About Us
Our Mission
To offer river experiences that provide an opportunity to appreciate nature...and to do so in a way that values everyone.
We believe in conservation through recreation. That memories of time in nature fuel the duty to protect our waters and wildlife. To forge connections with nature through experience and education, so that these experiences may be had for generations to come.
Our Values
The Haw River Canoe & Kayak Co. offers far more than boats, courses and trips, because its guides understand the river and its natural significance.
Joe Jacob, who created the company, is a marine biologist and conservationist who worked two decades for The Nature Conservancy and has spent years paddling the Haw. His goal is to help everyone appreciate this precious natural resource and help preserve it for future generations.
All courses and trips offered by The Haw River Canoe & Kayak Co. are intended to raise public awareness to the need to protect our environment. Please don’t disturb wildlife or litter, and consider participating in our “Dollar-a-Day for Conservation” program, where we provide an opportunity for participants to contribute directly to conserving the Haw River and its adjacent land.
Most of all, everyone at The Haw River Canoe & Kayak Co. believes special places like the Haw River allow people to escape the frenetic pace of life and reinvigorate their lives, their souls. It’s a belief rooted in the motto: “Reconnect with Nature. Have fun paddling.”
Our Team
Joe Jacob
President, Instructor & Guide
An aquatic biologist and environmentalist, Joe Jacob spent two decades working with The Nature Conservancy — serving as Director of Science for the Southeastern United States and working two years with the Conservancy’s Alaska office — before launching his first paddlesports business.
Joe has a strong background in marine ecology. He has worked as a researcher in a marine lab, and taught at both the high school and university levels. He also is trained in first aid and is a certified canoe and kayak instructor.
For 14 years, Joe owned and directed another paddlesports business, eventually selling that operation to spend more time helping others discover their connection to Nature by getting them out on the Haw River.
Jacob Matheny
Instructor, Guide & Operations Manager
Passionate about our rivers, Jacob Matheny began guiding on the Haw River in 2008. He soon found out there was more to paddling than just putting blade to water. The Greenville, S.C. native enjoys sharing what he, himself, has found worth experiencing, spending time on the river, and introducing the sport to as many people as he can. In the past Jacob has guided, run our summer camp program & our instructional classes, and now handles logistics for the company during the summer season. During the winter months Jacob enjoys running the dam releases in the southeast, with some of his closest friends; from moving flat-water sessions, where the water resembles glass, to some of Appalachia’s most Classic whitewater runs.
Ben Clarke
Bynum Outpost Coordinator & Guide
Ben Clarke is one of the few kayakers who will admit to being “totally unabashed” about tubing.
You read that right: tubing.
Most kayakers would look down on trading their plastic boat for a tube, but not Ben, who tubes not only the Haw River but has braved Class III Nantahala Falls with a 50% success rate.
Kayak, tube, canoe. If it gets him on the water, then he’s a fan, which should tell you a lot about his enthusiasm. Combine that love of paddling with a life spent on the Haw River and you have a pretty good idea of what Ben brings to any river trip.
Growing up in a house near the Haw River, Ben grew up swimming and tubing as well as canoe-camping with his dad. After getting a degree in Economics at UNC he moved back to the Haw and transitioned smoothly into whitewater kayaking, and is now excited to bring his love for the river to the public.
Since spring of 2022, Ben has shared his characteristic enthusiasm with us at The Haw River Canoe and Kayak Co., where he is now serving as the new Bynum Outpost Coordinator.
Bob Brueckner
Instructor & Guide
Bob Brueckner is the best definition of unassuming: no flashy gear, no boasting. If you met him, you’d probably not guess he’s a sought-after kayak and canoe instructor. Well, unless you see him near Saxapahaw Lake, in which case he would be the guy in a dripping spray skirt, patiently explaining kayaking strokes to a beginner.
In addition to his conservation work with the Carolina Canoe Club, Bob has been guiding and teaching for the Haw River Canoe & Kayak Co. for over ten years. His favorite moments are the small marks of progress and the way a surprised enthusiasm can light up a student. Bob finds it “rewarding when you can see someone who finally figures out how to do a forward stroke.” Such a simple thing to an experienced paddler can delight beginners; it’s a first taste of confidence that hints at later gains.
Bob recalls helping a quiet, unsmiling guest surf a little rapid on the Neuse River and how a “grin started creeping across his face.” This example is indicative of the value Bob finds in teaching: seeing people reach goals that previously seemed unattainable. What to some is just surfing, to others is a hint at a new lifestyle.
You may think you can’t do it, but a good teacher—and Bob is, if anything, that—helps you realize you can.