Joe Matuska received his first kayak paddle and boat in 1973 as a graduation gift. After swimming several times during his first outing with them, he came home with a broken paddle and a broken boat. Figuring that someone with a degree in Medical Microbiology should be able to fix a broken paddle and boat, he went to work on them. The next thing he knew, he had a new hobby which lead to a lengthy career in the paddle sport industry. In 1991, Joe started Aqua-Bound in Surrey, British, Columbia.

The company manufactured paddles for whitewater, touring and recreational kayaking as well as canoeing, and quickly became the number one producer of plastic-bladed kayak paddles. Aqua-Bound was also the first to introduce gas-assist molded paddle blades. Joe spent a large amount of his time working the phones and growing his business by providing excellent customer service. In late 2008, Branches, LLC purchased Aqua Bond Technologies from Joe and his partners. Branches is committed to continuing the Aqua-Bound tradition of extraordinary quality and service. Get your hands on an Aqua-Bound paddle and prepare to elevate your experience.