ABOUT
Established in 2023, SUP Shenandoah is the premier standup paddle boarding tour operator in the Shenandoah Valley!
Who We Are
SUP Shenandoah is your premier guide and instruction for Standup Paddle Boarding in the Shenandoah Valley. Our mission is to share our passion for standup paddle boarding and inspire care for our waterways and environment. With confidence, we'll not only help you be a confident paddler but we'll insure you have an amazing time standup paddle boarding. We currently offer eco-tours, and instruction from complete beginners, intermediate to advance paddling skills, advanced balance skills, intro to navigating moving water, and beginner racing techniques. SUP Shenandoah's guides are all training by seasoned paddlers and hold certifications issued by the Professional Standup Paddle Association (PSUPA).
Owner | Guide | Instructor
David Verde is a life long outdoor adventurer, paddler and waterman. By trade he is career filmmaker and video producer and currently works and lives in Staunton, VA. David is a certified instructor by the Professional Standup Paddle Association (PSUPA), he began paddle boarding after relocating from Charleston, South Carolina to fill the void left not having easy access to surfing and the ocean. He was hooked from day one and has gone on to become a highly skilled paddler. He is one of the few river surfers and whitewater paddle boarders in the Shenandoah Valley who regularly navigate class III-IV rapids standing up. On the less high-octane version of SUP, he loves to explore lake shorelines, mellow winding rivers, and maze-like coastal waters. He is a active supporter of the whitewater SUP community in the Southeast and hopes to continue growing interest in the sport in throughout the Valley. In addition to being a experienced paddle board guide and instructor, David is a certified PADI Divemaster scuba diver. He is a proud Honduran immigrant and is also a U.S. Air Force Veteran.
David's Mission For Change: David believes that egos and machismo are a prevailing toxic culture held by many gate-keepers in the outdoor community that turns away countless newcomers before they even get started, particularly for women and people from more diverse backgrounds. In addition to giving the best instructor and SUP tours in the valley, he hopes to find more ways to make paddling more accessible and welcoming to BIPOC and other ally communities, leaving a lasting impression that makes the outdoor community just as diverse as the environments we explore.
Experience is what sets us apart from the rest
Anyone can rent you a paddle board and give you the bare-bone basics before sending you on your way, but we believe getting the right introduction to paddle sports, particularly paddle boarding, is how you become a paddler for life and feel empowered to explore and gain more experience on the water in different settings. Our owner and guide is one of the most experienced and well versed paddle boarders in this region of Virginia. From Blacksburg in the New River Valley, Roanoke, Charlottesville, Staunton, Lexington, Harrisonburg, to Luray, our guide has likely explored and paddled nearly every navigable waterway in the region, from the small rivers to our beautiful mountain lakes, even all the way to the coast of Virginia. Above all else, his experience simply allows him to focus on making sure you're safe so you can simply have an fun and amazing time on the water.
(Full Disclosure, this whole paragraph is for SEO keyword optimization to help super cool people like yourself find us online 🤣 David is super chill and does not bloat all that much in person, he just really liked to paddle board and is pretty decent at it. 😎)
