What Waterboyz does

Waterboyz is a privately-held surf and skate retail and lifestyle business headquartered in Pensacola, Florida, operating under the trade names Waterboyz Surf & Skate Shop and WBZ Surfboards. The company's core offering is a vertically-integrated retail operation spanning new and used surfboards, skateboards, skimboards, bodyboards, foil equipment, wetsuits, apparel, footwear, sunglasses, watches, and a broad surf/skate accessories catalog totaling 717+ SKUs. Critically, Waterboyz designs and hand-crafts its own proprietary WBZ Surfboards line (14 models) on-site at its Pensacola headquarters and offers a Custom Surfboard Gallery for bespoke commissions, providing a manufacturing capability that distinguishes it from pure resellers of brands such as Lost, Medina, Modern, Sharp Eye, Stewart, and WRV.

The business model combines physical retail with a global direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront at waterboyz.com (supporting 22+ currencies and international shipping), plus ancillary revenue from surf, skate, and skim lessons, summer camps, an indoor WBZ Skatepark, and Cafe Single Fin, an on-site food and beverage operation. Customer segments span surfing enthusiasts, skateboarding enthusiasts, beach lifestyle consumers, and youth and families, with no disclosed enterprise or B2B accounts. Marketing is driven by organic social (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok), an email newsletter, a content blog, and signature annual community events including the WBZ Surf Classic and TC Skate Jam (15th annual).

Revenue is generated through one-time unit sales across hardware, apparel, and accessories, plus professional services revenue from lessons, camps, and events, and implicit ancillary revenue from the skatepark and cafe. Pricing spans $2.95 accessories to $1,550+ premium surfboards, with WBZ surfboards priced $489–$999. No revenue, headcount, funding, or ownership disclosures are available in the source data; Waterboyz appears to be an independently operated local retailer with global e-commerce reach but no disclosed venture, private equity, or public market involvement.

Name

Waterboyz

Legal name

Waterboyz

Website

https://waterboyz.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Waterboyz is a privately-held Pensacola, Florida surf and skate retail and lifestyle business that hand-crafts its own WBZ surfboards, sells 717+ SKUs of surf/skate hardware, apparel, and accessories through a physical store and global e-commerce site, and operates an indoor skatepark, on-site cafe, lessons, summer camps, and annual surf and skate competitions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Surf & Skate Retail

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Surf & Beach Sports Retail (Surfboards, Bodyboards, Skimboards) (CRAMAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Sports & Marine Recreation Retail (Paddle/Surf/Dive/Boat Accessories) (CRAMABAI), Surf Schools & Surf Camps (THAAAKAC)

Keywords

• Surfboard retail
• Skate shop
• Action sports gear
• Surf apparel
• Board sports retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Pensacola

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales - Surfboards: Sale of new and used surfboards including proprietary WBZ brand and distributed brands (Lost, Medina, Modern, Sharp Eye, Stewart, WRV). Products range from $400 to $1,550+.
2. Retail Sales - Skateboards & Gear: Sale of complete skateboards, decks, trucks, wheels, bearings, grip tape, accessories, and protective gear. Prices range from $8.50 for grip tape to $369.99 for complete boards.
3. Retail Sales - Apparel & Accessories: Sale of men's, women's, and youth apparel including T-shirts, boardshorts, wetsuits, footwear, sunglasses, watches, and accessories. Wide price range from $2.95 (wax) to $429.95 (wetsuits).
4. Lessons & Camps: Surf, skateboarding, and skimboarding lessons, plus summer camps running Monday-Thursday 9am-12pm. Surf camp on Pensacola Beach, skate camp at indoor skatepark.
5. Events: Hosting of WBZ Surf Classic competitions and TC Skate Jam events, fostering community engagement and brand visibility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Waterboyz is a surf and skate retail destination based in Pensacola, Florida, operating both a physical storefront and a global e-commerce platform at waterboyz.com. The company sells new and used surfboards (including its proprietary WBZ Surfboards brand hand-crafted on-site), skateboards, skimboards, bodyboards, wetsuits, surf accessories, apparel, footwear, and sunglasses. Beyond retail, Waterboyz operates an indoor skatepark (WBZ Skatepark), an on-site cafe (Cafe Single Fin), surf/skate/skimboard lessons, summer camps, and hosts annual community events including the WBZ Surf Classic and TC Skate Jam.

Product overview

Waterboyz is a surf and skate retail shop and lifestyle destination featuring a comprehensive product portfolio across multiple categories. The core offering centers on WBZ Surfboards, their proprietary hand-crafted surfboard brand, complemented by an extensive selection of resale surfboard brands including Lost, Medina, Modern, Sharp Eye, Stewart, and WRV. Beyond surfboards, the business offers soft top surfboards for beginners, used surfboards, skimboards (Astin, Apex, Zap, Exile), bodyboards, and foil surfing equipment. The skate division includes complete skateboards, decks, trucks, wheels, bearings, and grip tape alongside longboards, cruisers, and surfskates. Additional offerings encompass surf accessories (fins, leashes, traction, wax, bags, racks, ding repair), wetsuits, auto accessories, and a full apparel line (men's, women's, youth) with footwear and accessories (sunglasses, watches). The company also operates an indoor skatepark, Cafe Single Fin, and provides lessons and summer camps for surfing, skateboarding, and skimboarding, along with hosting the annual WBZ Surf Classic competition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WBZ Surfboards: In-house surfboard brand crafted at the Waterboyz location, featuring performance surfboards designed for style and functionality
• WBZ Skatepark
• Cafe Single Fin

Products and services

• WBZ Surfboards Proprietary in-house surfboard brand hand-crafted at the Waterboyz Pensacola headquarters. Includes models such as Ole Faithful, BlueFin Twin Fish, Switchblade, Pegasus, Twin Fin, Mod V, Retro 4x, Plank, and Red Fang Fun Board, priced $489–$999.
• Custom Surfboard Gallery Custom surfboard design and building service allowing customers to commission personalized surfboards with unique designs and specifications.
• Surfboards (Resale Brands) New surfboards from third-party brands including Lost, Medina, Modern, Sharp Eye, Stewart, and WRV. Prices range from $400 to $1,550+.
• Used Surfboards Pre-owned surfboards in various conditions including DHD, FireWire, Torq, Christenson, and WBZ boards at discounted prices for budget-conscious surfers. Used boards range from $275 to $899.
• Soft Top Surfboards Forgiving and stable foam-top surfboards designed for beginners from brands like SofTech, Catch Surf Odysea, and Stewart Hydrocush, with 63+ models available.
• Skimboards Skimboards for beach and wave riding from Zap, Apex, Astin, and WaveZone including wedge, freestyle, and pro model configurations.
• Bodyboards Bodyboards for riding waves from Softech and Catch Surf Wave Bandit in various sizes (32"–45") with designs like Mojo, Shockwave, and Sky Blue Zebra.
• Foil Boards & Accessories Foil surfing equipment including Unifoil foil boards, front wings (Progression, Evolution), masts, fuselages, and accessories for advanced surf foiling.
• Surf Accessories Essential surf gear including fins (FCS II, Futures), leashes, traction pads, wax, ding repair kits, and board bags from multiple brands, with 458+ items available.
• Wetsuits Wetsuits from Xcel and Volcom including fullsuits, springsuits, jackets, boots, and hoods in thicknesses from 1.5mm to 4/3mm for cold and warm water, priced $89.95–$429.95.
• Skateboards & Gear Complete skateboards, decks, trucks, wheels, bearings, grip tape, and accessories from brands like Creature, Santa Cruz, Real, Limosine, and Antihero, with 389+ items.
• Longboards & Cruisers Complete longboards and cruisers from Sector 9, Carver, Globe, Arbor, and Impala for carving and transportation including surfskate configurations.
• Men's Apparel Men's clothing including WBZ screen-printed t-shirts (buy 2 get 1 free), boardshorts, walkshorts, rashguards, button-up shirts, pants, tanks, and winter wear, with 437+ items.
• Women's Apparel Women's clothing including t-shirts, tanks, bikinis, boardshorts, dresses, rompers, and activewear from WBZ, Roark, and Volcom.
• Footwear Footwear including New Balance Numeric, Vans, and sandals from Cobian, Olukai, Reef, and Rainbow in men's and women's styles.
• Sunglasses Sunglasses from Costa Del Mar, Electric, Spy, and Volcom for eye protection during water and outdoor activities.
• Gift Cards Waterboyz gift certificates available for in-store or online use as gifts for surf and skate enthusiasts.
• WBZ Skatepark Indoor skatepark facility at the Waterboyz headquarters offering year-round skateboarding opportunities independent of weather conditions, used for skate camps and practice sessions.
• Cafe Single Fin On-site cafe serving coffee and food located within the Waterboyz surf shop location in Pensacola, Florida.
• Surf, Skate & Skimboard Lessons Instructional lessons for surfing, skateboarding, and skimboarding taught by Waterboyz instructors at Pensacola Beach and the indoor skatepark.
• Summer Camps Surf and skateboard camps running Monday–Thursday 9am–12pm during summer with limited class sizes at Pensacola Beach and the indoor skatepark.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ron Jon Surf Shop: Iconic Florida-based surf retailer with multiple large-format stores and a comprehensive surf/skate product assortment plus licenses/branded merchandise. Closely comparable to Waterboyz in surf retail category and geography (Florida), but operates at significantly larger scale and broader product depth.
• Zumiez: Public action-sports retailer (NASDAQ: ZUMZ) with hundreds of mall stores and a broad assortment across skate, surf, snow, and apparel. Larger-scale incumbent competing with Waterboyz on skate apparel, footwear, and hardware distribution.
• Pacific Sunwear (PacSun): California-based youth lifestyle retailer carrying surf and skate brands across apparel, footwear, and accessories via mall stores and e-commerce. Overlaps with Waterboyz on apparel/footwear (Vans, Volcom) but operates at much larger scale and broader lifestyle positioning.

Direct peers

• Hansens Surf Shop: Long-standing Southern California surf, skim, and lifestyle retailer offering surfboards, apparel, accessories and surf school lessons through hansensurf.com and physical stores. Directly comparable multi-revenue model (retail + lessons) and product mix to Waterboyz.
• Jack's Surfboards: Multi-store Southern California surf retailer founded in 1957 selling new and used surfboards, apparel, and accessories with strong brand portfolio. Direct competitor in the independent surf specialty retail space with similar product breadth and customer base.
• Quiet Flight Surf Shop: Established Florida surf and skate retailer carrying premium surf brands, skateboards, and apparel with both physical stores and e-commerce. Direct regional peer with overlapping geography in Florida and similar surf/skate product mix to Waterboyz.
• Tactics: Independent skate and snowboard specialty retailer (Eugene, Oregon) operating a large e-commerce storefront plus brick-and-mortar, with strong skateboarding product depth. Highly comparable to Waterboyz's skate division in assortment and DTC model.
• CCS (California Cheap Skates): Long-running skateboarding specialty retailer (catalog and online) with strong skate deck, trucks, wheels, and complete-skateboard assortment comparable to Waterboyz's skate division. Specializes in the same skate-only product category.

Regional players

• Emerald Surf & Skate: Regional surf and skate retailer (Pacific Northwest) offering surfboards, skateboards, lessons, and apparel across physical store and e-commerce. Comparable destination-style format to Waterboyz but operating in a different coastal geography.

Others

• Surf Shops Directory: A curated directory/community for independent surf shops. Compares as a peer primarily through surfboard-locals advocacy and surf-shop promotion services, indirectly competing with Waterboyz's community/event-driven model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@waterboyz_wbz
• Facebookfacebook.com/waterboyzsurfandskate
• Instagraminstagram.com/_waterboyz_
• TikToktiktok.com/@waterboyz_wbz
• Xx.com/waterboyz_wbz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waterboyz-wbz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Waterboyz