Customer Reviews
What You'll Get
Before the invention of water sports, thrill seekers were forced to sneak onto a rock-concert stage and leap board-first onto waves of angry humans. Learn to ride waves that can’t punch you in the head in retaliation with today's Groupon: for $55, you get a semiprivate stand- up paddleboarding lesson for two at Surfs SUP, located at Fortunato Park in Ormond Beach (a $110 value). Lessons are offered daily at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m, and board rental is included in this Groupon.
Chris Patterson, Surfs SUP's owner and certified stand-up paddleboard fitness instructor, bestows daily lessons upon potential paddlers of the vertical persuasion. Making a splash in the world of water sports, the fast-growing sport of SUPing (stand-up paddleboarding) fuses longboard surfing with canoe paddling to give boarders a fun, self-propelled way to traverse the water's surface, visit estranged dolphin siblings, and get a great core-strengthening workout. The 90-minute semiprivate SUP lesson for two begins with a half-hour introduction to the splashy sport, during which SUPers begin by learning how to properly stand up, paddle, and balance atop the board. Following the paddling preliminaries, aqua voyagers venture out into the wet blue yonder for a one-hour supervised practice, during which they'll paddle to their heart's content while acting out the lost alternate ending to Moby-Dick, but without the spaceships.
Certified in both CPR and first aid, Chris brings waves of water-sports experience to SUP lessons, resulting in an informative, hands-on, and safe learning environment. Learning how to SUP equips one with the skills to exercise a highly versatile outdoor hobby—it not only functions as a recreational activity for exploring, fishing, and mermaid speed dating, but also as a multifaceted fitness pursuit that incorporates opportunities for paddling adventures, surfing, and practicing yoga.
The Fine Print
Promotional value expires Oct 28, 2011. Amount paid never expires. Limit 1 per person, may buy 1 additional as gifts. Limit 1 per visit. Reservation required; subject to availability and weather. Must sign waiver. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.
About Surfs SUP
Chris Patterson's first time on a standup paddleboard went the opposite of how most of his clients' first experiences go. "People don't think they can do it because it looks like a surf board, but once they do it, they're hooked," he said. But for Patterson, who had surfed Hawaii's waves for seven years, his first confident step onto a standup paddleboard resulted in immediately falling off. Hauling his humbled self back onto the board, he learned the proper stance, set to paddling, and began seeing the water in a whole new way. The upright stance, unlike surfing's crouched position, opened his vision to the all the water around him, including several feet away where dolphins crested beside his board.
The versatility of the sport inspired Patterson to launch Surfs SUP when he moved back to Florida, where the coast and inland waters afford abundant recreation. During semi-private and private small group lessons, Patterson’s students may encounter water-dwelling creatures such as manatees and dolphins. He's even had clients take out rentals for a day of fishing and bring back catches such as a 45-pound amberjack and a very large bundle of seaweed. Claiming training certification from the American Council on exercise, Patterson also leads on-the-water fitness classes that include SUP Yoga and Paddle Fit, which he learned directly from the program's founder, Brody Welte. Additionally, Patterson organizes a competitive SUP racing team and leads youth camps, where he applies training techniques he learned from teaching kids with cerebral palsy and blindness how to surf.