Meet our Team
Maine Kayak staff are highly skilled paddling enthusiasts with extensive training and experience and have a true love of the outdoors that they live to share.
Staff Page
Take a look at the Maine Kayak team. We are truly passionate outdoor enthusiast who believe getting in the outdoors help the body and sole recharge and rejuvenate.
This page is a little information about the people who keep Maine Kayak running. We employee elite outdoor enthusiasts who love getting people in the Maine outdoors. Maine Kayak offers employment for professional Registered Maine Guides, Office and kayak rental shop staff.
Welcome to Maine Kayak staff page! We believe getting people outdoors helps the body and soul. Participation in kayaking trips allows people to commune with nature and relax and recharge in a serene environment. Maine Kayak is the first kayaking company in Maine to offer participants an option to choose from a variety of Maine kayaking vacations. We provide everything people need to enjoy a relaxing day on a picturesque Maine lake, a serene day exploring Maine’s rocky coast or a thrilling day tackling some of Maine’s finest whitewater.
Maine Kayak Staff
Meet Our Staff
Alvah Maloney
Master Maine Guide – Program Director
Alvah Maloney is the owner of Maine Kayak, based in the beautiful mid-coast region of Maine on the Pemaquid Peninsula in New Harbor. Born and raised in a one-room log cabin, Alvah’s love for the outdoors was instilled at a young age through his parents whitewater rafting company and he became a Maine guide in 1994. After working summers on the river and spending winters backpacking and paddling through Costa Rica and Chile, the latter as part of the National Outdoor Leadership School semester in Patagonia, Alvah graduated from Unity College with a B.S. in Outdoor Recreation. He began Maine Kayak as a whitewater instruction program in 1999 but quickly expanded to sea kayaking and lake touring in 2003. Maine Kayak gives Alvah the opportunity to share his love of the outdoors and the beautiful paddling environments of the great state of Maine every season.
Certifications: Master Maine Guide holding endorsements in sea kayaking, recreation and level 2 whitewater Maine raft guide. He also is an ACA level 4 whitewater kayak instructor, British Canoeing 4 Star Sea Leader, Wilderness First Responder and Bachelor of Science in Outdoor Recreation.
Kelly Maloney
Maine Sea Kayak Guide
Kelly Maloney is the Assistant Program Director at Maine Kayak and a Registered Maine Sea Kayak Guide and Advanced Underwater Naturalist SCUBA certified. Kelly spent many seasons as the Office Manager for a whitewater rafting company while enjoying winters in the Caribbean. Kelly helped design the programming for Maine Kayak’s sea and lake touring trips and is the resident chef for Maine Kayak’s overnight trips. You’ll find her helping out around the shop on weekends.
Certifications: Registered Maine Guide, Masters in Environmental Policy, Master Chef of the Camping Culinary Arts
Spencer Maloney
Rental Staff
Spencer is a dedicated seasonal team member at Maine Kayak. During the summer, Spencer contributes to providing exceptional kayaking experiences and ensuring the safety and enjoyment of all participants. Passionate about outdoor adventures, Spencer plays a key role in supporting Maine Kayak’s mission of delivering memorable water-based excursions. He shares his time at the Boothbay Harbor and Pemaquid Harbor kayak rental shops.
Certifications: Wilderness First Aid
Hauns Bassett
Maine Guide
Hauns Bassett is a wicked proud Mainer who graduated Unity College with a BS in Environmental Education in 1997, which is where he took his first sea kayaking course in Muscungus Bay. Both during and after college Hauns lived on Little Cranberry Island where he worked building lobster traps and serving as a sternman on his cousins lobster boat, ‘Just a Pluggin’. Hauns has been a Registered Maine Guide since 2003 and has led numerous trips on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, the West Branch of the Penobscot River, St. Croix River, Flagstaff Lake and hikes in Baxter State Park and on various sections of the Appalachian Trail. He began guiding sea kayaking tours with Maine Kayak in the Spring of 2008.
Certifications: Registered Maine Guide with endorsements in sea kayaking and recreation.
Matt Lutkus
Maine Sea Kayak Guide
Matt has been paddling for two decades and previously had been certified as an advanced level coastal kayaking instructor though ACA. He is an avid reader when it comes to the history of the Midcoast islands and has a keen interest in the birds and other wildlife in coastal Maine. Over the years he has taught many paddling classes with an emphasis on self-and assisted- rescues and basic and advanced paddling skills. He recently retired from local government management and has now begun to focus on using his many years of experience on the water in a second career as a Maine Guide.
Certifications – Maine Sea Kayak Guide, American Canoe Association Level 3 Coastal Kayaking Instructor
John Hayden
Maine Sea Kayak Guide
John loves adventure, travel, and spending time outside. Last winter he kayaked in the Everglades and this winter Baja, Mexico. With degrees in Biology and Ecology he loves to learn about interactions between all of Earth’s inhabitants (human and non-human). In his prior career as an educator, international consultant and organic farmer, John’s focus was on healthy soil, biodiversity, and local food systems. He still gardens, but is now spending more of his time exploring the ocean in beautiful Mid-Coast Maine. He is a Registered Maine Guide and his favorite part of guiding is helping people to reconnect with themselves and their environment by getting out on the water in a kayak.
Certifications – Registered Maine Sea Kayak Guide, Wilderness First Aid
Eric Duffy
Maine Sea Kayak Guide
Eric Duffy has spent his career at an intersection of education, backcountry trip leading, and emergency medical care. While living on the edge of Muscongus Bay for 25 years, he logged more than 10 seasons as a professional guide, and held leadership positions with some of Maine’s most highly regarded independent schools and outdoor education programs.
He now works in an emergency clinic, teaches courses in wilderness medicine, and “gets paid to take people paddling!” With a friendly and down to earth approach, Eric’s affection for sharing Maine’s coast from sea level easily rubs off. He says, “Facilitating safe, fun, and interesting trips is the best part of the Maine Guide tradition – so, for me, it’s become more of a vocation than a job.”
Certifications – Registered Nurse , Wilderness EMT, Registered Maine Sea Kayaking Guide, Lead Instructor: Wilderness Medical Associates International
Taino Grosjean
Maine Sea Kayak Guide
Tai embarked on his kayaking journey at the age of eight under the guidance of his seasoned kayaker grandfather. Despite a comical mishap on Lakes, Tai’s passion for paddling ignited and he has since become a certified ACA Instructor and Instructor Trainer in multiple paddling disciplines and a Registered Maine Sea Kayaking Guide. He finds fulfillment in witnessing students’ ‘aha’ moments and is eager to engage in discussions about gear, venues, safety, and skills to promote safe enjoyment of water activities.
Certifications – Registered Maine Sea Kayak Guide, ACA L3 Coastal Kayaking Instructor, ACA L2 Instructor Trainer, ACA L2 River Kayaking Instructor, ACA Paddlesports Facilitator Educator, LnT Master Educator, Wilderness First Aid
March Truedsson
Maine Sea Kayak Guide
March is an experienced whitewater raft and kayak guide passionate about sharing the beauty of Maine’s waterways with others. With a deep appreciation for coastal ecosystems and a strong background in whitewater, March brings enthusiasm, expertise, and a commitment to safety on every trip. Whether guiding coastal tours, running Maine’s premier whitewater rivers, or multi-day coastal island camping adventures, March ensures that guests have an engaging and memorable experience on the water.
Certifications – Registered Nurse, Registered Maine Sea Kayaking Guide, Level 2 Maine Whitewater Rafting Guide
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