About Dian Weimer Author of The Paddling Chef

Born and raised in Vancouver, BC, Dian spent many happy hours splashing and playing in the sea. It has always held a special meaning for her. So it was with great enthusiasm that she embraced ocean paddling in a kayak over fifteen years ago with her friend and now paddling partner, Leslie Churchland. They took their first few multi-day trips in British Columbia's Howe Sound region with their two young daughters, but as they expanded their horizons to more remote areas they paddled on their own.

Recent trips in the coastal waters of British Columbia have included Nootka Sound (Espinosa, Esperanza and Zeballos Inlets), Gwaii Haanas Park (Queen Charlotte Islands), Kyuquot Sound (The Bunsby Islands), Johnstone Strait (Broughton Archipelago), Barkley Sound (The Deer Group, The Broken Group of Islands) and Clayoquot Sound. Dian has paddled Bowron Lakes Provincial Park in the BC interior and has also participated in the "Round Bowen Challenge", the longest kayak race in North America, four times.

She loves to cook and enjoys adapting and tweaking recipes. As she and Leslie embarked on paddling trips of a week or longer, Dian increasingly focused her attention on the quality of their meals. It has always been her responsibility to take charge of meal planning. Dian has adapted some family recipes, appropriated recipes from other friends who canoe on lengthy trips and thumbed through cookbooks looking for inspiration.

More recently,she has begun exploring Asian recipes for some new challenges. Japanese and Chinese influences are commonplace in many diets.  A young friend from India, who loves to cook, has introduced her to some exciting possibilities from that rich tradition that can be incorporated into a paddler’s food stores.