Coast Outdoors

What Coast Outdoors does

Coast Outdoors is an independent, privately held specialty outdoor retailer headquartered at 352 Lynn Ave in North Vancouver, British Columbia. The business operates a single physical showroom supplemented by a Lightspeed-hosted e-commerce storefront serving Canadian and US customers, with a separate US order page for cross-border buyers. Its core assortment covers paddle sports equipment — kayaks (recreational, day touring, touring, inflatable, sit-on-top), stand-up paddle boards, surfskis, outrigger canoes, prone paddle boards, and associated paddles, PFDs, paddlewear, and accessories — alongside winter categories including cross country skis, roller skis, snowshoes, crampons, and ski tuning supplies. The company also carries Onewheel electric boards and a secondary used-equipment channel fed by its rental fleet. Premium brands such as Think Kayaks (designed locally in North Vancouver by Daryl Remmler), Epic Kayaks, Starboard, NRS, Patagonia, Fischer, Salomon, and Rossignol anchor a curated, premium-priced assortment.

The business generates revenue primarily through one-time retail product sales at fixed unit prices both in-store and online, supplemented by seasonal promotions offering 20–80% discounts, a used/demo equipment resale channel, and waterfront equipment rentals. Pricing spans from accessories under C$10 to premium sea kayaks and carbon paddles above C$7,000, with club and pass-holder discounts applied in-store. GTM is direct-to-consumer with no third-party resellers or distributors identified.

The customer base is entirely consumer, segmented into recreational paddlers, touring and performance paddlers, Nordic skiers (winter and roller), surfski and racing paddlers, and winter trail users, all served by an expert staff that delivers equipment selection, fitting, and demo support. Customer acquisition relies on organic SEO-driven product pages, a content blog, an email newsletter, demo days and events, and mutual referral partnerships with three Vancouver-area surfski lesson providers (Deep Cove, Cates Park, Jericho Beach). The company's stated differentiators are deep product expertise, hands-on demo opportunities, waterfront-adjacent distribution, and an authoritative educational content library supporting informed purchasing decisions in technical equipment categories.

Name

Coast Outdoors

Legal name

Coast Outdoors

Website

https://coastoutdoors.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Coast Outdoors is an independent specialty retailer in North Vancouver, BC, selling premium paddle sports and cross country ski equipment through a single physical store, a Lightspeed-powered e-commerce site, and waterfront rentals, serving recreational and performance outdoor enthusiasts in the Vancouver area and across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Outdoor Recreation Retail

NAICS

Boat Dealers (441222), Recreational Goods Rental (532284)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350)

akta.pro primary industry

Paddle Sports Retail (Kayak, Canoe, SUP, Paddles) (CRAMAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Recreation Rentals & Tours Retail Counter (On-site Sales) (CRAMAIAM), Surf & Beach Sports Retail (Surfboards, Bodyboards, Skimboards) (CRAMAIAE)

Keywords

• Paddle sports equipment
• Kayak retail
• Stand up paddle boards
• Cross country skiing
• Outdoor recreation retail

Headquarters

HQ city

North Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: Coast Outdoors generates revenue through direct retail sales of outdoor paddling and winter sports equipment. The business sells a wide range of products including kayaks, stand up paddle boards, surfskis, outrigger canoes, cross country skis, roller skis, snowshoes, Onewheel devices, and associated accessories and apparel. Products are sold at fixed retail prices through the physical store and online storefront. The company also sells used/previously rented equipment at discounted prices, providing a secondary sales channel for inventory cycling.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Coast Outdoors is a specialty retailer based in North Vancouver, BC that sells kayaks (recreational, touring, whitewater, fishing, and inflatables), stand up paddle boards, surfskis, outrigger canoes, cross country skis, roller skis, snowshoes, and Onewheel devices, along with related accessories, parts, and apparel. The business operates a physical store ("the Paddle Shop" at 1764 Lions Gate Lane) and an e-commerce site (coastoutdoors.com) that ships to Canada and the United States, and also offers used and demo equipment.

Product overview

Coast Outdoors operates as a specialty outdoor retailer focused on paddle sports and winter recreation. The core product portfolio centers on kayaks (recreational, day touring, touring, inflatable, sit-on-top), stand up paddle boards (all-rounder, touring, race/fitness, surf, inflatable), surfskis (Epic and Think brands), outrigger canoes, and comprehensive paddles for all watercraft types. Supporting product lines include PFDs/life jackets, paddlewear (neoprene, dry wear, footwear), roof racks and vehicle storage solutions, and cross country skiing equipment (skate and classic skis, boots, bindings, poles, skiwear, wax/tuning). Additional offerings encompass roller skis, snowshoes, crampons, Onewheel electric boards, and used/resale watercraft. The company serves paddlers and skiers of all skill levels from its North Vancouver, BC retail location with e-commerce operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kayaks (recreational, touring, whitewater, fishing, inflatables) Multi-category kayak lineup spanning recreational, touring, whitewater, fishing, and inflatable kayaks, sold to individual paddlers seeking specialty paddle craft.
• Stand up paddle boards (SUPs) Stand up paddle boards sold to recreational paddlers and fitness users for use on lakes, rivers, and coastal waters.
• Surfskis Surfski paddling craft sold to intermediate and advanced paddlers seeking downwind and open-water performance boats.
• Outrigger canoes Outrigger canoes sold to paddlers participating in ocean and distance outrigger canoe disciplines.
• Cross country skis Cross country skis sold to Nordic skiing enthusiasts for groomed trail and backcountry use.
• Roller skis Roller skis sold to Nordic skiers for off-season training on paved surfaces.
• Snowshoes Snowshoes sold to winter recreation users for hiking and trail use in snow.
• Onewheel electric boards Onewheel self-balancing electric boards sold to individual riders seeking motorized single-wheel recreation.
• Used and demo equipment Pre-owned and demo kayaks, SUPs, skis, and related equipment sold at discount to new units, allowing customers to access specialty gear at lower price points.
• Paddle sports and outdoor accessories, parts, and apparel Complementary accessories, replacement parts, and outdoor apparel sold to support kayaking, SUP, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and Onewheel use.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Think KayakscoreOthersThink Kayaks is a surfski manufacturer designed locally in North Vancouver by Daryl Remmler. Coast Outdoors stocks a full range of Think surfskis from novice to advanced models. The local design heritage creates a strong regional partnership with a premium surfski brand.
• Epic KayakscoreOthersEpic Kayaks is a surfski and kayak manufacturer founded by Olympic gold medalist Greg Barton. Coast Outdoors carries Epic surfskis ranging from recreational to elite competition models.
• Deep Cove Kayak CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal surfski lesson provider in Deep Cove. Coast Outdoors recommends their lessons for customers new to surfski paddling, creating a customer referral relationship.
• Cates Park Paddling CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal surfski lesson provider at Cates Park. Partners with Coast Outdoors to provide beginner surfski instruction for customers purchasing surfskis.
• Jericho Beach Kayak CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal surfski lesson provider at Jericho Beach. Provides surfski lessons for Coast Outdoors customers seeking to improve their technique.
• StarboardcoreOthersPremium stand up paddle board manufacturer. Coast Outdoors features Starboard SUPs prominently on the homepage as a key brand, including inflatable, touring, and surf models.
• NRScoreOthersNorthwest River Supplies - major supplier of kayaking, SUP, and water sports equipment including PFDs, inflatable kayaks, and accessories. Coast Outdoors stocks a comprehensive range of NRS products.
• PatagoniacoreOthersPremium outdoor apparel brand. Coast Outdoors carries Patagonia paddlewear and baselayer products, featuring seasonal sales with up to 40% discounts.
• LightspeedcoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform provider powering Coast Outdoors' online store. The platform enables product catalog management, online sales, and inventory tracking for the retail operation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• West Marine: US-based specialty marine retailer offering boats, kayaks, paddling gear and accessories through stores and online. Comparable as a marine-focused multi-store retailer, though broader in scope than Coast Outdoors' paddle-specialist niche.
• Sport Chek: Canada's largest sporting goods chain, owned by Canadian Tire, carrying seasonal outdoor categories including paddling and Nordic skiing. Relevant broad incumbent competing for the same Vancouver-area discretionary sporting goods spend as Coast Outdoors.
• Sun & Ski Sports: US multi-store specialty outdoor retailer with seasonal assortments in paddling and Nordic skiing. Comparable as a multi-channel specialty outdoor incumbent overlapping with Coast Outdoors on selected product categories and customer profiles.
• REI: US outdoor co-op operating a national chain of stores plus a large e-commerce site, with significant assortments in kayaks, SUPs, paddling apparel and cross country skiing. Comparable as a broad-line outdoor omni-channel incumbent competing for the same paddling and Nordic ski customer.
• Decathlon: Global mass-market sporting goods retailer with Canadian store and online presence covering paddling, SUPs, Nordic skiing and outdoor apparel. Relevant scale competitor pressuring specialty retail pricing across Coast Outdoors' core categories.
• Mountain Equipment Company (MEC): Canada's largest consumer-owned outdoor retailer carrying paddling, Nordic skiing, apparel and accessories across many stores and online. Overlaps with Coast Outdoors on its full paddling and Nordic ski assortment but operates as a broad-line incumbent rather than a paddle specialist.

Direct peers

• Rutabaga Paddlesports: Long-established specialty paddlesports retailer based in Madison, WI, selling kayaks, SUPs, canoes, paddles and accessories online and through retail stores. Directly comparable to Coast Outdoors as a specialty paddle-focused shop serving both beginners and performance paddlers.
• Pacific Watersports: California-based specialty paddle and watersports retailer offering kayaks, SUPs, surfski/surf equipment, paddling apparel and lessons. Closely comparable to Coast Outdoors' West Coast, water-recreation-focused specialty model with strong instructor/program partnerships.

Others

• Aqua-Bound: Paddle manufacturer with a direct-to-consumer retail channel covering kayak, SUP and surfski paddles. Relevant as an upstream supplier/competitor in paddles, one of Coast Outdoors' core categories, with an owned channel that competes for paddle category shoppers.
• NRS (Northwest River Supplies): Manufacturer and direct-to-consumer retailer of kayaking, SUP and paddle sports equipment. Comparable as a brand partner and category incumbent that sells directly to consumers, competing with Coast Outdoors' retail channel on overlapping SKUs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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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 Coast Outdoors