JF Marleau
Born and raised in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Jean-François (JF) moved to Ucluelet, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in 2001 to work as a kayak and learn English. The beauty of the surrounding area and the west coast lifestyle captivated him, and he chose this place as his new home. JF has taught kayaking and guiding expeditions full time around the world since 1998.
He is a certified Level 4 Guide, Guide Trainer and Examiner with the SKGABC. He also served as vice-president of the Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC (SKGABC) for 14 years. He is a certified Level 4 instructor and Level 3 Instructor Trainer, and has a Level 4 Skills certificate with Paddle Canada. JF is one of only three people to ever achieve the highest level of certifications with Paddle Canada and the SKGABC. He owns SKILS, Canada’s leading paddle sports training and consulting business.
JF is a pioneer of kayak fishing in Canada. He holds many diplomas, including a Master’s degree in Industrial Relations and a Bachelor of Art degree in Political Science from Laval University. JF is the author of books, kayaking online courses and training manuals and wrote the kayak fishing chapter in John’s Dowd classic book Sea Kayaking: A Manual for Long-Distance Touring.
He loves to communicate his passion of sea kayaking and use humor as a teaching tool. JF also enjoys teaching kayak fishing and guiding kayak fishing expedition. If you have never met JF before, it is easy to pick him out of the crowd, as his strong French-Canadian accent cannot hide him for long.