A Wee Bit of History
Established in 2004
Guiding awesome trips in Seward since 2004
Liquid Adventures was founded by veteran kayakers/surfers/fisherpeople/virtuosos, Chris Mautino and Pam Sousa. For many years, Chris and Pam operated Liquid Adventures alone, distinguishing their company by offering highly personalized, top-notch adventures executed with an exceptional level of attention to the details. Chris brought to the company his years of experience planning and guiding backcountry tours on the water and on land. Being part water-creature, Pam brought killer paddle skills to the table, but her warm hospitality and keen awareness of how to make a journey memorable defined the company.
Experienced Guides join the team
5 years after opening, when Chris and Pam did finally bring on other guides, they only hired guides that had serious paddling and guiding resumés. As strange as it sounds, requiring kayak guides to have prior experience is not standard in the industry. Many guides for companies learn how to paddle, camp, and guide for the first time in the week before the summer season starts.
Liquid Adventures had high skills requirements for the first guides we ever hired, and that policy has continued with every lead guide who has joined our team in the years since. We also seek out the expertise of local guides who have lived in Alaska most of their lives and currently have several on staff.
Pioneering Paddleboarding
Because we were founded by surfers, exploring the opportunities to guide cold-water SUP trips was only natural for Liquid Adventures. Almost a decade ago, Chris and Pam designed some of the first guided Paddleboarding trips offered in Alaska. As the sport has grown globally, Liquid Adventures has continued to push the envelope of what is possible with a Paddleboard in Alaska. Just look at our Aialik Bay Glacier Paddleboarding trip. We think that's a pretty sweet adventure.
Scouting Bear Glacier
12 years ago, Liquid Adventures started exploring guiding opportunities in Bear Glacier. As you can see from the trips we now operate, the lagoon at Bear Glacier is mind-blowing. The landscape is extremely dynamic, which makes it incredibly exciting, but also presents a slew of access challenges.
As we refined our knowledge of the area, we slowly developed a new program for accessing this amazing landscape. Using powerful jetboats, we can now safely and regularly access an area that was previously only readily accessible by helicopters or infrequently by water taxis in very specific ocean conditions.
Our Bear Glacier program is the result of years of careful observation and planning. We're thrilled with the result, and we think you will be as well. Being responsible stewards of the land is also very important to us, so we're very careful about the amount of people we take in at one time. We only run small trips here, and we try as hard as we can to respect the relative exclusivity of this area. We have no plans to build any structures in this landscape — lets keep it natural.
The years ahead
We're excited about the future. Liquid Adventures was founded on a premise rooted in adventure, exploration, and quality of experience, and that perspective still thrives in the company today. It's incredibly fun to innovate, and we're constantly honing in on new adventures.
We're also very excited to expand our partnerships with Major Marine Tours and Exit Glacier Guides. These partnerships save our clients money, but they also strengthen our ability to encourage travelers to support local businesses.
We have small, experienced staff of veteran paddlers for this summer season. Please join us for one of our trips and become part of Liquid Adventures' bright future.