About the Freshwater Bay Paddleboard Co
BORN OF THE SEA AND THE CHANGING TIDES; ROOTED IN OUR ENVIRONMENT LIKE THE CLIFFS THAT SURROUND US
FRESHWATER BAY PADDLEBOARD CO IS ON A MISSION TO HELP YOU ESCAPE, RECHARGE & RECONNECT; ON YOUR OWN OR WITH LIKE MINDED SOULS
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Charlie Cripwell
Owner / Director
Charlie is a Freshwater Bay resident and avid SUP boarder. Having owned SUP boards from most of the major manufacturers as well as some smaller ones, Charlie couldn’t justify spending upwards of £1000 on boards that still weren’t what he wanted.
He frustratingly found he was either buying high quality but expensive boards with a design or style he wasn’t happy with, or buying nice looking boards that didn’t meet his strict quality requirements. Ever the perfectionist, Charlie believes that if what you want isn’t available then you create it yourself! So, he started Freshwater Bay Paddleboard Company to create SUP boards of a style and quality that weren’t readily available on the UK market.
Prior to launch, Charlie spent a year developing and testing prototypes. In many cases testing them to destruction and starting over again, in a quest to produce the highest quality SUP boards that stand out from the crowd.
You can also read the ‘Behind the Brand’ interview Charlie gave to SUPMAG UK.
Chris Houghton
Owner / Director
Chris is, first and foremost, a ‘fan’ of the Freshwater Bay Paddleboard brand. Having spent many years scaling fast growing businesses, most recently as CEO of OVO Energy Retail, Chris knows what it takes for a business to be successful. He also knows the importance of having a ‘wingman’ in business – somone to bounce ideas off, to share the load with and to complement your skill set.
As well as holding various Non Executive roles, Chris is also a Director and majority shareholder in the Spoon Group of custom bike brands (Spoon Customs, WyndyMilla and Gun Control Custom Paint), so he’s used to dealing with premium products that satisfy the growing consumer desire for ‘fewer, nicer things that bring joy and stand the test of time’.