About Us

A Family Business

Sea Kayak Milos and Petrinela’s Guesthouse are owned and operated by Rod Feldtmann and Petrinela Vikeli.  They have three children, Anna and Alexia and Perros.  Perros is in year 11 at Milos High school.  The girls are currently living in Australia, Anna is studying Environmental Science, Alexia a bachelor of Geography at the University of Wollongong.  We hope they will return in the summer so we can update the family photo album!

Petrinela at the family farm, May 2019

Petrinela Vikeli (CEO)

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 Feldtmann

Founder, owner, operator, guide

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 Advanced sea kayak Leader Award with British Canoeing and is a UKCC Level 2 Sea Kayak coach.

Rod with his picnic lunch,  Aug 2019

Dario and the Danes, Oct 2020

Dario Tortone

Day trip guide

Dario first came to Milos in October 2020 and returned full time for the 2021 season..  He is a passionate guide with a huge smile and always ready to help.  He holds the Sea kayak leader award from British canoeing.

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.

Lynne and Roy Clayford

Day trip guides (September)

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.  Eee by Gum! 

Lynne holds the BC Sea Kayak Leader Award and Roy has the BC Sea Kayak Award.  They were part of the 2016 Athens to Milos Expedition, the 2018 Milos to Santorini Expedition and the 2022 expedition to the Saronic Islands.  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 the evolution of his videos here: 2018 2019 2020 | 2021| 2022

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 Cumbrian lakes, the Summer Isles and the Outer Hebrides.

At donkey Beach, West Kimolos, Sep 2019

Panos enjoying a calm day on the south coast, April 2020

Panayotis Loukakis

Casual Day trip Guide

“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 3 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.

Sue and Dave at the Bears,  Oct 2019

Dave and Sue Watson

Expedition and Day trip Guides (2009-2022)

After 13 years guiding trips for Sea Kayak Milos, Dave and Sue have decided to move on to new adventures.

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 guided all the 5-day expeditions as well as 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.

Jeremy Saadaoui

Expedition and Day trip Guide (2015-2022)

Jeremy first arrived in Greece in 2010 to work in the sea turtle rescue centre in Athens. He began leading  sea kayak trips on Santorini Island, then on Milos from 2015-17 and 2022.  He has also been guiding expeditions and providing BCU course in ‘Torres del Paine ‘ national park in the Chilean Patagonia. He is now based in Corsica, guiding for a local kayaking company.

Jeremy at Kimolos, May 2022