Swell Pirates of British Columbia
Swell Pirates is a fresh paddling group based along the BC coastline pushing freestyle sea kayaking with creative and impressive moves in the surf and tide races.
When I first saw Swell Pirates pop up on my IG feed, I was like, who the hell are these guys, and why haven’t I heard of them before?? Which led me to think about how, over years of visiting new paddling destinations, I've noticed an endemic group of friends, paddlers, guides, and instructors who exist in a geographic bubble. Local paddling venues are so unique that these paddlers have totally distinct ways of engaging with their environment—or at least ways that are new to me as the tourist.
For example, during my first paddle on Lake Superior in late June 2019, my new paddling friends on the Wisconsin south shore brought me out for an evening session at the mainland sea caves. We launched from sandy Meyers Beach and paddled for about 20 minutes across crystal-clear glass until we reached the point where the muddy, crumbling lakeshore transforms into a 2.5-mile-long sandstone cliffside. The landscape was incredibly beautiful, but the entire time we were out, I was thoroughly amused by how they paddled along the contour of the cliffside and caves. Imagine using every type of pry, rudder, slip, and draw stroke just to keep yourself inches away from the curving sandstone lines.
Up until that point, I had only paddled on the ocean coasts, so I figured it was just a lake thing and I didn’t understand, haha! I had paddled around cliffs, caves, and rocky shorelines on the ocean before, but watching them play around on the completely flat lake was something completely different. I understood the mechanics of it, but it wasn’t until I tried it myself that I discovered the simple flat water thrill and training unique to this region of the lake. I’m amused to think of each region producing its own paddling style and swagger; it’s what makes the paddling community and the overall experience so rich.
Tsunami Rangers, Hurricane Riders, Superior Sendies, Melkart Rangers—and I’m surely missing many others. None of these groups are official brand teams or board-run paddling clubs you can simply join. Instead, they are the perfect wave that builds when you mix world-class venues, like-minded paddlers, a shared excitement for pushing the boundaries of the sport right in their own backyard playgrounds, and the ability to capture and share it. Now there’s another group to add to the list.. Swell Pirates.
That’s a meandering, contour-tracing way of saying... I caught up with Caelin Harris and Vincent Parenteau for a fun interview to learn more about them and rest of the group.
B. Fontenot
Swell Pirates
Swell Pirates
Left to Right: Caelin Harris, Tal Williamswood, Michael Wopperer, Vincent Parenteau, Robin Perron. Photo: Sierra Legroulx
Caelin Harris
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Tal Williamswood
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Michael Wopperer
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Vincent Parenteau
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Robin Perron
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Caelin Harris - Tal Williamswood - Michael Wopperer - Vincent Parenteau - Robin Perron -
Who are the Swell Pirates?
Vincent: Our group so far includes: Michael Wopperer, Caelin Harris, Talmadge Williamswood, Robin Perron, and me, Vincent Parenteau. We're all guides and instructors on the British Columbia coast, with diverse backgrounds from guiding on the East Coast to growing up white water canoeing and being raised on the island. Our core value as the Swell Pirates is to promote safe ways of pushing your limits. We're a crew of stoked paddlers who want to expand our comfort zones and challenge ourselves while doing it in the safest way possible.
Caelin: The Swell Pirates are a group of rough water paddlers based in the Vancouver Island region. We are all local guides and instructors, drawing on experiences from across the country and around the world to support each other's skill development. At our core, we are all about bringing people together in the sea kayaking community, sharing high energy sessions on the water, and encouraging each other to push our personal limits safely in dynamic conditions.
Michael Wopperer skipping rocks. Photo: Finn Steiner/SKILS
Robin Perron. Photo: Finn Steiner/SKILS
Is there an origin story to how the group started?
Caelin: Fittingly, the Swell Pirates came to life right on the wave at Surge Narrows. After spending two solid days surfing the rapids at Surge and Okisollo together, sharing the hype and feeling that instant connection, Vince asked if I wanted to be a part of a new rough water paddling crew they were starting. That spontaneous invitation on the water in May 2025 is officially how the Swell Pirates were born.
From then on, we’ve made countless trips back to Surge Narrows, Okisollo, Jordan River, and the beaches around the Pacific Rim to keep our rough water cups full. We aren't out here to prove anything, collect trophies, or take ourselves too seriously. At the end of the day, we just want to inspire each other, build a strong community, and have a damn good time while we're at it.
Vincent: My best friend/childhood friend from the East Coast Lou Gallant and I watched a lot of THR movies, Neptune rangers, Spencer Jones videos and we just wanted to be a part of this community and offer something similar for paddlers all around the world. He designed the logo and it officially started on that trip to Okisollo. We’re just a bunch of passionate kayak guides/instructors that are trying to make a living and share the stoked so we found that Swell Pirates was a great name to represent us.
Vincent Parenteau style weaving through a rock garden. Photo: Finn Steiner/SKILS
How did you meet the rest of the crew?
Caelin: I met Vince, Mick, and Robin in May 2025 at Surge Narrows, a beautiful tidal rapid near Quadra Island. I had traveled up from Victoria with a group of paddlers to surf the wave, and when we arrived, three guys were already out there riding the feature. I had never met them before, but their positive energy was completely infectious. We spent the next couple of days surfing together at Surge and Okisollo, trading rides and running safety for each other. Since then, our crew has grown to welcome two more Pirates, Tal and Rowan, into the fold.
Vincent: I met Mick at the freedom point campsite close to surge narrows while I was guiding, I saw his cheetah helmet and I knew right away that he was going to surge and he was gonna shred. It took us a good 20min before we realized we were both French Canadians. Caelin and I also met at surge and the next day Robin, Mick, Caelin and I were at Okisollo for our first time, it was a blast.
Rowan Pardy coming in to the rock garden HOT! Photo: Finn Steiner/SKILS
What inspired y’all to start Swell Pirates?
Vincent: We started the Swell Pirates inspired by the Hurricane Riders, Neptune Rangers, and Spencer Jones. Their videos would always get me hyped to surf big waves!
Caelin: For a lot of us in the Swell Pirates, crews like The Hurricane Riders and the Neptune Rangers have been a massive inspiration. After a full day on the water, there is nothing better than gathering together to watch old clips of these local legends to get stoked for our next mission.
Robin Perron and Caelin Harris. Photo: Finn Steiner/SKILS
Who’s fueled your passion for adventure and paddling?
Vincent: Jeff Thuot and Renée Claude Bastien were my teachers in guide school in Quebec and they’ve been a huge influence, they were the first people I met that made a career in this industry and that it wasn’t just a summer job. JF Marleau, Finn Steiner and Kevin Bradshaw for giving me work and opportunities at SKILS to be teaching my passion and training new guides. Finn specifically for being a close friend and mentor, always keen to share knowledge, he films a lot of our videos and I edit most of them. Very supportive of what we’re doing, he is kind of an unofficial member at this point. Kate Hives was a big influence from the THR videos to now having her has a mentor and a friend. We are actively trying to plan dates to go surf and have her shredding in the next video. 👀
Caelin: I have been fortunate to learn from many incredible paddlers throughout my career. Albert Keller was actually the first person to introduce me to dynamic water. His humble approach and effortless style on the wave are a constant reminder to stay grounded and keep things in perspective. I was working for him at the time, and he showed me the ropes at Surge Narrows during our first day of staff training. After swimming more times than I could count, my immediate thought was, “This is nuts… how could anyone find this enjoyable?”
I was put off for a while, but over time I started noticing the interconnectedness of the body, mind, and water when someone was surfing. Around that same time, I read a book called The Zone by Rob Wood, a local author in the Discovery Islands. He describes the zone as a state of seamless, present-moment connection with nature. For me, that concept put everything into perspective on the ocean: it is that exact space where body, mind, and moving water align, where you stop fighting the wave and simply become part of its energy. That perspective completely shifted how I interact with moving water, and it continues to shape how we approach paddling, safety, and community today.
Caelin Harris in the pocket. Photo: Finn Steiner/SKILS
Describe a good day out at sea for a swell pirate.
Vincent: My favourite days are when we're out exploring, finding clean point breaks, playing in rock gardens, and watching my friends step outside their comfort zones in a safe environment surrounded by people they can count on if things go sideways.
It's the most complete activity I've ever done. Calculating tides, currents, and forecasts to predict when a spot will be good, and then getting it right, is incredibly rewarding.
We want to bring more youth into sea kayaking because it's such a diverse activity that anyone can find joy in. Some days, you're floating on glassy water with whales breaching nearby. Other days, you're battling rough seas in thick fog.
Rowan Pardy keeping an eye on the sea weed covered prize. Photo: Finn Steiner/SKILS
Your favorite local spot and its ideal conditions?
Caelin: Okisollo holds a special place in the Swell Pirates' hearts. At the right current speed and tide height, a beautiful standing wave takes shape, standing out as a mesmerizing force to witness. With a lean wave face and a well-developed V-shape, dropping onto this wave in a sea kayak feels like the world going quiet for a split second as pure bliss takes over. The chaotic roar of moving water fades into the background, replaced by the effortless slide of the hull carving against the green face as you lock into the energy of the tide.
Surfing Okisollo is not just about the thrill of the ride; it is a shared ritual for us. Sitting in the eddy, watching the crew drop in one by one, cheering on a clean line, and setting safety at the tail of the wave builds a connection that stays with us long after the tide slackens. That wave is where our shared obsession for dynamic water comes alive, reminding us every time why we paddle, why we instruct, and why we formed the Swell Pirates in the first place.
Vincent: The George Fraser islands holds a special place in my heart on a rising tide and a 1-2m swell forecast. The rock gardening over there is just endless. Okisollo is also one my favourite spots because it is such a technical wave and there’s no one around.
Michael Wopperer and Vincent Parenteau (Foreground). Photo: Finn Steiner/SKILS
What’s a paddling destination on your bucket list for touring and rough stuff?
Vincent: I’d love to go explore the Caribbean’s, I just want to paddle in a sunshirt and enjoy the sun a little bit. As much as I love the west coast of BC, it does rain a lot here and some chill Caribbean exploration is definitely on my bucket list. For rough water, I want to go anglesea in the next future and play in the tide races, meet some UK paddlers and coaches.
Caelin: I would absolutely love to paddle the West coast of Haida Gwaii. The draw of those rugged cliffs, intact rainforests, and feeling like you’re standing right on the edge of the world has been brewing in my mind as the next big adventure. If an opportunity comes up to head north, you don’t have to tell me twice!
When it comes to pure rough water play, top of the list is a surf-scouting mission along the Northwest coast of Vancouver Island. I think it would be super fun to get the Swell Pirates together and paddle from Port Hardy to Tofino, looking for surf spots along the way. That combination of unreal coastal scenery and sweet surf would be about as epic as it gets.
Vincent Parenteau dialing in the speed, stroke timing, and trim. Photo: Finn Steiner/SKILS
When asked about their favorite videos, they both replied with Okisnollo and Point Break. Since the interview, we added their newest edit, Paddle Canada level 4!
Caelin and Vince. Photo: Finn Steiner/SKILS
Vincent: Thanks to my mentors: Jeff Thuot, Renée-Claude Bastien, Eric Boros, Finn Steiner and JF Marleau And thanks to Orange Canoe for being such an awesome local company that shares our values and makes great paddling gear.
Caelin: Big thanks to Orange Canoe for supporting our adventures and rough water paddling with their sweet, locally-made drysuits and gear. And thank you to all of my wonderful mentors along the way, here’s to many more!
Thank you to Finn Steiner/SKILS for the use of his incredible photography