TOTAL KAOS: THE FAST-PACED LIFE OF MATTHEW DEAN, OFFSHORE POWERBOAT ENTHUSIAST AND ENTREPRENEUR

Apr 19, 2025

For Matt Dean, life has always moved at high speed—on the water, in business, and everywhere in between. Best known in powerboating circles as the man behind Total Kaos, Dean has become synonymous with offshore speed, custom cats, and a no-days-off mindset that built both his dream fleet and a successful company, Canadian Waste Management.

BORN ON THE WATER

Growing up on Ontario's iconic Trent-Severn Waterway, Dean’s love for boats came early and naturally. With summers off thanks to his father’s career as a teacher and psychologist, the Dean family practically lived on the water. Matt’s first taste of boating independence came with a 40 hp outboard strapped to a Peterborough speedboat—a humble beginning that quickly escalated.

“I just always loved working on boats. Hydroplanes,vhulls, cats... I’ve had so many boats I can’t even list them all,” he laughs.

FROM "MIAMI VICE" TO MERCURY RACING

Like many offshore enthusiasts, it was an episode of Miami Vice that flipped the switch. Watching with his buddy Chris, Dean saw the original Chris-Craft 390 slicing through blue water and had one of those lightning bolt moments.

“I looked at Chris and said, ‘We need one of those. I didn’t know how, but I knew we had to get one. Then the next thing that went through my head was: how the f*** am I going to afford this?”

MAKING IT HAPPEN

Today, Dean is President and CEO of CWM—Canadian Waste Management—a company he built with relentless focus and an unshakable work ethic. His secret? Outwork and outthink the competition.

“You have to research how to be better than your competitors,” Dean says. “And once you get there, like my mom always told me, what it takes to get you there is what it takes to keep you there.”

He still works every day—no days off, no shortcuts. “You can’t just dream it. You have to work for it. Don’t be afraid to fail—failure is just a lesson. You learn, you tweak, and you move on. If you’re still making the same mistakes, well, then you’re a dumb dumb,” he says with a grin.

It helps that his dad, a psychologist, taught him how to read people—a skill that’s served him well in both business negotiations and the high-stakes world of offshore boating.

THE NEED FOR SPEED

Dean’s first real offshore boat was a 27’ Excalibur Speedster with twin 2.6L Evinrude outboards, clocking in around 65–70 mph. But when peers like Keith Holmes and Sammy May were pushing 90+, Matt knew he needed more.

He started exploring faster boats—and learned the hard way about the wear and tear of chasing speed in V-hulls. That’s when he turned to cats. “They’re just easier on parts. I was always breaking something, and I needed something that could take the beating.”

The offshore world soon came to know him as Total Kaos—a name he inherited when he bought a Chris-Craft Stinger already bearing the label. Superstition kept the name, but the chaos part? That fit just fine.

“I’ve always been a little chaotic. The name just... stuck.”

TOTAL KAOS 4 AND BEYOND

Dean’s most iconic ride yet is Total Kaos 4, a 36’ Nor-Tech Supercat powered by twin Mercury Racing 1075s, tuned to run upwards of 160 mph. “He likes loud,” a friend says. “And trust me—this boat is LOUD.”

It’s not his only toy either. His current fleet includes a 38’ Donzi ZX and two 36’ Nor-Tech Supercats—one of which is the legendary Hooters race boat, now co-owned with his son.

Back in the day, he ran a 35’ Motion Cat known for its 115 mph top speed—and equally known for its breakdowns. “We broke down together so many times,”  Chris Ridabock said. “We’d hitch rides back to the marina just to grab the trailers. That idle back on one motor? No thanks.”

Taken at the 1000 island Kingston poker run

A LEGACY ON THE WATER

Whether it's racing offshore, wrenching in the shop, or leading his business, Matt Dean embodies the hustle. His story is one of dreaming big, learning fast, and refusing to let fear, or failure slow him down.

As for Total Kaos? It’s more than just a boat name. It’s a lifestyle. Loud. Fast. Unapologetic.

Photo by: Fast Loud Photography