Olivier Guincetre
Owner

Salut, I am Olivier.

I am the owner of Covewater Paddle Surf. Originally Leslie and Scott Ruble created the shop in 2005. At the time stand up paddling was only popular in Hawaii. Thanks to them the sport and the sup community started to grow significantly in Santa Cruz and the Bay area. I was at first, just a passionate paddler and a regular customer at the shop before becoming friends with Scott. Soon later he asked me if I would share my passion as a sup instructor and in the shop doing sales.

In March 2015 the transition was made and I jumped into a new venture. For this I am grateful and wish Scott the best as he follows his new path, while offering me this amazing opportunity to buy and operate Covewater, the first shop fully dedicated to stand up paddlers.

I spent most of my life in the mountains on two wheels in the French Alps but I always had a passion for the ocean and surfing. I was a professional mountain biker racing around the world for over 15 years. In 2003 I took a break from bike racing after a major injury and I left France for a 12 month bike/surf trip in British Colombia. My passion for bicycles and surf led me to Santa Cruz in 2004. I followed my dream of being part of the Santa Cruz bike and surf community. I was working in the bicycle industry and it is in Santa Cruz that I discovered stand up paddling. This amazing new experience in the ocean gave me so much that it became a new way to enjoy being outdoors.

My goal is to have the Covewater team promoting the sport and offering customers the best equipment they need.
We are passionate about stand up paddling, and sharing this experience in the gorgeous Monterey Bay with new friends is our most rewarding experience.

From experienced paddlers looking for the latest in high performance equipment to novices looking to try this super-fun sport for the first time, we look forward to meeting you and welcoming you into the Covewater family!

Mahalo!