge about local
waterways, and loves to share this information with his
paddling friends and clients. In December of 2008 he founded
the Charleston
Sea Kayaking MeetUp group which has grown to more than
600 members and is one of the most active paddling groups in
the area.
His biggest enjoyment comes from turning people on to
paddling and watching them progress while sharing his love
of the sport. He likes to say “When you’re kayaking you
aren’t just observing the water environment you’re actually
part of it.”
His favorite kayaking trip is to Deveaux Bank, paddling in
his home waters of the North Edisto River. However, he’s
also a developing ocean paddler who thinks surfing waves is
the most fun you can have in saltwater.
Come by and visit William sometime at the shop and he’ll be
happy to talk paddling with you, show you latest gear or
help you find the right kayak for your paddling journey.
William is an ACA Coastal Kayak Open Water, Level 4
Instructor.
We Call Her “Jammer” Jane
Jane became passionate about
kayaking after taking a Fundamentals of Coastal Kayaking
Class taught by Scott and Sue. Though she started out as a
modern (euro-blade) paddler, she discovered traditional /
greenland-style (skinny blade) kayaking and realized this
was the style she wanted to pursue. Jane enjoys teaching
others about kayaking, both modern and
traditional/greenlandic. In addition to assisting with on
kayak classes and trips, Jane can be found in the shop
“kayak hospital,” customizing and repairing all types of
kayaks (
see our kayak repair page ). She also leads workshops
for making a tuilik (the Greenland splash jacket/spray
skirt), and other Greenland style kayaking gear.
Steve Bleezarde
Steve is an ACA Coastal Kayak Open Water Level 4 Instructor.
He is our webmaster and also makes himself useful both as an
instructor and as a guide. He began his paddling career
shortly after moving to James Island from the northeast in
2001. An outdoor enthusiast, he has served in leadership
roles with the scouting program, the Sierra Club and the
Audubon Society.
For the first few years, Steve's joy in kayaking came simply
from the outdoor experience — getting on the water, into the
marshes, and closer to our area's birds and other wildlife.
in the past five years he has more actively pursued advanced
paddling and instructor training, and he now enjoys ocean
paddles and surfing. He has tremendous enthusiasm for
paddling and sharing what he's learned.
“I had an instructor's perspective while I was
learning...I was learning to teach at the same time I was
learning to paddle,” he says. Keeping that in mind, and
sharing his own learning experiences, Steve likes to help
others develop their paddling skills and confidence. “It
makes me a better teacher. I haven't forgotten some of those
challenges I faced along the way.”
Some more Sea Kayak Carolina Staff
Meet Don! Don White (aka "Dogfish") is an ACA Coastal Kayak
Open Water Level 4 Instructor. He can be found leading
tours, and instructing classes both in Charleston and
remotely. Don, with his wife Fern, specialize in working
with couples. He is passionate about playing with new
skills, maneuvers, rescue & towing techniques and
teaching them to his students. "I'm a perfect example that
you can teach an old DOGfish new tricks"!
Meet Ashley! Ashley Brown is an ACA Coastal Kayak Open Water
Level 4 Instructor. She is our high energy instructor for
many classes and tours. Check
here for some cool video of Ashley surfing her Zegul
Greenland-T!
Meet Mike! Mike Martin is an ACA Coastal Kayak Level 3
Instructor. You will meet him at the shop or on a tour most
of the year.
Meet Alex! Alex Ward is an ACA Coastal Kayak Level 3
Instructor. He began his kayaking career upon returning to
live in Charleston after 27 years away. Alex has had
many interesting adventures living outside the lowcountry,
having stints as a professional actor in New York City,
traveling the country as a Ringling Brothers and Barnum
& Bailey Circus clown, working as a car salesman and
even a middle school language arts and social studies
teacher. Along
with surfing his kayak, Alex enjoys paddling the local
rivers, Charleston Harbor and out in the ocean. Alex
claims that he is a great example of how someone who can't
walk and chew gum at the same time can have a meteoric
rise as a versatile and stable paddler. He is often
engaged working with our clients as an instructor, guiding
tours, or assisting in the shop.
Meet Fern! Fern White is an ACA Coastal Kayak Level 3
Instructor with an endorsement to teach rolling and an
endorsement for Traditional Skills. You will see her at any
Greenland class, on tours, or instructing classes with her
husband. Ask her what her favorite stroke & maneuver is
or ask her about rolling a kayak! She loves to co-instruct
with her husband "Dogfish" and invent creative methods to
help students learn.