It’s not everyday you get to meet a Playboy Playmate. So when we heard that Shawn Dillon, Miss February 2013, was going to be the official hostess for the Wahoo Smackdown at the Bimini Big Game Club, we just had 
to find out more about this gorgeous lady who says she loves anything that has to do with the ocean.
“I’m a mermaid who loves being by the water more than anything,” says the hottie from Sarasota, Florida. “It’s where I feel happiest and most at peace. It’s like heaven to me.”
We were lucky enough to get Shawn to tell us a little bit more about her special relationship with the ocean. She even gave us some pointers on what it takes to pick up a Playboy Playmate!
Q: How did you get into fishing, boating and diving? Was it a family affair?
A: My first memories of fishing are from when I lived on Anna Maria Island in Florida. My brothers and I were always fishing on the dock across the street from our house. I was 4 years old. I’ve loved fishing every since. My obsession for boating started when I was 9 years old, after boating on beautiful Sarasota Bay. I couldn’t imagine a life of not being able to get out on the water and go boating. I started diving when I was 14. My older brother and I were trained in Lake Denton and had our checkout dive in the Gulf of Mexico. So yes, it most definitely was a family affair. We did everything together.
Q: It sounds like you’ve spent some time in the Bahamas. Where have you been and what’s your favorite thing to do in the islands?
A: I have been to Bimini and Nassau. They are so different from each other. To get to Bimini we would go by boat and dock at a marina. Then hook up power and water and sleep on the boat. We’d go fishing, snorkeling, diving, swimming, look for the fountain of youth, walk around the small town (it’s only 7 miles long and 700 feet wide), eat fresh-caught conch and fish. It’s the absolute best. All my trips to Nassau were for work or pageants. So it’s a completely different experience than Bimini. Something great about Nassau is the people and culture. It’s nice to go around the island to learn the history, go shopping, eat, drink and experience it all with the locals. Atlantis is my favorite place to stay when in Nassau. It’s sooo beautiful. There is so much to do it’s impossible to be bored.
Q: Do you still like to fish and dive your home waters in the Gulf of Mexico off Sarasota?
A: I like to go fishing wherever I can! There are definitely better places to fish then Sarasota but we still catch ‘em here and it’s always fun. 
I don’t really dive here much but I do go down to Venice, Florida, to dive for sharks teeth and fossils. That’s addicting! I always want to go because I need to find a big one! I have some teeth and fossils I’ve kept but I’m still looking for that big megalodon tooth.
Q: Do you think you’re the first Playboy Playmate to be a diehard ocean lover?
A: I doubt I’m the first playmate to love the water. Who wouldn’t love it? 🙂
Q: Does Hef like to boat or fish?
A: I’m not sure if Hef does either but one of my favorite photos of Hef is where he is on a boat holding a fish with his pipe in his mouth.
Q: Here’s a tough one… A party at the Playboy Mansion or a day in the Bahamas diving and fishing, which would you prefer?
A: Oh gosh, that really is a tough question. Honestly, It would depend on what mood I am in. For Instance, if I have been doing a lot of boating and fishing at the time then a change of pace is always good. And vice versa.
Q: We heard you did your Playmate photo shoot down in the Florida Keys. How’d it go?
A:
Yes we shot it in Islamorada! It was a blast. I got to go play in the ocean and have it photographed beautifully. My older brother is in the Coast Guard and he was based in Islamorada for a while, so I was familiar with the area. I was a little nervous about the Coast Guard catching me wakeboarding without a life jacket on — oh yeah, I didn’t have clothes on either — but everything ended up going really smooth except while shooting the fishing portion of the shoot when pretty much the whole crew ended up sea sick and threw up all over the boat. I still can’t stop laughing when I tell that story.
Q: Are you excited to be attending the Wahoo Smackdown II event in Bimini this February?
A: I’m so thrilled to be able to attend the Wahoo Smackdown II. I am looking forward to visiting Bimini and being able to be a part of such a fun event. Can’t wait to see some big wahoo!
Q: Alright, so shoot us straight… How big of a boat does a guy need if he wants a shot at a Playboy Playmate?
A: Ha ha! All sizes of boats are fun — it just depends what you want to do with it.
You can see more revealing photos of Shawn Dillon in the Jan/Feb 2013 issue of Playboy, which is on stands now. Shawn will also be at the Wahoo Smackdown II tournament at the Bimini Big Game Club on February 23rd. For information regarding the wahoo tournament and to register online, click HERE or call 800-867-4767. You can also follow Shawn on her Twitter page at twitter.com/justshawn7.
BD would like to thank the folks at Playboy and the Bimini Big Game Club for helping us track down Shawn and getting her to agree to be featured as one of our Fishin’ Chicks!
