Meet the Team
Kurt Tutt
Born and raised in Byron Bay, Kurt is the owner/operator of Go Sea Kayak. Well known as the town’s champion surf lifesaver, a qualified P.E teacher and kayak guide – Kurt probably spends more time on water than land.
This man runs a tight ship and as the area’s emergency Jetski responder, you couldnʼt be in safer hands. Kurt has completed two World Title 52km Ocean Kayak races in Hawaii in 2011 and 2012 finishing in the top ten both times.
Dougy “The Dolphin Whisperer”
Originally from the central coast of NSW, Doug brings a wealth of experience on the water and a healthy obsession with dolphins to the table. A consistent volunteer with the dolphin research program – Doug has a special knack for spotting dolphins and has been lucky enough to name a few of the locals.
On his days off Doug can be found …kayaking. His favourite quote: “Look after nature, cos nature looks after you”.
Emma
Local paddler Emma joined Go Sea Kayak in 2011 while studying at SCU. She grew up whitewater paddling on the beautiful upper Clarence and Nymboida rivers and is also a qualified Whitewater river guide and ocean lifeguard.
Emma’s love for being with Mother Nature shines through her infectious smile which is permanently glued to her face. She is passionate about native wildlife and their habitats and volunteers for WIRES (Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service).
Emma is one of our ocean guides and business Managers.
Chris
Hailing from Ontario, Canada. Chris has worked with us here at Go Sea Kayak since 2008.
Chris has a wealth of natural knowledge and a lifetime of experience as a sea kayak and whitewater guide.
As a very talented musician, Chris can often be heard singing to the dolphins or to the lucky customers who get to paddle with him.
Erin
Go Sea Kayak’s first ever staff member, Erin joined us in 2008.
A whitewater paddler from Canada, Erin is now a teacher at a local Primary school but makes the occasional VIP appearance on our tours.
Erin is at the head of our staff training program and all of our guides need her tick of approval before heading out on the water to lead tours.
Colin
Originally from Western Australia, Colin ‘the guru’ is a Byron Bay local of 12 years and a World and Australian champion open water swimmer and surf life saver.
Col is not often lost for words (or jokes) and there isn’t much he doesn’t know about how the ocean works.
Col loves meeting new people.
Pete
Our team comedian and Dave Rastovich look a like, Pete is a devoted surfer with a background in Whitewater rafting and kayaking as well as Bush regeneration.
Pete is also one of our qualified lifeguards and has been working as one of our most experienced guides at Go Sea Kayak since 2014. It is always a fun tour when Pete is on the water!
Jeremy
Another of our Young guns, Jeremy grew up in the small local town of Lennox head.
Jeremy joined us in 2019 while completing his Osteopathy degree at SCU.
Jez is a qualified lifeguard and is extremely competent in the water.
Matt ‘Brooksy’
Matt moved to Byron Bay from Melbourne and joined the Go Sea Kayak team in 2016 after completing his scuba dive certificate with the local dive centre.
Better known as ‘Brooksy’, Matt is one of our qualified lifeguards and also works as a carpenter.
Brooksy’s favourite quote: “It’s turtley awesome”
Josh
Byron Bay local, Josh joined the team in 2019.
Josh is an experienced surfer and slackline instructor and also one of our qualified lifeguards.
Josh is our River Coordinator and you will often find him leading our Brunswick River Nature Tours. His passion for this river system is evident through his enthusiasm and excitement when running tours.
Josh is also our team handyman and regardless of whether he has a paddle in his hands or a drill, he always has a smile on his face!
Beau
Beau has been living in Byron Bay his entire life.
Surfing, swimming and kayaking have always been an important part of his life. ‘You can’t not take to the water when you live in a beautiful place like this!’
He has lots of great local knowledge and is great at navigating the waves.
Daisy
Daisy has spent the last couple of years travelling and living in remote communities, exploring the cultural and spiritual significance of Australia.
She has a deep appreciation and respect for our First Nation’s people and their connection to country.
Daisy enjoys sharing stories and educating people on conservation, wildlife and our rich Indigenous culture.
Wherever Daisy wanders, her heart always leads her back to the Northern Rivers!! You will often find Daisy leading our Brunswick River Nature Tours, we love having her on the team!!
Sean
Sean grew up in Byron Bay and has been involved in the local surf life saving club for most of his life regularly competing in contests and events.
Sean joined the Go Sea Kayak team in 2018 while also completing his electrical apprenticeship.
Sean is a super strong paddler and knows the Bay like the back of his hand!
Shaun
Shaun joined us in July 2020 whilst studying a Finance and Management Bachelor Degree
He has grown up surfing and exploring the Bay and loves getting out on the water and searching for wildlife!
Mel
Mel joined us in 2017 and is Go Sea Kayak’s Operation Manager.
A keen open water swimmer and lover of the ocean, Mel quit her corporate desk job to travel around Europe & Morocco before arriving in Byron Bay after spending more than a year backpacking around Australia.
Mel is the happy face you’ll see when meeting at our base and the helpful voice over the phone.
Julian
Julian joined the Go Sea Kayak team in January 2021.
He is currently studying remotely to complete a combined degree in Arts/Laws at the University of Sydney.
A Byron Bay local and the son of an avid kayaker, Julian has been ocean kayaking since he was 5 years old and has a special affinity for the Bay and all the water courses of the region- particularly their rich and varied marine life..
Although he likes to think otherwise, Julian Rocks were not named after him.
Coedie
Coedie Ochre Warrah Mccarthy is a Bar Barrum Yidinji man of North Queensland born in Bundjalung country.
Coedie grew up learning aboriginal culture from a young age and has since been incorporating his skills and knowledge into various forms of modern media and performance.
In his time off from travelling you will find Coedie working on the water as one of our guides spinning yarns about the land, animals, plants and people of the Bundjalung nation.
Luke
A true waterman, Luke is an excellent surfer, kiteboarder and hydro-foiler…..And a great kayaker of course.
Luke has been part of the Go Sea Kayak team since 2018 and is one of our most capable lead guides.
When not at work you will find Luke doing one of the above activities or scoffing down a sandwich so that he can get back out there and keep doing it!