Sea Kayak Milos and Petrinela’s Guesthouse are owned and operated Rod Feldtmann and Petrinela Vikeli. They met when Rod was working on Milos in 1996. They were married in 1998, have three children, Anna and Alexia and Perros and live year round on Milos. They are proud of their island home and welcoming the constant stream of guests who come to enjoy the beauty and tranquility of Milos, has become part of daily life.
Petrinela comes from a local family and was born and raised on Milos. After school she moved to Athens and obtained a degree in Tourism Administration. During her time in Athens, Petrinela worked for a while in the hotel industry before retreating to the quiet life of the islands.
Petrinela manages the family operated Kafeneio (Coffee-Ouzo bar) and the Guesthouse business, in-between her motherly tasks. She enjoys spending time with her family, quiet nights at home, Sundays at the beach and the occasional moonlight swim. After working hard all summer, Petrinela looks forward to a winter break, either skiing in the Alps or a trip to Australia for an endless summer.
Rod grew up on a farm in Victoria, Australia. After graduating with a degree in Geology from the University of Wollongong, he worked for 10 years as an Exploration Geologist in Australia, Bolivia and finally on Milos. When his contract as a Geologist came to an end, Rod established Sea Kayak Milos as a means to remain on Milos, sustain his family and enjoy the great outdoors.
Rod has been living on Milos since 1998 and running kayak trips full time since 2001. He is on the water most days from April until October, so that is a lot of days on the water. So whether you’re a novice looking to begin your kayak journey or an independent kayaker wanting guidance and local knowledge – you’re in good hands! He holds his Sea kayak Leader Certificate with British Canoeing and is a UKCC Level 2 Sea Kayak coach.
Having first visited Sea Kayak Milos on a holiday in 2008, Dave and Sue have returned each year to be part of the guiding team. They lead all the 5-day expeditions as well as various day-trips. Sharing their passion for kayaking with others, outdoor adventure and camp cooking they inspire confidence in everyone. Experienced, sympathetic and very knowledgeable they know how to strike the balance between a relaxed kayaking trip and a professionally led expedition.
Dave is a qualified Wilderness Guide accredited by Wild Scotland; he holds his Sea kayak Leader Certificate with British Canoeing and is a UKCC Level 2 Sea Kayak coach. Sue holds the British Canoeing Sea kayak Award. They have been part of most of Rods “Beyond Milos” expeditions in recent years, including Milos to Santorini, Western Crete and the Aeolian islands in Italy.
From their home base in Cumbria, UK, Dave and Sue do most of their paddling in Western Scotland. In recent years they have been leading trips based from Mull, Oban and Skye.
What started in 2009 as a club trip, with the Lower Wharf Canoe Club, became an annual pilgrimage to Sea Kayak Milos. Lynne and Roy grace us with their presence each September, keeping everyone entertained from breakfast time until well after beer o’clock. Ee by Gum!
Lynne holds the BC Sea Kayak Leader Award while Roy is content with the Sea Kayak Award. They were part of the 2016 Athens to Milos Expedition and the 2018 Milos to Santorini Expedition. In 2020, in a double kayak, they circumnavigated Milos in a day, a distance of 62 km in 9 hours and 4 minutes.
In recent years, Roy has documented the September day trips with video, often paddling ahead and leaping onto a rock for the perfect shot or buzzing the group with his drone. You can see some of his videos here: 2018 | 2019 | 2020
When home in Yorkshire, Lynne and Roy are always planning the next trip with their friends. Trips in recent years include the Yorkshire coast, Farne islands, Anglesey, Pembrokeshire, the Summer Isles and the Outer Hebrides.
Dario came to Milos in October 2020 to work as assistant guide and will return in 2021 to guide for the full season. He is a passionate guide with a huge smile and always ready to help.
From near Turin in Northern Italy, Dario has spent a lot of time in Sardinia where his family have a summer home. It is here in 2017 he developed his passion for sea kayaking. He completed a solo circumnavigation of Sardinia in the summer of 2020, paddling over 1100km in 35 days. Other paddling trips include the Ligurian Coast (Italy) until Cote D’Azure in France and in the National Parks of La Maddalena Archipelago and Circeo in Italy.
His other main passion is the Saxophone. His dream is to work for 6 months guiding kayak trips, perhaps one day starting his own kayaking business in Sardinia and the other six months playing the Sax at Jazz clubs around Europe.
See Dario’s showcase video, showing his surfing, rolling and sax skills.
“Panos” is from Milos and with Rod, are the only regular paddlers on the island. He began paddling in 2017 and completed the Around Milos expedition with only 2 weeks experience. He followed this up with the Milos to Santorini expedition early in 2018. In 2019 he circumnavigated Milos in 9 hrs and 25 minutes, the current record in a single kayak. He holds the British canoeing Sea kayak Award.
Panos is married to Dora and they have 2 kids. Busy with a full time job and his young family, he tries to get out on the water on the weekends and is available for guiding work on occasions.
