Maybe even fascinated. I could feel and experience adventure on water in a way that white water kayaking, canoeing and surfing hadn’t yet provided.
We paddled morning, day and night and tied those first Imagine Surf's rotomolded plastic SUPs in 2008 to our trucks and canoe carts dragging them everywhere - Cheakamus Lake, BC’s coastal waters, the Whistler Four Lakes tour - we fly fished from them, camped on them and even cleaned our trout on the deck. We simply couldn’t get enough. And then it happened; someone threw an ‘i’ in front of SUP and our world changed forever. The inflatable. Since that day there’s not an ounce of water my friends and I haven’t paddled and one thing remains central to the experience - the more you SUP the stronger the connection becomes to our environment and the more you understand why it needs protection.
I’ve been fortunate to document the growth of SUP since 2010 for The Stand Up Journal, now Session Magazine. Our adventures have led us to some of the most untouched and biodiverse waters on the planet and also some of the most polluted. The contrast is real, from land to water, country to country and the biggest inspiration to explore on water is the very place we call home, British Columbia. These few steps we take across the shoreline to draw our paddle into liquid holds much of the biodiversity we all seek to explore, and lucky us it’s mostly still in its natural state. Let's keep it this way. It’s absolutely intoxicating.
This is the connection with which SQUID aims to strengthen, by inspiring you to paddle more and more, and more and to do so on equipment designed to have limited impact on the very places we SUP.
Simply put. We're an authentic and fun brand.
And nobody produces iSUPs and accessories like SQUID.
SQUID's design process stems from a foundation of Sustainability that's been years, and literally thousands of paddle strokes in the making. We've pioneered and tested the use of Bloom Foam and Yulex in the industry and have now woven them into a unique manufacturing process. Every input into our boards, paddles and accessories are carefully chosen - we only use fabrics and materials where they're needed - and combined with industry leading processes like heat welded seams, carbon stringers, woven fusion double layer drop stitch and recycled fabrics and aluminum, SQUID stands alone in the industry.
Our SQUID recycled aluminum double action pump. Light, durable and hard wearing built to last a lifetime of adventures. Adorned with our 1% For The Planet member logo so you too can spread awareness of the importance of both people and brands who tackle our planet's most pressing environmental issues.
There's simply no need for oil-based neoprene. Ever. We use Yulex, a FSC Certified natural plant-based rubber in our ankle leashes and our padded handles on our iSUPs. You no longer need to choose between performance and the planet.
Lovingly hand-made in Thailand with FSC Certified Balsa & Maple woods and finished with a bio-resin. A high performance teardrop shape balanced with a mid-flex carbon shaft offering power when you need it most. You'll look good on the water and paddle like a freak.
Premium Bloom deckpads from algae biomass harvested from freshwater sources throughout the world helping to improve the quality of the very waterways we paddle. Your connection to your board becomes greater when it's eco-friendly.
Each iSUP bag is made from 60 recycled plastic water bottles, a major contributor of ocean pollution across our planet. We need to eliminate single use plastics and begin to design products that are circular with our current plastic waste keeping them out of the landfill and out of our oceans.
