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Our Story & Values

Founded in 2011, we are proud to be the #1 location for paddle boarding in not only the Mount Desert Island area, but all of Downeast Maine. As far as we know we are the Northeastern-most stand up paddle board company in the US.

Our roots go back to the summer of 2002 when owner Chris Strout started a love affair with Bar Harbor, the ocean, and sea kayaking. What was supposed to be a summer job while in college turned into 10 years of guiding for and managing one of the largest kayak outfitters on the East Coast. Bar Harbor being the seasonal town that it is, Chris was free to roam during the winter months and it was while in Hawaii during the winter in 2008 that paddle boarding first hit Chris’s radar.

However, it wasn’t until the spring of 2011 when Chris was working for a kayak company in Washington DC that he got hooked. The company had recently started doing SUP themselves and Chris found himself wanting to paddle board more than he wanted to kayak. The rest is history.

Over a decade later, Chris and his growing staff of professional instructors are still as stoked on SUP as ever and love sharing that passion! We aren’t a big company, and we probably never will be, but there is a satisfaction in waking up every day knowing that you get to do what you love and make a living doing it. We hope you will come discover, as we have, how amazing SUP can be.

 

At Acadia Stand Up Paddle Boarding, we have a firm commitment to education, stewardship, safety, and fun. Our philosophy is that every day we are blessed to be out paddling is another day we have the chance to teach others, promote stewardship of our oceans and National Parks, and help people safely discover an exciting sport that they can grow into for years to come.

Our oceans and lakes are amazing, dynamic, and surprisingly fragile places. Stand up paddle boarding is a wonderful way to enjoy these waterways in a manner that is low impact and intimate with your surroundings. It allows you to take in the grand views but also to quietly delve into the smaller little coves and tidal areas. We care deeply about finding ways to support those who desire to protect and manage our oceans, lakes, and beaches in a sustainable way.

Our National Parks are our legacy to the future. We proudly support our local Friends Of Acadia as well as the Sommes Meynell Sanctuary, which is actively involved in monitoring the local loon habitat. We urge you to consider making a donation or finding ways to volunteer.

We firmly believe that learning to paddle can be a life long endeavor and even the best of paddlers can always improve and get better. For that reason, Acadia Stand Up Paddleboarding is committed to the highest quality instructional practices, and all our instructors are American Canoe Association certified and have Wilderness First Responder or Wilderness EMT training.

It is our ultimate goal that you walk away from your couple hours with us inspired not only to become stand up paddlers, but also even just a little more inspired to make your life healthier and fuller and our world brighter and better.