SoBe Surf

After spending a few days at Walt Disney World last week we moved over to Cocoa Beach for some relaxing in the sun. Most of the days were spent relaxing around the pool or playing at the beach. We did drive up to Port Canaveral to watch the SpaceX rocket launch, but that was the extent of our excitement until the last day, when a few of us rented kayaks from SoBe Surf and explored Sykes Creek.
Rather than taking a guided tour we decided just to rent the kayaks and go out exploring on our own. We met up with one of the SoBe employees at their shop and then followed him in our car out to the launching pad, less than a half mile down the road. We were given our equipment and some suggestions on where we could find some wildlife.
Once we paddled out to Sykes Creek from the launch we decided to head about 300 yards south to a little cove where we were told manatees liked to hang out. We paddled all the way to the back of the cove before without seeing more than a few birds, but as we began to paddle back out toward the main creek we were surrounded by manatees!
The giant sea cows were very slow-​moving and gentle, though one of them found Nick’s kayak to be very interesting. He even went belly up to get his mouth fully on the bottom of the kayak. Immediately I was mad at myself for not bringing my GoPro as I would love to have seen what they were doing under the murky water.
We spent a good amount of time in the southern cove before paddling north to a larger cove that didn’t seem to have any manatees in it. We continued north to the Merritt Island Causeway bridge, where we spotted a dolphin. We tried to follow it as it continued north but we quickly lost track. On our way back toward the launch, we found a dolphin who was busying trying to catch a meal along the shore wall.
When we finally made it back to the launch we had been out for roughly three hours. I think if it weren’t so hot we could have paddled all day, but we still saw plenty in the few hours that we were out, and managed to get some exercise in as well.

I loved my experience at this family and friends business. My boyfriend and I went on the «mucho manatee» tour on our stop at Port Canaveral during our cruise and we so shocked to actually see so many manatees in the wild! Our board guide/​teacher was so patient and shared a lot of interesting information about the island and wild-​life there (sorry I forgot his name!) It was a huge hilight of our cruise. Thank you!

I had the pleasure of meeting Girard through a board sale. I was looking to buy a short SUP, and Girard had just the board I was looking for. When I went with my friend to his shop to look at the board, he and his wife (plus his very sweet dog Kona) were very accommodating. Girard not only showed me the board of interest, but also took me on a tour of the lagoon so that I could demo the board before purchasing it. During the demo, he pointed out the wildlife in the lagoon – we even saw dolphins and manatees! Girard gave several tips along the way on how to utilize the board to catch the best surf. In the end, I bought the board; Girard never pressured me and gave me an excellent deal for the quality and condition of the board. The board was a blast sup surfing in the ocean, and I can’t wait to take it river surfing in Canada. Thanks, Girard!

I had the pleasure of being surprised with paddle board lessons over the weekend. My wife found SoBe online and set us up with lessons.
My wife was a bit unsure about the idea of standing up on the board in the launch area, let alone heading out in to the open water of the intercoastal waterway that we were to eventually undertake.
However Girard was ever the professional and easily put her mind at ease. He is thoughtful, encouraging, and thorough with his instruction. He is very attentive to his client’s needs and is quick with a fix or a suggestion.
The day was fantastic and SoBe Surf is a must return for us in the future. And we will happily be bringing others with us!

I first paddled with Girard three years ago when I was just getting into SUP. Girard gave me fantastic instruction and had me going in no time at all. Girard is a person who listens, knows his product line, and knows the sport.
So this year when I knew I was coming back to FL for a winter break from RI, I contact Girard first. With three boards at home (all too long to bring South) I was looking for a short 12′-6″ travel composite board that would fit in my van and boat in the summer.
I met with Girard at the new SoBe Surf store location on Merritt Island and discussed my needs. After batting it around we decided the Riviera Race RP 12′-6″ x 28″ would fit my needs.
Well after three paddles in a range of conditions from 0 – 25 kts of wind and flat to nice chop, I am impressed with the board and how well such a short board paddles. My boards at home are 16 – 17′.
So now i have «Stubby» in the van and can paddle a quality composite board anywhere I can take the van. And this summer it will fit below in my sailboat as I trek the New England coast and paddle all the great locations.
Thanks Girard for the excellent service, and the smart move going with Riviera Paddle Board line.
Check out the Riviara line on the Sobe SUP site, you can’t go wrong with the board and hard to beat the price.

I just returned from a paddleboard tour with Sobesurf and Girard Middleton. The tour was through the Banana River Aquatic Preserve. It was a beautiful tour where we could see the wildlife and we even encountered a manatee. While I had been paddle boarding quite a few times what struck me most was Girards thorough instruction and constant tips on how to paddle correctly. He was clear and patient in his instruction and an overall really nice guy. I would absolutely recommend this tour to anyone looking to spend the afternoon exploring wildlife paddle boarding.

Genevieve was awesome! On extremely short notice, a Saturday afternoon no less, she was able to coordinate a combo stand up paddle board /​kayak tour of the Thousand Island area. Very helpful, informative and patient with me on my first SUP voyage. Highly recommended!

Sobe Surf & SUP’s bioluminescence tour is out of this world!!! Girard is an amazing guide and instructor. He made us feel at ease and gave us tips along the way. Everyone needs to experience this! You have to see it with your own eyes. I did, and I still can’t believe it! We had a pod of glowing manatees around us that would pop up for a breath just inches away. Fish darted and jumped with the movement of our paddles, even jumping over our boards. This was truly a one of a kind experience, and one we will never forget! (Perfect for all skill levels.)