Sea Kayaking Guides and Instructors
Posted by Portland Paddle on 02/05/2025
Job Basics
Industry Sector: Outdoor, WaterSports
Job Categories: Guide (raft,fish,bike hunt,horse etc.), Instructor Including Ski & Patrol, Operations, Outdoor Education, Outfitter- Adventure Travel Staff
Company Type: Recreation, Service
State: ME
City: Portland, Maine
Country: United States
Required Experience: 0 - 1 year
Business Phone: 207-370-9734
Job Type: Seasonal Full Time
Salary: Starting at $20/hour plus gratuities
Required to Relocate:
Required to Travel:
Employee May Telecommute: No
Job Seeker Must Live Within:
Job Description & Requirements
Portland Paddle is seeking sea kayaking guides and instructors to lead tours and teach lessons at our base on the waterfront of Casco Bay. There’s a lot to love about this job: Being part of a fun and friendly team of talented outdoors people; working outside and on the water on the Maine coast; developing outdoor leadership and paddling skills; getting to know Casco Bay and its islands intimately; and giving people of all backgrounds ocean adventures that they’ll love and remember forever.
A sea kayak guide's job involves a mix of outdoor leadership, teaching, risk management, technical sea kayaking skills, customer service, teamwork and manual labor. It’s very rewarding work that allows you to develop a deep knowledge of the marine environment and interact with people of diverse backgrounds from all over the world.
Most of our trips are based out of our main site on the waterfront of Portland, Maine. Our trips range from 2-hour Sunset Tours to multi-day expeditions on the Maine Island Trail. We also offer lessons for all skill levels and stand-up paddling tours.
Candidates able to work 30+ hours a week will be prioritized, but we encourage experienced candidates with more limited availability to apply as well. Similarly, we prioritize candidates who are available to work for the full season (June through the end of August), but we also encourage others to apply.
Visit the employment page of our website for more details and to complete our application.
About Portland Paddle
Portland Paddle offers sea kayaking expeditions, day trips instruction and rentals on the Maine coast, as well as stand-up paddling tours and rentals. We are a seasonal business based on the waterfront of Casco Bay in Portland, Maine.
Our staff includes more than a dozen licensed sea kayak guides and ACA-certified instructors, as well as many "shore staff" who support our operations working on land.
