The Person Behind MediterranSUP
Yes — that’s the PFD I keep telling you to wear.
Hi, I’m Deniz — the person behind MediterranSUP.
I live on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, and most weeks you’ll find me on the water somewhere between Mersin and the Aegean bays. I started this site for one simple reason: when I was researching my own gear, almost everything I found online was written by people who had clearly never touched a paddleboard. So I decided to build the resource I couldn’t find.
I’m currently working toward my SUP guide certification, which means I spend a lot of time learning this sport properly — safety protocols, technique, reading wind and water. That journey shapes everything I write here, and you can follow it in real time on Instagram at @sup.trail.
How I Choose What to Recommend
Every gear guide on this site follows the same rules — no exceptions, no matter which brand is involved:
- I compare real buyer data and community feedback — not press releases
- Products with high return rates get disqualified, full stop
- No single-brand lineups — if every pick is the same brand, something’s off
- Every flaw goes in the cons list, even when there’s an affiliate link next to it
- I never write about a place as if I’ve paddled it when I haven’t
Some links on this site earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. That’s how the site stays running — but it never decides what I recommend. If a budget option beats an expensive one, that’s exactly what you’ll read.
The Mediterranean Difference
Most SUP content is written for lakes in North America or the UK coast. Mediterranean paddling is different — thermal winds that pick up by noon, sheltered turquoise bays that make perfect classrooms, and water so clear it changes how you see the sport.
The route guides on this site — Kızkalesi, Bencik Bay, and more on the way — come from firsthand paddling, not Google Maps research. When I tell you the wind picks up at noon in a specific bay, it’s because I’ve paddled back against it.
If you’re planning a Mediterranean SUP holiday or buying your first board for one, start with the gear guides or the complete beginner’s guide.
Get in Touch
Questions about gear, routes, or paddling the Turkish coast? I read everything — and I usually reply within a day or two.