Trudi Angell and Douglas Knapp live in Loreto, Baja, Mexico. Trudi was a graduate of one of the first National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), Baja courses in 1976, and subsequently worked for the school and kayaked the coast for the next 7 years. Douglas sailed the Gulf of California in his 22 foot live-aboard catamaran. They met, explored, and decided to offer guide services, just as adventure travel and Baja gained popularity. Trudi started Paddling South, and Douglas, Small Boat Cruising Center.

Paddling South began running kayak tours in the early '80s when they settled into the small coastal town of Loreto. The Baja coastline and Sea of Cortez had captured Trudi's sense of exploration - she found that kayaking was the best way to accommodate her quest for adventure. Expanding horizons, she discovered other natural treasures of the region while traveling by mule in the sierra. Trudi has developed a intimate knowledge about the people, area, history and roots of Baja.