Ryan Barber: Ryan Barber is a Level-2 ACA SUP Instructor. Ryan has spent most of his life in Jacksonville, but he comes from a military family that has traveled to many exotic places, such as growing up in Hawaii. Recently, Ryan has put together a trip to paddle the whole St. Johns River. His goal is to bring awareness to the importance of the River. On Ryan’s days off you can find him at UNF’s Art School, at the beach, or doing something fun with his Dad outdoors.

Kate Vallas: Kate is our lead SUP Yoga Instructor. Kate is pioneering the way for SUP Yoga as she is one of the few certified instructors in the country. She is certified with the ACA as a Level-1 SUP Instructor. She is also E-RYT licensed and has been teaching Mind/Body and Power Yoga at Yoga Den for over 8 1/2 years. She combines her training of Kripalu style yoga with classes she has taken all over the country with well known instructors such as Shiva Rea, Bryan Kest, Johnny Kest, and Sean Korn. See more about her here.

Col. Jere Cook: Jere is Black Creek’s Wilderness Remote First Aid (WRFA) Instructor. Jere is Red Cross liscensed and has been a Red Cross Instructor for CPR and AED since 1996. He is also a retired Air Force Colone. He has over 30+ years in the military and has been deployed in settings around the world. In addition to, Jere has been a coach for the US Air Force and National Guard Florida Rowing Team from 1996 to 2003. When Jere is not teaching or coaching he can often be found enjoying the outdoors and being active with his wife Patty or hanging out with his family. See more about his course here.

Chris Devries: Chris has been with Black Creek for over 5 years doing kayak lessons. He is one of our go to kayak instructors. Chris is also a Jacksonville native that has a passion for kayaking and the outdoors. Chris has been a huge help with our kayak lessons on Sunday mornings with Black Creek Guides. When Chris isn’t working, he can most likely be found out paddling a kayak some where in North Florida or going on an outdoor adventure.

Matt Foster: Matt doesn’t speak highly about his climbing abilities, but he is by far one of the best around. Matt’s passion for climbing started in New Mexico where he use to live. Matt has over 15 years experience in climbing and has been known to win a contest or two. Since living in Florida over the years his passion for SUP has grown and he is soon to be certified with the ACA as a SUP instructor. Matt really is a jack of all trades, because he is already one of our kayak instructors. When Matt isn’t working at Black Creek you can find him either working in his garden or on a camping trip.

Matt Hite: Besides working inside at Black Creek, whether it be doing graphic design, sales, or managing the website, Matt can also be found outside teaching or guiding trips with stand up paddle boards. Matt grew up around the water where he comes from a family of lifeguards, surfers, and teachers that have a passion for the ocean. Matt is a certified level-2 ACA SUP instructor and also has experience and knowledge in the SUP industry since it has started. On Matt’s days off you can find him at the beach, fishing on his boat, or hanging out with his family in Daytona Beach.