CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KSWB) — You can’t experience San Diego without taking in its stunning coastline and clear waters.

Artiss Redmond and his wife Arlyn know a thing or two about navigating those waters. “I did 25 years in the Navy,” Artiss said. “Arlyn, she’s over 21 [years] now. This is what we do. We do this all across the world. We’ve done it on amphibious operations. We’ve done it on many types of vessels out there.”

The couple combined their knowledge and love for the water to create R&R Surf, a water sports and rental business where their focus really is rest and relaxation. “The water’s like glass out here, it’s beautiful,” Artiss said. “But the best thing is what the water does for you. It’s like a therapy session without having to go see someone,” Arlyn added.

“It’s a dream that we worked on for a while but it’s also the representation that matters,” Arlyn said. “We don’t want to just have traditional equipment. Nothing that we have looks like any other boating agency out here,” Artiss said.

The company made its debut at Safe Harbor South Bay Marina in June, bringing along with it some pretty cool toys, including an elliptical paddle board. “This is a hydro foil. The board comes out of the water and it’s riding on the two fins. It is frictionless and it feels like you’re flying over water. It’s the most amazing feeling you can possibly get,” Artiss said.

And if you want something a little more grounded, there are options. “It’s a four-seater kayak and it has pedal drives in each seat. I think you can paddle this thing all day and not get tired,” Artiss said.

The couple says bringing a business to the marina was no easy feat. “It’s a dream that we worked on for a while, but it’s also the representation that matters to us,” Arlyn said. R&R Surf is the first Black-owned water sports rental business on the bayfront in Chula Vista.

“When we came here, there’s a lot of water sports businesses, there’s a lot of things you can do in San Diego Bay. I did not see myself represented, he didn’t see that,” Arlyn said. “I wanted not to be the first one. This is the beginning. Hopefully there’s going to be more that comes, from different backgrounds.”

And not just different cultural or ethnic backgrounds. “We have a setup that’s coming up where we’ll be able to work with people with disabilities to get them out here,” Artiss said.

Here, where the water is just as clear as their vision. “The ocean is captivating and it’s captivating for everybody,” Artiss said.