Our Story

Rip Current Sports was founded in 2020 by swim instructor and entrepreneur Jose Gallagher.

Coach Jose ran his own learn-to-swim business, and in 2017 he met Mia, a local Maryland hairdresser reaching retirement age who never learned to swim. Mia, determined, sought Jose out after getting inspired watching an old client of his showoff her newly learned swimming abilities. When Mia embarked on her learn-to-swim journey with Jose, it became evident she was troubled by a leg that would stop functioning when exerting too much – likely from standing and cutting hair all day. After much trial and error, Coach Jose grabbed two swim boards, developed some double kickboard swimming exercises for Mia, and soon after that, taught Mia to swim well! About 2 months after Mia’s adult learn-to-swim lessons were over, Jose got a postcard from the Mediterranean beaches; written on it was Mia’s, Thank You! She said she had spent her whole life looking at that Sea and was finally able to get in and swim.

Jose went on to teach his clients with a double board training method until he decided to make the real thing, and Dual Boards were born. Jose keeps Mia’s postcard to this day. When entrepreneurship gets tough, he remembers Mia and others; it all becomes worth it!