41° North was an idea that was born on the water. Friends and paddlers, Jason Bristol and Mark Pecot, were dismayed by the lack of high quality sea kayak instruction in northern Ohio. Living on a Great Lake, with quick access to such amazing places to paddle, Jason and Mark saw both an opportunity and a challenge. While local politicians debated about the need for lakefront redevelopment, these two decided not to wait to begin taking full advantage of Cleveland's greatest asset: Lake Erie. Business meetings were held while bobbing around in 3 ft swells. The name was settled on somewhere 1 mile offshore of downtown Cleveland. And in April 2003, 41° North was launched.
Today, 41° North is recognized as one of the top sea kayaking schools in the Great Lakes region. Our recipe for success has been simple: find the best trained instructors & guides, buy the best equipment, take care of the environment and your clients, remember paddling is about having fun, and just add water.