Liquid Fusion Kayaking is about sharing the wonders of the natural world with others.

 

From mild to wild, we enjoy bird watching on calm waters as well as sea kayaking, whitewater river running and surfing. We feel blessed to have discovered kayaking as a nature delivery device and strive to share the magical world of water with others.

Our goal is to provide fun, personal, interactive, and educational adventures that garner appreciation for wildlife, nature, and kayaking.

Our story 

Established in 2005.  

After 10 years as a kayak instructor, Jeff founded Liquid Fusion Kayaking (LFK) as an owner-operated instructional kayak company. Jeff and LFK toured the west coast from Baja California to Alaska teaching and guiding sea, river, and surf kayaking.  During Jeff's gypsy kayak wanderings, he found lots of paddling fun on the Mendocino Coast and vowed to return there again and again and again.

One day on the Mendocino Coast, he met an outdoor loving school teacher - Cate.  Eventually, Jeff found himself spending more and more time on the Mendocino Coast, and Cate found herself paddling more and more.  In the spring of 2008, Cate and Jeff decided to operate LFK together on the Mendocino Coast.

For 17 years, LFK operated on the Mendocino Coast of California. They shared many amazing adventures with people of all ages and abilities and from all over the world.

MAY 2024 UPDATE - We are moving to Central Pennsylvania to be closer to Cate’s family. We will be available for coaching, instructing, guiding, teaching, and consulting when we have completed the move. Please contact us if you would like for us to teach or coach for your company, event, or group.

 

Cate is a high energy person who loves sharing her passion for learning and the outdoors with others. Cate has several K-12 teaching credentials and a masters degree in education.  After 13 years working in public schools, Cate moved her teaching talents from the classroom to the water.  Kayaking is one of her many outdoor adventure pursuits on the Mendocino Coast.  When not kayaking, Cate is likely to be mountain biking, hiking or running in the forest.  Cate is an avid birder, connoisseur of wild mushrooms, and writer.  She is an ACA certified whitewater and sea kayak instructor, wilderness first responder, and is a Lieutenant in the Tsunami Rangers.  Check out her blogs Woman on Water and Liquid Fusion Kayaking.

In 1996, Jeff started teaching kayaking.  A lifelong waterman and nature lover - teaching kayaking has become a way for Jeff to share his passion for water and nature with others.  In 2005, Jeff founded Liquid Fusion Kayaking.  Liquid Fusion Kayaking is an instructional kayak company based on the North Coast of California.  From dry and mild to wet and wild, Jeff and his partner Cate Hawthorne instruct and guide sea kayaking, whitewater river kayaking, surf kayaking, rock gardening/rock hopping, and nature history tours.  With 20 plus years of experience teaching multiple disciplines of kayaking, Jeff has honed his instructional skills for all levels and is a master at skill refinement and application and fun.  When not teaching, Jeff is likely to be messing about in kayaks on the sea, running down rivers, or carving waves in the surf.

Jeff is certified by the American Canoe Association(ACA) in Advanced Whitewater Kayaking, Coastal Kayaking, and Surf Kayaking.  He is certified with the British Canoe Union (BCU) as a Level 3 Sea Coach and holds a 4 Star award in both surf kayaking and sea kayaking, and a 3 Star award in Canoeing. He is certified in Wilderness First Aid, CPR, and Lifeguarding.  A former member of the San Diego Mountain Rescue Team and the U.S. Marine Corps, Jeff has a dedication to exhilarating outdoor activities that know no boundaries.