About Chris
My name is Chris Patterson and I am the owner of SurfsSUP based in Ormond Beach, Florida. SurfsSUP is a cornerstone of the Ormond Beach community. I am a Paddle FIT Instructor, First Aid and CPR certified and a competitive SUP racer.
At a very young age, I learned to surf, and found that I had a real passion for it. When my uncle bought me my first surfboard, I immediately fell in love with the sport. Sadly, in Florida, the waves weren’t always the best conditions to surf. Like any surfer, I wanted bigger waves. So, I moved to a long board and then to a sailboard when there was too much wind and not enough waves. I lived in Hawaii for seven years and was in the water surfing almost everyday and on many different types of waves. Hawaii had an exceptional variety to offer, and I surfed them all; from the Pipeline, Gas Chambers, Chun's, Joko’s, Log Cabins, Three's, Rice Bowl's, Diamond Head to Port Lock Point. However, here on the southern Atlantic coast you wish for anything that resembles the waves of Hawaii. We do get lucky from time to time, the best waves are hurricane surf and wind swells.
One afternoon, a friend of mine invited me to go Paddleboarding with him. As I approached the beach and saw the SUP (stand-up-paddleboard), it looked like a long board on steroids. The thing was huge and had no handle to carry it with. So, I had to balance it on my head while holding a long paddle in the other hand to get it to the water. It was early evening and the Atlantic Ocean looked like a lake and was flat. My friend said, "Hop on and Stand up.” I tried and fell right off the first few times. Thinking I could surf, I thought I knew what I was doing. You stand on it facing forward. Not in a surf stance. If you look down, you go down! Once I learned to stand up straight and how to hold the paddle, I was on my way. I started paddling out into the ocean; I was amazed that I could see so much more from the standing position. There was no glare on the water and as I was watching the sunset, two dolphins were swimming not more than five yards away. To say the least, I was immediately hooked! I enjoyed everything around me in a brand new way. There were no waves, but I was still enjoying the ocean from a very different vantage point. Since stand up paddleboarding is now my passion, I am excited about sharing it with others.
At a very young age, I learned to surf, and found that I had a real passion for it. When my uncle bought me my first surfboard, I immediately fell in love with the sport. Sadly, in Florida, the waves weren’t always the best conditions to surf. Like any surfer, I wanted bigger waves. So, I moved to a long board and then to a sailboard when there was too much wind and not enough waves. I lived in Hawaii for seven years and was in the water surfing almost everyday and on many different types of waves. Hawaii had an exceptional variety to offer, and I surfed them all; from the Pipeline, Gas Chambers, Chun's, Joko’s, Log Cabins, Three's, Rice Bowl's, Diamond Head to Port Lock Point. However, here on the southern Atlantic coast you wish for anything that resembles the waves of Hawaii. We do get lucky from time to time, the best waves are hurricane surf and wind swells.
One afternoon, a friend of mine invited me to go Paddleboarding with him. As I approached the beach and saw the SUP (stand-up-paddleboard), it looked like a long board on steroids. The thing was huge and had no handle to carry it with. So, I had to balance it on my head while holding a long paddle in the other hand to get it to the water. It was early evening and the Atlantic Ocean looked like a lake and was flat. My friend said, "Hop on and Stand up.” I tried and fell right off the first few times. Thinking I could surf, I thought I knew what I was doing. You stand on it facing forward. Not in a surf stance. If you look down, you go down! Once I learned to stand up straight and how to hold the paddle, I was on my way. I started paddling out into the ocean; I was amazed that I could see so much more from the standing position. There was no glare on the water and as I was watching the sunset, two dolphins were swimming not more than five yards away. To say the least, I was immediately hooked! I enjoyed everything around me in a brand new way. There were no waves, but I was still enjoying the ocean from a very different vantage point. Since stand up paddleboarding is now my passion, I am excited about sharing it with others.
