Behind the scenes at the Charleston magazine photo shoot

Behind the scenes at Shem Creek Boat Landing

It's always a pleasure working with a talented photographer. Yesterday's late afternoon photo shoot for Charleston magazine's upcoming "Water" issue (June) was at first terrifying, and then a real treat. With tornado warnings in effect, Charleston-based photographer Ben Williams didn't feel like we should reschedule due to "a little wind." Obviously he's not a regular SUP'er! But we were good sports and did what he said, including stripping down to shorts and bikinis in the rain for the first round of portraits at Red's Icehouse as the happy hour crowd poured in. The clouds eventually parted and the lighting was perfect for a group paddle session at Shem Creek Boat Landing.
It's good that Charleston's local media have finally taken an interest in standup paddleboarding and her growing community. With so many rich waterways and calm beaches, there's no reason this can't be a top SUP destination.
Look for Charleston magazine's June issue featuring locals who live to surf and standup paddleboard. With Ben Williams behind the lens, it's sure to be a beautiful sight.

Contact us at: dean@deanwatersports.com

Padding 2,200 miles for two great causes

Will Rich and Mike Simpson paddle in to Shem Creek after 670 nautical miles

Pictured: Mike Simpson, Dean Johnson, David Clifford, and Will Rich

Tonight we had the honor of meeting Mike Simpson and Will Rich from SUP the Coast during their short stop here in Charleston, SC. These guys are paddling from Key West, Florida all the way to Portland, Maine for two great causes- the Wounded Warrior Project and SUP Cleanup. They've been at it since March 1, in hopes to paddle at least 30 miles per day. Most days the weather has not been on their side, but they keep plowing up the East Coast regardless of the sideway rains and strong winds. Paddling 17' Bark boards, they are equipped with camping gear, bug suits, zinc sunscreen, and a leaky waterproof bag carrying an iPhone, GPS and SPOT tracking device. Will uses his iPhone to blog, tweet, and update the SUP the Coast Facebook page. As we shared a bucket of PBR, Dean Watersports got the lowdown on their 670 nautical mile journey thus far. These guys are rock stars! And they are going to have a lot of great stories by the end of this trip.

To learn more about SUP the Coast and this charitable quest, visit:

http://www.supthecoast.com/

To follow their blog:

http://supthecoast.wordpress.com/

Best of luck Mike and Will! We hope to see you in Wrightsville Beach, NC for the Carolina Cup on April 30.

The 2011 Dean SUP design released, just in time for race season!

The 2011 Dean SUP design was released this past weekend on Shem Creek in Mt Pleasant, SC. Making its debut, this hand shaped, carbon fiber and fiberglass hybrid is catching a lot of attention on the water. It's not only stable, fast, and lightweight, it's sleek! Pictured is the new 14' Dean SUP race board. Custom made to fit the specific needs of the 6 ft tall, 220 lb customer, Dean shaped the width at 27" wide and it's plenty stable.

If you're looking to take your racing to the next level, this is the board for you. (Or if you're looking for a few honks and hollars, well, we have helped clients achieve that too :)

Board color options are available. All 2011 Dean SUP boards are outfitted with Larry Allison fins.

Stay tuned to our blog posts where we'll release photos of the 12.6' Dean SUP team boards in a couple of weeks.

It's been a long winter! Race season officially kicks off in Charleston on Saturday, February 26 on Shem Creek. Charleston Watersports and SUP Nation will host the first of this six-race series. It's $5 for the recreation class, and $10 for the elite. For more information about the race, prizes, or to sign up, please visit: http://www.meetup.com/supnation/

For more information about Dean boards or to get a quote, contact Dean Johnson:

dean@deanwatersports.com

Dean Watersports Knows Good Design!

We know our board design, but we also know our graphic design! Just announced today, Dean Watersports logo designer Jay Fletcher (of J Fletcher Design), has won an ADDY® Award for Best Logo Design. The awards ceremony and event takes place on February 18 here in Charleston, SC.
http://adfedcharleston.com/2011/02/01/addy®-awards-party-coming-up/


Thanks to the talented Jay Fletcher! And as he says it, "Dean Watersports 4-eva!"

Let's carve.

Delivered just in time for the holidays, this 9'8" SUP performance surfboard is designed for those who want to carve on the waves. With a quad fin + 1, center channel single concave bottom, the center channel allows for more acceleration under the board. Weighing in at around 14lbs (without fins), there's lots of stability for paddling out into the lineup.




Dimensions: 9'8" x 30 x 4 1/2". Painted and clear coated only $1200.

Sizes range from 7'8" to 11'0 with many different configurations possible.

Laid back in St Augustine, Florida

November 20, 2010

After a late-night, epic drive south to St Augustine, Florida, we made it just in time for a benefit paddle race through some amazing intracoastal creeks. Through our friend David Slemp, we met some really great people who are eager to jump start the SUP scene and Dean Watersports is excited to be a part of this up-and-coming community.

Along with our personal race boards in tow, we delivered two new Dean boards to Surf Station, the local shop for everything surf and skate.

Pictured at top is the Dean 9'8 designed for SUP performance surfing. This lightweight board is fast paddling out and with the unique rail design, is easy to maneuver, turn and carves much faster than a typical SUP surf board. This board is great for any size wave.

Next up is the Dean 12'6 SUP race board. Weighing in at only 23 lbs, this displacement hull board does it all. Expect a stable and fast board in all conditions.

Both boards are constructed from EPS foam, fiberglass and epoxy. Full carbon models are also available.

If you live in central Florida and you'd like to take a Dean board for a spin, please contact Tory at Surf Station.

1020 Anastasia Blvd, St Augustine Florida 32080

http://www.surf-station.com/

(904) 471-9463

Or toll free (800) 460-6394

For all other inquiries, email:

dean@deanwatersports.com

10/28/10

Recently added to the Dean Watersports' "dream" series is a 14' race board designed, hand-shaped, and painted by Dean Johnson. No doubt this is a super performance board that glides through flat water and surf conditions with grace and speed.  Contact us today for a demo or to learn more about our holiday specials.  You can pre-order your Dean SUP and be on the water by early January at Wilmington's annual Cold Water Classic!  

dean@deanwatersports.com