We love what we do. Every day. And we've been investing a lot in it – for many years. That hasn't always been easy. But we want it this way and no other way. We are not rich, but we lead a rich life. It makes us happy to be out and about, wet and salty, and to know that we are spending a great day with you. It makes us happy to work on something with you and to experience moments of success together. And it makes us happy when we feel that we have been able to infect you with our passion for the sea and sea kayaking.

For us, sea kayaking is much more than just paddling straight ahead. We stand for varied, modern, technical and playful paddling in all conditions – from the lake to the ruggedest coasts of the Atlantic. We love to expand your technical foundation and comfort zone together with you, no matter where you are standing and what conditions we find. And we love to enjoy the most beautiful coasts of Europe with you and spend unforgettable days.

As Paddle UK (formerly British Canoeing) coaches, quality and safety are always our top priority. Everything we do and offer is based on years of experience and training, as well as regular updates as Marine Wilderness First Responders. In the field of incident management, we are number 1 in Switzerland and at the top international level.

In addition to paddling on the sea, Greenland rolling is our great passion. We have been training and teaching the ancient art of Greenland kayak rolling for years and have already infected many paddlers with our enthusiasm. High-quality rolling coaching requires not only a lot of experience, but also an extremely good understanding of very complex relationships, a detective's eye for the finest details, a lot of concentration and the ability to help each participant progress individually. And that is exactly what we enjoy so much.

For us, every Greenland rolling session is a journey to the roots of our current sport, a fantastic training for body and boat control and, above all, something you can do anywhere without it ever getting boring.

We are convinced that those who take everything – including themselves – too seriously, will quickly lose the most important things in life: lightness, joy and the ability to laugh at themselves and their own weaknesses. This is exactly why paddling with us is such a great training! Despite all the risk management and seriousness that a sport in a pretty unforgiving nature inevitably entails – for us it is primarily about laughing, often about ourselves. The best therapy ever.

In the Salty Cosmos we don't have any pompous roosters who always just flex their muscles and get along with that. Machismo, mansplaining, homophobia, racism, exclusion and discrimination of any kind, whether open or subtle – none of that has a place with us. The Salty Cosmos is a place where everyone should feel comfortable, no matter who and what they are and where they come from.

You don't have to be cool to have fun with us. We don't need competition, performance pressure or rivalry with one another. Unfortunately, there is already more than enough of all of that in everyday life. Solidarity, togetherness and community are our top priority. And – as we've already said before – laughing together.

We are no heroes and we are certainly not perfect. But every day we try to do our part to make the world a little bit better. We leave every beach cleaner than we found it. We stop to fish a plastic bag out of the sea. We try not to waste resources and to create alternatives to unsustainable tourism with our activities.

Thank you for taking the time to read this far and get to know us. But of course the Salty Cosmos is not just Ella and Yuri. Every day we meet exciting characters. And three of them have joined us. It's not like we adopted them. They're just here. They've come to stay. And we would miss them by now if they changed their minds. So it's time for you to get to know them!

Silvy is the head consultant in our courses department. Born on a rock in the waves of the Atlantic, she is absolutely predestined for this job: one could even say, without any exaggeration, that Silvy is curiosity personified. Wherever there is something new, wherever there is something to learn, you will find her right in the middle of it. Playing and learning, playing and learning, that's how it goes for her all day, from morning to night.

Of course, Silvy always has the final word about our courses. You can rely on her judgment. And at the same time, you must not forget: Since we know that not everyone is as insatiably eager to learn or as hyperactive as she is, we also always have a relaxed time after a day of courses. But Silvy is of course less interested in that.

Gitta loves her freedom more than anything. She leads a simple but very fulfilled life, she is here today and there tomorrow. Adventure is more important to her than any luxury. Unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult to work with her because she does not place much value on being available. Her desire for freedom is too unbridled. Nevertheless, she has made it to the head of our tours department, mainly due to her natural talent, competence and great passion for being on the move.

We take Gitta's ruthless judgment on each of our tour programs very seriously, because we know that she always gets to the heart of the matter!

Frédéric really has the best job in the world: he runs our Sea Kayak Holidays department. Although he is much more sporty than you might think, he is an incredibly chilled guy. No wonder: going on holiday is not only his passion, but also his profession. And he takes it very seriously! Frédéric is not particularly into bivouacking and lugging luggage through the wilderness. He prefers a more dignified approach, in a great holiday camp, with gelato, good food and at least two cups of cappuccino before you see him on the water.

In each of his meaningful summaries, Frédéric sums up the essence of a Salty Cosmos holiday week. You can trust his judgment. Even if he may have his own priorities from time to time, Frédéric knows what really matters. And that is quite obvious: It's all simply about having a flamingo-good time!