Are you a passionate paddleboarder looking to turn your hobby into a thriving business? Look no further than our latest blog post, where we interview Caz Dawson (aka ‘SUP Lass’), founder of SUP Lass Paddle Adventures.
Caz shares her personal journey in the stand-up paddleboarding industry, including the inspiration behind her successful SUP school and the challenges she faced along the way. Learn from her valuable insights on maintaining the highest safety standards, keeping up with emerging trends, and balancing business and passion. Her journey and advice is sure to inspire and motivate anyone looking to turn their love of SUP into a profitable venture.
What inspired you to start a SUP school, and how did you get started in the industry?
I began paddling with no intention of turning a hobby into a business - paddling replaced 30 years of competitive horse riding and started after losing my horse in a tragic accident. I grew to love being on my board and wanted to share with others the joy being connected to water gave me. SUP Lass was originally a personal social media tag that quickly morphed into the SUP Lass Paddle Adventures business. I started by getting involved with local social paddles and within six weeks I had entered my first white water race…the rest as we say is history!
What obstacles did you face when setting up business, and how did you overcome them?
I am pretty business savvy - I have run my own outdoor catering business and supported 100’s of rural startups as part of my day to day job - so the art of running a business already came naturally to me. What was new to me was the paddle industry - insurances, kit, trade accounts, etc - as a newbie it was at times a challenge to be taken seriously or to obtain a trade account - none of the ‘big boys’ would even take a phone call with me in the early days. That frustrated the hell out of me, as I had a vision and I knew I could make it work.
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How do you ensure that you operate to the highest safety standards, and what measures do you have in place to protect your students and instructors?
I pride myself in high standards and offering the best customer experience, this for me is achieved by being thorough in my practices, using the best quality kit, asking for help and taking on board industry developments. I ensure I keep myself current through undertaking regular courses and training, plus being accredited which ensures that my business operations are independently reviewed on a yearly basis.
What kind of training and certifications do you have, and how do you ensure you maintain their skills and knowledge?
SUP Lass is just me ‘Caz’, and for the last two seasons I have delivered all of the sessions. I hold a broad range of water and SUP qualifications for a range of different environments, all of which are logged and recorded with any renewals penciled in the diary. For me it is important to keep up my personal paddling to keep my skill level high. My partner Jon sometimes assists me in delivering larger sessions, he is a qualified Adventure Guide, he is also a professional drone pilot and the chief SLPA handyman. I also have been working with some of my clients to get them ready for instructor qualifications. This year I will be working with several freelancers who will support the delivery of our offer.
What are some of the biggest challenges you face as a stand up paddleboarding school owner, and how do you stay ahead of the competition?
For me I am a natural creative, so I thrive from out of box thinking, pushing boundaries, etc. I don’t see anyone as competition - I focus on my own game and deliver what I think my clients will enjoy. I highly rate collaborations and have enjoyed working with the likes of the Dee Trust, Plus Size Paddler, Jo Mosley, RNLI to name but a few….sticking to your USP and business values is important and I think that is how we have managed to grow over the last few years. We have also developed a name for ourselves in supporting female paddlers through problem solving and making adventure accessible…which has just happened organically.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in starting their own SUP school, and what qualities do you think are necessary for success in this industry?
Taking clients on the water is the easy bit….the running and the marketing of the business is what takes the time, effort and energy and also what gets the results. You also have to be physically fit and strong, and be able to handle multiple boards and bags of kit. By the end of the season you have guns like Popeye from throwing multiple boards on a van roof several times a week!! Being resilient and the ability to adapt to plan B,C,D is important, as is dealing with every type of person and scenario that they want to throw at you. Also it is important to buy and use decent kit.
How do you stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the stand up paddleboarding industry, and what trends do you see emerging in the years ahead?
We try to keep ourselves at the forefront of the industry and do this from paddling regularly with fellow instructors, working with established brands such as Mustang Survival and McConks and associating ourselves with a broad range of credible industry organisations. I personally enjoy researching and reading, plus contributing to podcasts, talks, articles and events.
In terms of future trends, the paddle madness we saw as we emerged from CV19 lock down has certainly calmed down and now see a lesser demand in the real beginners sessions and more interest in skills and progression. Adventure and journeying is a much bigger scene, so servicing that market is where many businesses are focussing their efforts and energy.
How do you balance the business side of running a school with your passion for stand up paddleboarding, and what do you enjoy most about your work?
My paddle journey so far has been enormously rewarding and fulfilling, not only for myself but for others. Some of my most rewarding days haven’t been the white water rivers or on swelling seas, but have been working with individuals on simple and fundamental skills and seeing the beaming grins on faces. I love problem solving and finding practical solutions to paddle barriers.
What are your future goals and plans for the business, and how do you plan to achieve them?
We plan to mature our paddle offer this year, with particular focus on adventure and food - we have some great collaborations lined up - some I can talk about and some I can’t!! This year we will be offering multiple overnight adventures, plus some more unusual SUP + ?? combos.
I also will be working on a freelance basis and have some overseas guiding lined up with the likes of SUP Norway and WSA. I will also be supporting other local businesses by offering some extra (wo)man and kit power.
Most importantly I just want to focus on having fun with SLPA and allow it to naturally evolve.
Fancy turning your paddleboarding passion into a business?
If you're ready to take your stand up paddleboarding journey to the next level, it's time to take action. Water Skills Academy offers a globally recognised accredited professional paddler courses to help get to the very top of your game. Book a WSA SUP Safety & Rescue Course and a WSA SUP Instructor Course and equip yourself with the knowledge and accredited skills you need to get started.