About West Coast Paddle Sports
West Coast Paddle Sports is San Diego's largest stand-up paddleboard and outrigger canoe specialty shop, founded in 2011 by Bob Long — who had previously opened Bob's Mission Surf in Pacific Beach in 1993 — as the city's first retail store dedicated exclusively to SUP boards and paddles. Current owner Jeton Prince, who grew up in boat yards in Hawaii and repaired watercraft for Club Med internationally, assumed full ownership in 2019 and relocated the operation to a 3,500-square-foot warehouse showroom on Rosecrans Street in Point Loma in 2024. The shop stocks over one hundred boards from Sunova, Starboard, Jimmy Lewis, and other premium brands, and serves as the official Sunova North American headquarters.
Rentals launch from a separate waterfront location at Liberty Station on Laning Road, in front of the Courtyard Marriott, where guests can take out lightweight Bounce Composite paddleboards and Malibu sit-on-top kayaks on the calm protected waters of the bay. One-hour SUP lessons are available for sixty dollars, and group instruction accommodates up to twenty-five people with twenty-four hours' notice. The shop's SUP Pups programme — run through SUP Pups California — offers private dog-and-owner paddleboard lessons that include the board, a canine life vest, instruction, and action photos, making it one of the most popular pet-friendly water activities in the Point Loma area.
West Coast Paddle Sports doubles as a community hub for San Diego's paddle-sport scene. The West Coast Gliders youth racing programme trains kids as young as ten on SUPs, outrigger canoes, and dragon boats under an ICF-certified coach, while adult sessions run multiple evenings a week. A full repair facility handles everything from small dings to outrigger canoes snapped in half, with custom paint matching and guaranteed work. Regular Play and Demo Day events let customers test new boards before purchasing, and the shop's sixteen-foot ceilings and open warehouse layout host video screenings and community gatherings. For serious paddlers who want expert-level gear, instruction, and a genuine paddling community, West Coast Paddle Sports is the destination in San Diego.
