Meet the Team
Paddleboard Maidenhead is a family-run business established in 2014 by Tara Crist, following her years as a volunteer kayak instructor for Longridge Canoe Club. Tara and her husband Phil initially raced kayaks together, but after Phil’s back could no longer handle the strain of sitting, they transitioned to stand-up paddleboards (SUP). Since then, they have expanded their fleet from 4 to 30 paddleboards and explored the entire non-tidal Thames with their SUP Club members.
The business experienced significant growth after the pandemic, coinciding with the rise of paddleboarding as a popular sport (now overtaken by padel). While many paddleboards remain unused in garages, the SUP Club has attracted members who value the safety and camaraderie of being part of a community. Tara and Phil now operate from a base on Ray Mill Island, offering a diverse selection of boards tailored to paddlers’ height, weight, and skill levels. They run numerous sessions weekly throughout the seasons, allowing members to explore various stretches of the Thames and beyond.
Tara
Tara enjoys swimming and kayaking on the Thames and is actively involved in community projects, including leading the Friends of Ray Mill Island rewilding initiatives. Even her 18-month-old grandson loves to join her on the water. In addition to teaching yoga on land, she has gained a reputation for offering the most relaxing yoga sessions on paddleboards!
Phil
Phil averages 400 kilometers of paddling each month and enjoys the challenge of discovering new routes to keep SUP Club members engaged. This year, they have paddled in locations such as Bath, Scotland, and Dartmouth, and he has taken club members to the Source of the Thames twice this summer. Phil and his team have also participated in endurance SUP events like the Trent 100 and Race to the Castle, and they are on the lookout for new challenges for 2026.
Flick
Felicity ‘Flick’ is our all singing, dancing AmDram SUP instructor of our team and loves a challenge ! She often leads the SUP Club events when the Bosses are taking their hols and visiting their daughters abroad.
Gareth
Gareth an active sportsman enjoys multiple sports including skiing and sailing, helps us out as an instructor and has recently taken up Thai Chi and also become the latest volunteer Tree Tagger on Ray Mill Island, learning lots of trees along the way with his assistant Tree Identifier – Flick.
Kate
Kate as an Sup Instructor and Pilates teacher loves to paddle to unwind from her corporate day job as well as engaging in cycling challenges to keep her fit and healthy and will be soon offering SUPiliates on the River Thames.
Lorna
Lorna – our retired Osteopath, is as passionate about skiing and tennis as she is paddleboarding and is another fun member of our team.
Jessica
Jessica, our psychotherapist SUP instructor, is not only a mindfulness teacher but also a champion spotter for the Wild Cookham’s Water Voles project.
Shreya
Shreya is our youngest member of our team and it’s her 3rd season working with us. Her speciality is paddling with the kids and we call her in to help out with the Junior summer camps.
Chloe
Chloe is a canoe and kayak coach, as well as a SUP coach and loves paddling all three craft. She can often be found white water kayaking in North Wales or paddleboarding along the Thames. She is the coaching officer for Marlow Canoe Club and also coaches paddlesports at one of the local schools.