The company is run by its founder alongside two long-time partners, with a small, experienced team that has been involved in paddleboard production from the beginning. Our customer service manager previously oversaw domestic board production, and that hands-on background shapes how we support customers and think about product decisions.
We’re not trying to be the biggest brand in the category, and we’re not chasing lifestyle positioning. Our goal is simpler: build the best paddleboards we can, price them fairly, and make sure people feel good about their purchase — not just on day one, but years down the line.
That focus has stayed consistent as Glide has grown, and it continues to guide how we design boards, choose materials, and support the people who use them.
We’re an inflatable paddleboard company. Our focus is the board itself.
Most inflatable paddleboards are created from factory templates, with construction decisions largely set before a brand ever gets involved. We take a different approach. We start on the inside — materials, structure, stiffness, and durability — and work outward from there.
Once the board performs the way we want it to, we focus on how it looks. Graphics matter, but we aim for designs that feel timeless rather than trendy, and that don’t distract from function.
We build from the inside out, because performance lasts longer than trends.
We didn’t set out to build rental boards. We set out to build paddleboards that feel solid, predictable, and easy to trust on the water.
Over time, that approach led rental fleets and commercial operators to choose Glide — not because the boards were stripped down or utilitarian, but because they held up and were easy for beginners to succeed on. Daily use, sun, heat, and constant handling tend to surface problems quickly. Glide boards kept doing what they were supposed to do.
Those same qualities are what individual paddlers feel when they own one. A board that feels right underfoot, paddles the way you expect, and still feels like a good decision season after season — not something you’re looking to replace or upgrade after a year.
Glide is a small company. We’re privately owned, not backed by private equity, and not managed by a board chasing growth at any cost.
That matters more than most people realize.
It means product decisions aren’t driven by timelines, trend cycles, or the need to constantly release something “new.” We can take our time, say no to things that don’t make sense, and focus on making boards better instead of louder.
It also means the people you talk to at Glide actually know the product. Every single person here has hands-on experience building boards — not just selling them. When you have a question, you’re talking to someone who understands how the board is constructed and why those choices were made.
We’re here because we want to build good boards and stand behind them. No exit strategy. No hype cycle. Just a company run by people who still care about the work.
