- May 2, 2024
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Surf shop will offer full line of equipment, accessories.
A new surf shop is set to open in Ormond-by-the-Sea in January, but the owner and manager are not thinking of opening just another store; they have a vision to make the Ormond Beach area a destination for surfers.
“The beaches here are lined with great surfers,” said president and CEO Dan McGrane. “But we’ve never had a place that’s a hub for the surfing community.”
They plan to hold surfing tournaments, beach cleanups and other events.
Called Dawn Patrol Surf Shop, the business will occupy the former ABC Liquor store at 1368 Ocean Shore Blvd., which is being fully remodeled by Flositz Construction Inc., of Ormond Beach.
They plan to offer a full line of local and national surf boards, standup paddle boards, surf clothing and accessories for a “one-stop shopping” experience.
“We want to do a good job for tourists and core surfers,” McGrane said.
Manager Kyle Altes said McGrane asked him a very strange question when he interviewed him for the job. He said McGrane asked him what his vision was for the business.
“I was thinking, ‘I’m here to fulfill your vison,’” Altes said.
McGrane said he wants Altes to be “fully invested” in the business.
Together, they came up with a mission. They plan to build a surf culture based on community development and not solely on sales.
“Stores that focus on profit become parasites,” McGrane said. “We want to focus on community development, and the profits will follow.”
In their quest to be a surfing hub, they said a surfer or paddle boarder should be able to find anything they need in the shop. Board brands include local shapers Orion, Clever and East Coast Paddle; and national boards such as Hobie and Lightning Bolt.
Altes said they plan to offer surf boards in one-inch increments, so every size surfer will find the right board.
“One inch can be the difference between being able to do something and not being able to do it,” he said.
They will have boards that have been proven over time as well as the latest technology, and are planning to stock 250 new boards and 75 paddle boards when they open. McGrane’s spare rooms and closets in his house are full of wet suits and accessories, and his sister’s garage is full of surf boards.
McGrane, who grew up in Ormond Beach and attended Father Lopez, ran The Bike Shop on U.S. 1 from 1998 to 2006. He decided to sell the bike shop after receiving injuries over the years that prevented him doing what he wanted on a bike.
He was thinking about his next step, and realized that he opened a bike shop because he enjoyed biking, so why not open a surf shop. He has been surfing since he got out of the Navy in 1988.
“I thought, ‘Why not never go to work again,’” he said.
Altes is also enjoying the new venture.
“I love it,” he said. “It’s the most fun thing I’ve done.”
