About Us

Boardskillz has been teaching people how to paddleboard and windsurf for 4yrs now. The business was set up by Joe Thwaites who currently competes in paddlesurfing contests around the UK and has windsurfed in some of the world’s most challenging wave destinations. Joe has also spent years surfing longboards in his youth and teaches school kids how to play badminton over the colder months. Joe is BSUPA & RYA qualified. Joe hopes to become a regional instructors’ instructor for BSUPA in 2012 so you couldn’t be in better SUP hands whether it’s lessons or equipment advice you’re interested in.

Nick Graham is Joe’s right hand man and comes from a semi-professional windsurfing background as well as being a very accomplished paddleboarder and surfer. Nick recently won the Tynemouth SUP Show Down’s Mens Surf Division making him the one to watch in the forthcoming Boardskillz-sponsored 2012 event.

Ian Merrick has been working with Boardskillz for the last couple of years. Ian comes from a youth worker background so is great with the kids. When he’s not paddleboarding Ian can be found shredding the trails up at Hamsterley Forrest or hitting the slopes in Whistler over the winter.