This 'Below Deck' Star Already Has Her Sea Legs

Living and working on the Below Deck yacht isn't easy. Sure, you get to spend a couple months on a gorgeous multi-million dollar vessel in a breathtaking, tropical location, but if you're in the crew, you don't get to take advantage of all of those amenities so much. A life at sea means trying to prevent the cabin fever from getting to you and not giving in to seasickness. All of that may be a tall order for much of the crew during the new season, but not for new Below Deck cast member Connie Arias, who has basically spent her life in the water.

I'm being facetious, of course, but it's only a matter of seasons before Below Deck casts a real-live mermaid on the show. I can feel it. Still, Connie might as well be a mermaid for all of the time she's spent in, around, and on the sea of her own volition.

It's no surprise then that Connie's passion for the water and the extreme sports that go with it have inspired her to pursue a career in yachting. If you've seen the show, you know that being a part of the Below Deck crew is definitely not for the faint of heart. Still, I'm confident that Connie has what it takes to make it through yacht season. Here are seven reasons why.

1. She's One Of The Deckhands

Connie will lend a hand as one of the deckhands on the yacht Eros this season of Below Deck. That means she's one of the crew members who's in charge of the ship's equipment, cleaning the deck, and helping it dock and embark successfully, among other things. It's a physically demanding job, and as such, it's generally a male-dominated position, something that Below Deck 's first female deckhand Jennice Ontiveros sometimes struggled with during Season 2 of the show. But just as Jennice overcame adversity, I'm confident Connie will as well.

2. She's Never Been Far From The Beach

Connie's official bio on BravoTV.com describes her as a "water baby," and that's not an exaggeration. She's always been in close proximity of the ocean throughout her life, having been born in Long Island, New York, and then grew up in Melbourne Beach, Florida. So living on the water for a couple of months on Below Deck is just like home for Connie.

3. She's A Surfer Girl

Anyone who grew up so close to the ocean as Connie did would probably take up surfing or some other water sport, so it's no surprise that's exactly what she did. However, Connie was more than just a beach bum. After learning to surf at 7 years old, she would go on to compete in surf contests shortly thereafter, according to a 2010 interview with The Beachside Resident. She won the East Coast Championships at age 12 and competed in the World Junior Surfing Championships. Along the way, Connie picked up a sponsorship from Billabong and got to travel all over the world because of it. She made a bit of a name for herself as a pro surfer and was a "Melbourne celebrity," according to a press release announcing Connie's appearance at a charity event in the Florida city in 2009. Connie's Below Deck shipmates should get ready to be starstruck.

4. Actually, She Can Basically Do Any Water Sport

Connie may have made a name for herself surfing, but point her to the sea, and she'll find a way to have fun on it. Connie's Instagram feed is filled with action-packed pics of her fishing, waterskiing, and just jumping into the water in a much cooler way than the average belly flop. Seeing all that Connie does will make you smell saltwater and feel the sand in between your toes, even if you're nowhere near the ocean.

5. She's Incredibly Outgoing

Just take a look at Connie's Instagram feed, and it's easy to see why Bravo cast her for Below Deck. She seems to be an extremely confident person, one who's not afraid to strike a silly pose, show a little skin, or attempt to surf in heels, even if she probably knew that last thing wasn't going to work out so well. Most importantly, Connie seems to have a big smile on her face no matter what she's doing, so she's probably going to be a delight to watch this season of Below Deck.

6. Pole Dancing Is Her Passion

Connie uses pole dancing to exercise. In fact, she swears by it and evenb wrote a whole how-to on pole dancing for Surfline in 2007, and she still keeps up with it today, as evidenced by her Instagram feed. She'll surely give former Below Deck cast members Andrew Sturby and Kelley Johnson a run for their money in the pole-dancing department.

7. Her Twitter Skills Could Use Some Work

The tweet you see above is the only one Connie has sent from her Twitter account so far. I mean, I don't think you ever need an excuse to tweet about beef jerky or America, but WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?! To be fair, since this tweet was posted on Aug. 9, Connie probably just set up her Twitter account because she was going to appear on national television. Hopefully, her Twitter game will get stronger by the time Below Deck Season 3 premieres and brings her a wave of new followers.

Image: Virginia Sherwood/Bravo