Today we’d like to introduce you to Adriana Issakov.
Adriana, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Raised in San Diego, grew up playing around at La Jolla Shores waiting for my dad to finish work as a pianist in the Marine Room. I was hooked. The beach was my sanctuary. As a child, I was a competitive swimmer, and my first La Jolla Rough water swim was at age 6. I gave up the pool and began swimming exclusively in the ocean somewhere in my early 20’s. Fast forward to 2014… At age 54, I was finally able to open my swim shop, La Jolla Swim and Sport, that I had been dreaming about for what seemed like forever.
By far the best and most unexpected benefit of owning a store for me is all the amazing, kind and interesting people that walk through the door every day who share my passion for swimming. Often I get so interested in them that I forget that they didn’t come in the store just to talk to me; maybe they actually needed to buy something! It turns out that all that chatting really helps me customize and personalize how I help each customer. My knowledge as a lifelong swimmer, of the latest product offerings and most importantly how much I care about making sure my customers are satisfied, sets me and my swim shop apart.
But back to the ocean… since I’d been swimming in La Jolla Cove for about 50 years, I wanted to figure out a way to share this magical place with others. So I began offering personalized, FREE guided swims in La Jolla Cove daily! What a perfect way to be in the place I love the most and also share it with others. Since then, hundreds of people have joined me for a 6:30 a.m. dip into the ocean. As long as you are comfortable in the water, I can take you on a wonderful tour of La Jolla Cove or La Jolla Shores. You don’t need to be an expert swimmer. Water, nature, wildlife, camaraderie, all in a magical place accessible virtually 365 days a year ― priceless!
My store will celebrate its 4-year anniversary on March 20th.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Hmmm… I guess no. Unfair vendors, unfair retail shops nearby who prevent you from selling the same manufacturer as they do, the completely outrageous rent prices you have to pay to have a store in La Jolla are examples of struggles along the way.
As an example, I applied to purchase a particular vendor at least 3 times via email and 3 times via their online application process. Never a reply! I finally tried one more time and got silly about it… this company is Italian based. I’m Italian so I decided to talk about that. Weird, but that’s the application that was finally approved.
I created this concept for a swim shop and didn’t really know if there were enough swimmers, water folks, locals to support it. In a small community like La Jolla, if locals don’t support your shop, you just don’t make it.
My store was broken into while I was there early in the morning gathering my swim gear. I’ve had a fair amount of theft. Minimum wage keeps going up… just to mention a few. 🙂
La Jolla Swim and Sport – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We sell just about every water sports item you’ll need for pool swimming, ocean swimming, boogie boarding, surfing, SUP, etc. We also carry sun-protective clothing, every kind of ball you can imagine (basketball, football, soccer ball, volleyballs, tennis balls…. you get the idea. Another terrific product is the adult Xootr scooter, we carry that too!
We specialize in helping you find the products that are right for you. We fit each and every person that walks through the door with a small item like swim goggles all the way to wetsuits. And more importantly, we now make our own brightly colored neoprene swim caps for ocean swimming! They are called PBear Caps (Polar Bear) and they are exclusive to La Jolla Swim and Sport. We hand make them right here in our store. They can be customized with your own logo or whatever you’d like to imprint on your personal PBear cap.
Just last month we launched another exclusive La Jolla Swim and Sport product, the TIDE Poncho. It’s a multi-purpose changing robe that when unsnapped, changes into a beach blanket. They are also handmade one by one here in America.
I am most proud of my guided ocean swims. Along the way gathering an amazing group of friends and colleagues that I feel I never would have had in my life without this store. Next, to the ocean, it has been the most grounding thing I have ever been lucky enough to experience.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Well, for me it’s the fact that I finally did something that I had been thinking about for so long. Along the way, I have had the most amazing human encounters each and every day and I will be forever grateful for that. That feels like success to me.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1008 Torrey Pines Road La Jolla Ca 92037
- Website: lajollaswimandsport.com
- Phone: 858.454.4002
- Email: adriana@lajollaswimandsport.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lajollaswimandsport/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lajollaswimandsport/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/la-jolla-swim-and-sport-la-jolla-2
Image Credit:
Carmen Gupta
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
