WhatSUP South Tampa

WhatSUP South Tampa runs on a simple model: owner Tessa Blosser teaches nearly every lesson herself. Blosser is a certified World Paddle Association instructor along with holding PaddleFit and H2YO certifications, and the business is built around her hands-on approach rather than a rotating staff of seasonal instructors, which is part of why regulars tend to know her by name.

Rather than operating from one fixed storefront, the company meets clients at several waterfront spots around South Tampa and the wider bay, including Davis Islands Beach, downtown Tampa, Weedon Island, Picnic Island, and Cypress Point Park. That flexibility lets Blosser match the launch site to conditions and to what a client wants out of the session, whether that is a calm, protected cove for a first-timer or open water for someone working on technique. Private and group lessons make up the core offering, alongside SUPFit classes that use the paddleboard as a balance and conditioning tool rather than just transportation.

The paddle tours are where the local geography really comes through. Guided excursions run through mangrove tunnels around the bay’s protected shorelines, past wading birds and the occasional manatee in cooler months, and a separate downtown Tampa route takes paddlers along the Hillsborough River and Riverwalk for a very different look at the skyline than you get from a sidewalk. Custom excursions to Florida springs further from Tampa are also offered for groups that want a full-day trip beyond the immediate bay.

Corporate groups and private parties book sessions too, usually as a team-building outing or a birthday alternative to the usual restaurant reservation. Because Blosser runs the operation personally, group sizes tend to stay small enough that everyone actually gets instruction rather than being left to figure out balance on their own.

The company’s motto, learn it, love it, live it, sums up the pitch fairly well. It is built for beginners who want real instruction rather than just a board rental, though experienced paddlers use the guided ecotours too, mostly for the local knowledge of where the wildlife and calm water tend to be on a given day. Sessions run seven days a week from early morning to evening, and booking is handled directly through the business by phone or email.