Local Summer Bucket List Destination
by Nathan Gardner
Conveniently located on the Tampa side of the Courtney Campbell Causeway , WhatSUP Paddle Sports offers a wide array of outdoor sporting equipment to anyone who wants to take advantage of nearly 10 miles of uninterrupted trails and waterlines .
The first thing new customers will notice is the quality of equipment available to rent . Owner Tessa Blosser chose quality over quantity when choosing gear to rent out , which shows itself in everything from the ultra-sturdy paddle boards to the 21-gear hybrid bikes which make cruising 11 miles over the causeway to Safety Harbor a breeze — even for those who are less inclined towards fitness .
Blosser grew up in Ft . Lauderdale with a family of outdoor enthusiasts and spent much of her childhood on the water . This passion stayed with her , even as she finished her master ’ s degree in education at the University of South Florida and began her career as a teacher . While teaching full-time , Tessa always heard the water beckoning which eventually motivated her to start a paddle boarding company that she operated out of a truck in her spare time .
“ If you ever talk to anyone who ’ s started a business , they know that a ‘ part-time ’ business isn ’ t really part-time ,” Blosser laughed .
Despite the added pressures , Blosser fell in love with teaching people how to paddle board and getting to spend so much time on the water . She quickly realized she wanted to make it full-time
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