Thanks to Sam Root (www.saltyshores.com) and Leslie Kolovich (www.supradioshow.com) for taking the time to interview BOTE at the Surf Expo Show in Orlando.
Be sure to check www.saltyshores.com often to get a glimpse of the latest and greatest in the industry.
And tune in and listen to SUP Radio Show (www.supradioshow) where you can learn about the latest news in the SUP world.
Check out this video of our friend catching what look’s to be a 5-6 foot shark on his BOTE Paddleboard!
Strike Zone, Jacksonville is the newest Bote Dealer. In addition to Bote Paddleboards, Strike Zone offers everything that you need for your fishing needs. Strike-Zone is Jacksonville’s premier outdoor store!!!
If you have questions about their current stock, please call 1-855-253-ZONE.
Strike-Zone is located at:
11702 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32246
Precision Paddleboards is South Florida’s SUP speciality store and they now carry BOTE boards. They have the Gator Belly Model and the SUP Skiff in stock. They are located right across from the water and have a large stock of SUP boards in stock and offer demos and lessons. You can contact Josh Vajda at supdude@precisionpaddleboards.com if you have any questions.
They are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 AM to 6 PM. They available on Mondays and evenings by appt.
They are located at:
3305 N Ocean Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
Phone: 877-954-4787
Precision Paddleboards has one of the best staffs on board to help you make the right choice when it comes to SUP, their staff is knowledgable and will be able to teach you the correct way to SUP (and SUP fish), you’ll be a pro in no time!
BOTE held its first demo weekend out on crab island over the Memorial Day weekend in Destin, Florida. The demos are free, and it was great seeing so many people tryout stand up paddle boarding for the first time ever. Those that were introduced to SUP and to Bote varied widely in age. To those that have not given stand up paddling a try and are in the Destin area please look for us in the coming weekends!
Bote will be on Crab Island the majority of Saturdays for the remainder of the summer. Our demo days periodically may change and sometimes we will add an extra day. We will not be on Crab Island on Saturday June 4th, however we will be allowing free demos on Sunday the 5th. When there is a Saturday that we will not be out on Crab Island we will post the information on the website.
Thanks to all who found us on the island (we are located in the shallow area close to the Yellow Party Barge (and the gigantic slide), and thanks to all of those who stopped by. Stop by anytime throughout the summer and let your friends know that we are there. We enjoyed every minute of the weekend!
Listen to 99Rock (or live online at www.wksm.com ) beginning May 2nd for your chance to win a custom 99ROCK BOTE Paddleboard. We will be giving away 4 boards. Callers will get qualified for the weekly drawing 3 times a day during the weekdays.
We are proud to announce that we will be sponsoring the 2011 Destin Fishing Rodeo. The rodeo will be adding a paddle board fishing division for the first time ever! The BOTE Paddle board fishing category will feature 2 prizes.
1St Place- Largest Species caught from a Paddleboard, PRIZE: Fully Rigged BOTE Board
2nd Place- Second Largest Species caught from a Paddle Board, PRIZE: Yeti Cooler
The Destin Fishing Rodeo is an annual event that takes place during the Month of October in Destin, FL.
Established in 1948, The Destin Fishing Rodeo is the ultimate fishing tournament for saltwater anglers of all ages.
For more rodeo info check out www.destinfishingrodeo.org.
Any angler fishing from a paddle board will be eligible for the rodeo. As of now, there will be no entrance fee for those who enter their paddle boards into the rodeo. The increasing popularity of paddle boarding in the area should make for a great turn-out at the rodeo!
Gator Belly
We will soon be offering a new product…a board that is nearly indestructible. We have decided to call the beast the “Gator Belly”. The board has the same dimensions as our 12′ BOTE Board. The Gator Belly series features several unique features that are definitely industry firsts.
The most notable is the poly-urethane rubber coated rails and bottom. You can literally drag the board across the concrete without damaging or scratching it (video to come). It adds about 4lbs of weight to the board. The board also features and gator scale textured 8mm thick pad…the pad is truly awesome.
Pad and liner
Paddle down the Alaqua
We love creeks! The more rain-shed the better; all the more risky.
The head count was five, five brave souls ready to tackle the Alaqua Creek (more like Alaqua gushing river) which was spewing over its banks thanks to all the rain we had the previous 12 hours. To our knowledge we were the first wanderers to trek down this creek armed with SUPs…even better! As for how we came about the idea, basically, our DAC buddy Jon Willis stuck his finger on a map and said, “I think we’ll start here”. For those who do not know Jon, he is certifiably crazy when it comes to adventures.
Carrying the Board to the Creek
The beginning of the Paddle
The journey began 4 linear miles north of were the Alaqua meets highway 20 near Freeport, FL. The adjective “linear” turned out to be very misleading. The Alaqua squeezes the land for as much real estate as it allowed for the 4 linear miles, twisting like a vine the actual distance traveled would end at near 5.8 miles. The weather was foreboding of cold temperatures and rain. The paddle would begin near the 9:30 mark with air temps in the 40′s and water temps somewhere in the 50′s.
The Alaqua Yeti
Us five paddlers set off with Zero knowledge of what we would encounter down the flooded creek. The water flow was brisk with the occasional eddies that pulled and twisted the board’s direction. Ducking, dodging, and diving where the verbs of the day. If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a tree! The near 3ft rise in water level put us SUPers in the trees…literally. Balances were tested with the many fin bumps by odd shaped logs submerged in the murky water. Then…we hit a road block, or water block. Swamp logging-meet-paddleboarding. The creek was blocked by several downed trees and brush. We climbed the trees, lifted the boards from one side to the other (all while balancing on shaking 8″ diameter pine trees) then pulled a Houdini act to get under, over and around the very sharp brush.
Thru the Brush
Continuing the paddle the only obstacles that would remain would be very sharp 180 turns and accidental polar bear swims…all in a days adventure. The last .5 mile of creek opened up and the flow basically slowed to a halt. We picked up the pace to finish strong…and very chilly! The paddle lasted near 2 hours and was very big fun (in the words of Jon).
Yeti man to the finish!
For those who have never paddled a creek or river on a SUP…two words, TRY IT! You will be hooked. The raised alertness increases the whole paddling experience. Your balance, vision, handling, and stamina will all be tested to the max, especially when the water is FREEZING!
We all needed a beer at the End
BOTE and Destin Athletic Club
Beginning this Saturday and continuing the first Saturday of every month, Bote and Destin Athletic Club will be doing a joint Paddle Class/Demo at various locations around the Destin Area. This Saturday we will be at Joe’s Bayou near the Joe’s Bayou boat ramp. Two time slots are available, 9:00 and 10:00 am.
The demo will consist of a short introduction to Stand Up Paddle Boarding accompanied with a 40 minute paddle session. Any one is welcome to join us, the experience level will consist of first timers all the way to advanced trainers. Stop by Destin Athletic Club (DAC) www.dacfitness.comnext to Innerlight surf shop in Destin to sign up, or email magda@boteboard.com.
