Meet Joe Paddler: “Longboat” Dave Schultz, Lake Geneva, WI

Where you were born and where you live now?

Waukegan, Illinois and I now live in Lake Geneva, WI

What is your occupation?

Repair Tech with AT&T

Where do you SUP the most?

Eight blocks from my house on Geneva Lake

Do you have a favorite local paddleboard shop?

Dave Schuster at ClearWater Outdoor in Lake Geneva got me hooked 4 years ago.

What paddleboard, surfski or OC do you ride most?

14′ Bark D2 (my dogs picked it out)

Do you own any other paddleboards, surfskis or OCs and what kind?

12.6 SIC, 12.6 KM Hawaii (my first love), 18′ QCC Kayak, Valley Pintail kayak, (don’t tell my wife)

What paddle do you use?

qb Kanaha

Have you changed boards/paddles/equipment since you started? If so, why?

I moved fro my 12.6 KM Compressor to my SIC X 12.6 then went to my 14′ Bark this season due to lack of racers in the mens 12.6 class. I wanted to feel like i was racing. The majority of paddlers were on 14′ boards. Now i can try and catch a draft train and feel as though I am competing.

If you could travel to anywhere in the world to paddle, where would you go?

Wow. Someplace where I could skin dive right off my board onto a beautiful reef.

Best piece of SUP advice you’ve ever received?

Be the paddle. No, just messing with you. Something very similar to “it’s not about the trophies, it’s about the people”

Weirdest thing that’s happened to you while paddling?

Wish I had a whale story, but I don’t. Running into folks on the water that I have never met in person and they say “are you Longboat Dave” you see FB has connected many of us even though we’ve never met.

Favorite SUP nutrition? (During races/ during a long haul)

I just go with peanut butter on my bananas. I’m sure there are better options.

Goals for this year?

Try to get stronger and faster, but more important than that, gain the respect of my peers as a competitor and as a person.

Favorite post-paddle nosh (snack/beer/recovery drink)

A good IPA never hurts. I don’t think. Going out for some good Mexican food after is always a plus.

Your favorite non-paddle thing to do.

Can we say that here? Oh, wait, um I like to indoor row (erg) in the winter. Fly fishing and camping when I can get to Wyoming. Lately just planting Butterfly and Hummingbird gardens between paddles has kept me content.

What piece of SUP gear do you wish someone would invent?

Beam me up Scotty. Something that could beam me right to the place I was to paddle and home again.

What’s your biggest challenge with SUP?

Trying to beat the same guys I’m cheering for. I’m so confused!

What is your proudest moment in a SUP race or event?

You would think it would be a podium spot. But I have grown to appreciate the art of a race well run. You gave it your all, you were in the so called zone, you competed well with the folks that are in your league, and you all celebrated after the race and told war stories. That is the true meaning of racing for me.

Tell us about the best friend(s) you made through paddling.

These questions are getting tougher. I have so many new friends in the SUP world. That is really the joy paddling has brought me. Erin and Tanya, Dave and Sarah, Debbie and Andy, Christopher, Wendell and Westy, Shannon, Karl, Leslie, Kirsten, Shane Perrin, Ty, Sam, Jack, Ann, Andy, Amy, Kenny, Jared, Eric, Illya, Jeff, Erich, Anya, Chris, Mark, John, David, Shane Weyland, Bryant, Becky etc

What was your best SUP travel trip?

The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a great destination. Been there racing and fun paddling.