Exploring Diablo Kayaks HQ

Diablo HQ, Austin. The assembly line.

The good guys over at Diablo Paddlesports, led by Thomas Flemons, were kind enough to let me come over to their Austin headquarters a few days ago to see the process behind the impressive stand up paddle board / kayaks hybrids.

I was lucky enough to play with Diablos a few times this past summer while working at Headhunters on the Missouri River, and, having written a bit about the boats, was excited to see them in person. The team is warehoused in southern Austin, and thanks to the seasonably cool (it’s Austin, cool is relative) weather, the garage doors were open when I pulled up.

The boats are fully Texas made, with the molded hulls produced in north Texas, and the remaining assembly taking place right here in Austin. The guys showed me boats in all stages of production, even some familiar-looking Chupacabra models.

They also have a new project in the works that will be worth watching for!

This team has really pioneered the use of purpose-designated SUP / yak hybrids in the fly fishing realm, and it was awesome to meet the people behind the boats. As it often seems in the fly fishing and outdoor industries, there really are awesome people behind awesome products.

On the ‘Mo this past summer, we enjoyed the stability and portability of the boats, and the signature “Larry chairs” – envision a nice lawn chair strapped to the top of the boat – allowed for fantastic comfort and sight fishing on the river. They even made a fantastic carp-hunting-mobile (see the fall issue of the Drake). It’s easy to get excited about something you’ve used and liked.

Thanks, Diablo crew, for letting me take a peek into your world. Keep up the good work!