The Chic Guide: What is Surf Dayton?
Shannon Thomas, Co-Owner of Surf Dayton: Surf Dayton is a surf and paddleboard shop, but a large part of our business is board rentals, river surf clinics, and paddleboard lessons.
The Chic Guide: What’s the inspiration behind it?
Thomas: I owned SurfDayton.com for a while but it was just a community website for information on the river features, etc. In 2019, we decided to turn it into a clinic business, which led into retail to support the growing paddling and surf community.
The Chic Guide: Who’s behind the business?
Thomas: It’s myself, Shannon, and my business partner Jake Brown.
The Chic Guide: What types of lessons do you offer?
Thomas: We offer river surfing, paddle boarding, whitewater paddle boarding, and guided river trips.
The Chic Guide: What makes Surf Dayton unique?
Thomas: Surfing in a landlocked area is pretty unique in itself. We just love to surf and paddle and are always wanting to get more people involved. The more surfers and paddles we have in the community, the more appreciation we have for our rivers and taking care and protecting them, water conservation, and promoting whitewater safety.
The Chic Guide: Is there anything new on the horizon?
Thomas: We just moved to a spot on Valley Street on the Mad River. There will be a hostel for traveling surfers, paddlers, and cyclists using the paths and waterways. There will also be a bar and restaurant in 2024 called Eddy Out.
The Chic Guide: Where are you located?
Thomas: We base our operations at 120 Valley Street. Lessons and clinics are done at one of the whitewater features downtown or at Eastwood Lake.
The Chic Guide: Where can readers go to learn more and follow along?
Thomas: Visit www.surfdayton.com to learn more or follow our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram to stay informed. We also have the Surf Dayton Facebook group page, where the community can post everything surf and river related.