“Basically, if you have a car, truck, boat, motorcycle, side-by-side, jet ski, or even a golf cart and you have a need for some kind of electronics install or upgrade, we can help!” exclaims Dave Allen, owner and founder of Wheels to Waves.
Dave’s infatuation began with his first car. “I started spending what seemed like every paycheck I could on stereos, speakers, electronics, and other gadgets.”
Owning and running an automotive and marine electronics shop was always his dream, creating a business plan for a car stereo shop as a 19-year-old kid in the late 90s. It wouldn’t be until a decade later that Dave left his rewarding but stressful work in film and television to focus on family and his calling, opening Wheels to Waves close to home in Spring Park.
Dave and his business partner, Greg Powell, do everything from complete audio system upgrades, simple audio repairs, lighting upgrades, and fish finders to backup cameras, Apple CarPlay upgrades, amplifiers, subwoofers, and even TVs on the pleasure boats and larger yachts, providing great audio and electronics solutions to thousands of Lake Minnetonka area clients.
Greg joined Wheels to Waves in 2017 after Dave needed help keeping up with demand. “I called Best Buy to secretly “price shop” what they’d charge to come out to my boat and install a stereo system. I was told that they only had one tech in the whole company that was allowed to go on-site for marine installs and that I’d have to get a hold of Greg Powell,” explains Dave. “After chatting with Greg, he let me know that there was another company he’d heard of doing a lot of installs on Lake Minnetonka, and the only bad thing was ‘they can be hard to get ahold of’ …and their name was ‘Wheels to Waves’. Pretty sure I laughed out loud,” laughs Dave.
Realizing their combined potential, Greg offered incredible value as one of the most qualified auto and marine electronics technicians in the state, holding a Mobile Electronics Certified Professional master certificate, as well as ASE, NMEA, and ABYC electrical certifications.
“Like Dave, car audio was just beginning to be a real phenomenon when my friends and I started driving,” shares Greg. “At 16, I could never afford the audio system I dreamed of, but I could come close. I love the creativity required to up-fit a vehicle or boat with audio and electronics, and now that my skill sets have matured, I can create an amazing experience for our customers.”
Dave adds, “We are total nerds when it comes to electronics and sharing our knowledge. I love sketching out the systems, explaining it to the clients, and seeing these projects come to life, knowing they’ll enjoy it for many years to come.” Their enthusiasm shines through to their customers; clients return time and again whether upgrading battery systems and trolling motors on fishing boats or adding LED lights and a disco ball to a cruiser.
“Our customers can expect honest and open communications, top-notch service, and continued support throughout the ownership of their boat or vehicle,” assures Greg. “Knowing that we help facilitate many good times in a car or on the water makes me exceptionally proud of the work we do.”
For sound systems, Dave and Greg recommend starting with the subwoofer. “Adding a subwoofer is a game changer, greatly increasing the sound quality. Without it, audio can feel flat and thin,” explains Greg.
The best way to contact them is through the wheelstowaves.com website. “As two guys with a couple thousand clients, we just ask customers to be patient with us,” says Dave. “We’re happy to have been a part of Lake Minnetonka and its communities for so long and are excited to see what the next years will bring.”