Connie Arias was born in Long Island, New York, but considers Melbourne Beach, Florida home. Growing up in a sleepy beach town and living just eight houses away from the ocean, she had no choice but to become a water baby. Her life revolved around boating, surfing, and fishing and it is still that way today. She started surfing at the age of seven, competing at age of 12 and then moved on to join the women’s World Qualifying Series of surfing. After years of competing, she graduated from University of Central Florida with a degree in child development, but Connie wasn’t ready for a "normal" life. She wanted to travel the world and live on the water, so she put teaching on hold to pursue a career in yachting and began working on boats as a deckhand. She joined Captain Lee and the season three crew for Below Deck where she shined as a deckhand. Connie now resides in Melbourne, Florida and is an owner of a boat management company. As a boat owner, she enjoys spending her free time on the water.