Brian Coggan's Page

Brian Coggan was born and raised around the waters of San Francisco Bay. He grew up sailing, surfing, kayaking, and windsurfing—generally spending as much time in the water as possible. After a brief respite in eastern Washington, where he attended Whitman College and majored in geology and environmental studies, he returned to the Bay to work as a sea kayaking instructor and guide.

While kayaking has taken him all over North America—from Baja to Alaska, Vancouver Island to the Great Lakes, and on rivers everywhere in between—he’s excited to paddle the Mississippi from it’s very headwaters to the Gulf. “It will be amazing to spend so much time on a single river as it grows from a little creek flowing out of Lake Itasca at 10 cfs to the mighty river that passes New Orleans at an average of over 500,000 cfs.”

But most of all, he’s excited to be a part of What About Blue? as it tackles the global water crisis. “Water is about so much more than just sustaining life. As if that wasn’t enough, we also depend on water as a place to find excitement and serenity, happiness and satisfaction, a source for the metaphors that define our lives. This is why it is a global crisis, because it’s an issue that we all face, every one of us, in one form or another. Water is our greatest legacy and we are all responsible for its protection and preservation.”

Fun Facts:

Number of kayaks that Brian owns: 7

Number of kayaks that Brian's built: 3

Secret Talent: Knitting

Favorite food: Ice Cream

Longest day spent paddling: 11 hours straight