What Stohlquist does

Stohlquist WaterWare Inc. is a U.S.-based manufacturer of personal flotation devices (PFDs) and water-safety apparel founded in 1977 by Jim Stohlquist in Buena Vista, Colorado. The company designs and produces life jackets for paddlesports including whitewater kayaking, recreational paddling, fishing, touring, sailing, and youth/infant applications, plus a dog flotation product (Pup Float). Its products incorporate several proprietary technologies: WRAPTURE™ body-mapped foam for contoured torso fit, Graded Sizing™ and TruSize™ sizing systems that adjust foam panels, seams, straps, and shapes per size, Cross-Chest Cinch™ harness systems to prevent ride-up, and Gaia® PVC-free foam for environmental sustainability. Outer-shell construction ranges from 200D nylon (entry-level youth/infant) to 500D/400D blends on rescue-ready whitewater PFDs. The company holds USCG Type III, Transport Canada, and ANSI/CAN/UL 12402-5 (Level 50/70N) certifications across the product line, plus ISO 12402-5 for dragonboat applications.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce via stohlquist.com (and stohlquist.ca for Canada) with a network of 100+ specialty paddlesports retailers, outfitters, and outdoor recreation dealers across North America. Pricing spans approximately $39.99 (Fit Child entry-level) to $324.99 (Descent whitewater PFD), with units sold as one-time purchases (no subscription or licensing components). Customer segments are diversified across whitewater paddlers, recreational paddlers, kayak anglers, families with children, touring/expedition paddlers, and alternative watersports enthusiasts, plus named enterprise users such as professional paddlesports outfitters and competitive dragonboat teams. The company employs 11–50 people, with manufacturing/operations in Alamosa, Colorado and heritage tied to its original Colorado Rocky Mountain founding location.

Stohlquist was acquired by Aqualung Group in 2004, expanded into broader paddlesports categories, and then paused operations in late 2023 following corporate changes at Aqualung's parent. In early 2024 it was revived under new ownership by Sport Dimension Inc., a watersports-focused operating company whose portfolio also includes Body Glove. The company is privately held, with revenue not publicly disclosed.

Name

Stohlquist

Legal name

Stohlquist WaterWare Inc.

Website

https://stohlquist.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stohlquist WaterWare is a U.S. manufacturer of personal flotation devices (PFDs) and water-safety apparel for paddlesports, founded in 1977 and currently owned by Sport Dimension Inc. It sells whitewater, recreational, fishing, touring, youth, and dog life jackets direct via stohlquist.com and through 100+ specialty paddlesports dealers across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Paddlesports Safety Equipment (Personal Flotation Devices)

SIC

Miscellaneous Plastics Products (3080)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Safety & Navigation Electronics Retail (PFDs, EPIRBs, GPS, VHF) (CRAMAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Paddling & Packrafting Gear Retail (CRAMAAAL), Water Sports & Marine Recreation Retail (Paddle/Surf/Dive/Boat Accessories) (CRAMABAI), Waders, Apparel & Footwear for Fishing Retail (CRAMALAL)

Keywords

• Personal flotation devices
• Paddlesports life jackets
• Water safety apparel
• Fishing PFDs
• Whitewater kayaking gear

Headquarters

HQ city

Vista

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. PFD and Life Jacket Sales: Stohlquist generates revenue primarily through the direct sale of personal flotation devices (PFDs), life jackets, and water safety apparel. Products are sold across multiple categories including whitewater, recreational, touring, fishing, and youth/infant PFDs, as well as accessories and dog life jackets. All products are one-time purchases with no subscription components.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Stohlquist designs, manufactures, and sells personal flotation devices (PFDs) and life jackets purpose-built for paddlesports, organized across Whitewater (Descent, Edge, Rocker, Canyon Youth), Recreational (Fit, Ebb, Escape, Betsea, Trekker, Flo), Fishing (Piseas, Fisherman, Keeper), Touring (Drifter, Drifter Youth), and Youth/Child/Infant lines, plus the Pup Float dog life jacket. Products feature proprietary fit technologies including WRAPTURE shaped torso foam, Graded Sizing, TruSize, and Cross-Chest Cinch harness, with USCG Type III approval and Transport Canada / ANSI/CAN/UL 12402-5 certifications.

Product overview

Stohlquist is a specialized manufacturer of personal flotation devices (PFDs) and life jackets for water sports, founded in 1977. The company operates as a single-product focus business (life jackets/PFDs) organized across several product lines: Whitewater PFDs (Descent, Edge, Rocker, Canyon Youth) for high-intensity paddling; Recreational PFDs (Fit, Ebb, Escape, Betsea, Trekker) for casual paddling; Fishing PFDs (Piseas, Fisherman, Keeper) with specialized storage and tool mounting; Touring PFDs (Drifter, Drifter Youth) with enhanced comfort features; and Youth/Child/Infant PFDs for younger users. The portfolio also includes the Pup Float for canine companions. All products feature proprietary technologies including WRAPTURE body-mapped foam for contoured comfort, Graded Sizing for better fit across body types, and Cross-Chest Cinch harnesses for secure fit without restricting movement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Infant Life Jacket (PFD)

Quantifiable outcome

• Products exceed USCG buoyancy requirements of 7-12 lbs for average adults, with models like Piseas providing 16 lbs 4 oz and Edge providing 16 lbs 8 oz of buoyancy
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Body GloveminorOthersBody Glove is mentioned as part of Sport Dimension Inc.'s watersports portfolio alongside Stohlquist, indicating common ownership under the same parent company.
• Specialty Paddlesports Dealers (100+ Retailers)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStohlquist distributes through an extensive network of over 100 specialty paddlesports retailers including major outdoor retailers like Campmor and regional specialists like Maine Sport Outfitters, Goose Hummock, and many others across the United States. These dealers provide in-person fitting services and local expertise.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Extrasport: Extrasport produces personal flotation devices for paddlesports, including whitewater and recreational vests, directly competing with Stohlquist's core product line of Type III PFDs.
• Kokatat: Kokatat makes whitewater, touring, fishing, and recreational PFDs designed by paddlers for paddlers, directly competing with Stohlquist across performance and rescue categories including USCG-certified vests.
• NRS: NRS is the most direct competitor to Stohlquist, manufacturing and selling paddlesports, whitewater, fishing, and recreational PFDs through a similar DTC + dealer hybrid model with comparable use-case segmentation.
• Astral Designs: Astral Designs specializes in paddlesports life jackets with proprietary foam and fit technologies, positioning them as a like-for-like competitor to Stohlquist in the whitewater, fishing, and recreational PFD segments.
• Level Six: Level Six designs and markets whitewater and paddlesports apparel and PFDs targeted at enthusiast paddlers, overlapping Stohlquist's whitewater and recreational product positioning.

Others

• Body Glove: Body Glove is a portfolio brand under Stohlquist's parent company Sport Dimension Inc., with overlapping watersports consumer base and shared retail/operational synergies but distinct product focus.

Broad incumbents

• Mustang Survival: Mustang Survival is a larger marine safety manufacturer whose PFD portfolio overlaps with Stohlquist, particularly in fishing, rescue, and youth/infant categories, but extends broadly into commercial marine, military, and industrial flotation.
• Onyx Outdoor: Onyx Outdoor manufactures a broad line of PFDs at value price points across fishing, paddling, and recreational categories, overlapping with Stohlquist's entry-level Fit and recreational lines.
• O'Brien Watersports: O'Brien is a legacy watersports brand whose PFD and life jacket catalog overlaps with Stohlquist's recreational and youth categories, particularly in watersports retail channels.
• Stearns (part of Newell Brands): Stearns produces a wide range of consumer PFDs, including paddlesports and family life jackets, competing with Stohlquist at the entry-level and recreational price points via mass and sporting goods channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/stohlquistww
• Instagraminstagram.com/stohlquistwaterware
• Xx.com/stohlquistww

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 Stohlquist