Chicago Water Sport Rentals

What Chicago Water Sport Rentals does

Chicago Water Sport Rentals is a privately held, direct-to-consumer recreational water sport rental operator founded in 2012 and headquartered at Dock J, 31st Street Harbor, on the south side of Chicago's Lake Michigan waterfront (3155 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60616). The company runs a strictly seasonal business open daily from approximately 11AM-6PM (with some pages indicating 10AM-7PM) from May through the last Sunday in September, weather permitting. It targets tourists visiting Chicago, local residents seeking weekend and event-based recreation (including birthday parties and corporate outings), and a smaller niche of kayak fishing enthusiasts, all transacting on a walk-up, phone, or online self-serve basis through the FareHarbor booking platform embedded in the company website.

The core product offering spans four equipment categories and one experience-based service. Jet ski rentals feature an exclusive Yamaha WaveRunner fleet available in 30-minute and 1-hour increments at $59-$178 depending on weekday/weekend and holiday pricing, with operators required to be 21 or older and to cover a $500 credit / $1,000 debit security deposit. Boat rentals (previously offered in 2- and 4-hour increments, capacity 6, renter age 25+) are currently suspended per the FAQ. Kayak rentals exclusively use Hobie single ($25/hr) and tandem ($30/hr) models. Paddleboard rentals feature Bic boards with F2 poly-carbonate paddles at $20/hour weekday and $25/hour weekend. The company also runs a SUP yoga program with class formats including Vinyasa Flow, Sunset Flow, Wake Up & Flow, Go With The Flow, a core class, and 30-minute Floating Meditation sessions, all conducted on paddleboards.

Revenue mechanics are purely usage-based with pay-as-you-go billing across all categories, plus sales tax not included in listed prices. Distribution is exclusively direct: the company website with FareHarbor integration, phone reservations at (312) 924-7994, and walk-ups at the harbor dock. Marketing relies on organic channels, including the company blog (covering safety guides, equipment comparisons, and activity tips), Facebook and Twitter, and email at [email protected]. The company has no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, no patents or trademarks, no named institutional customers, and an undisclosed legal entity structure beyond the operating trade name Chicago Water Sport Rentals.

Name

Chicago Water Sport Rentals

Legal name

Chicago Water Sport Rentals

Website

https://chicagowatersportrentals.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chicago Water Sport Rentals is a privately held, seasonal direct-to-consumer water sport rental operator at 31st Street Harbor in Chicago, offering Yamaha WaveRunner jet skis, Hobie kayaks, Bic paddleboards, and SUP yoga classes to tourists and local residents from May through September.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Jet Ski Rentals: Hourly and half-hourly jet ski/WaveRunner rentals. Revenue is generated per rental time slot with higher weekend/holiday pricing.
2. Boat Rentals: Daily boat rentals available in 2 and 4 hour increments. Note: Boat rentals appear to be suspended according to most recent FAQ.
3. Kayak Rentals: Hourly kayak rentals for single or tandem Hobie kayaks.
4. Paddleboard/SUP Rentals: Hourly paddleboard rentals with weekday and weekend pricing differentials.
5. SUP Yoga Classes: Various SUP yoga class formats including Vinyasa Flow, Sunset Flow, Wake Up & Flow, and Floating Meditation sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Chicago Water Sport Rentals operates a seasonal direct-to-consumer water sport rental business at 31st Street Harbor (Dock J) in Chicago. The company rents Yamaha WaveRunners (jet skis), Hobie kayaks, Bic paddleboards, and boats by the hour or day, and offers on-water SUP yoga classes. All rentals include USCG-approved safety equipment and operate from May through the last Sunday in September, weather permitting.

Product overview

Chicago Water Sport Rentals operates a seasonal water sport rental business at 31st Street Harbor offering five core rental products: Jet Ski/WaveRunner rentals, Boat rentals, Kayak rentals (Hobie kayaks), Paddleboard/SUP rentals (Bic paddleboards), and SUP Yoga classes. The company exclusively rents premium Yamaha WaveRunners for jet skis, Hobie kayaks, and Bic paddleboards. All rentals include safety equipment such as USCG-approved personal flotation devices. The business operates seasonally from May through the last Sunday in September, with daily hours from 11AM-6PM (later hours on some pages showing 10AM-7PM). Reservations are required and can be made through their booking system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jet Ski Rentals Jet ski / WaveRunner rentals featuring Yamaha WaveRunners available in 30-minute ($59 weekday / $89 weekend) and 1-hour ($119 weekday / $178 weekend) increments. Operators must be 21 years or older with a government-issued ID. Tandem riding available for two people per jet ski. $500 credit card / $1,000 debit card security deposit required.
• Boat Rentals Daily boat rentals available in 2 and 4 hour increments with a maximum capacity of 6 passengers. Renters must be 25 years or older with a $1,000 credit card or $2,000 debit card security deposit. Note: Boat rentals appear to be suspended according to most recent FAQ.
• Kayak Rentals Single ($25/hour) and tandem ($30/hour) Hobie kayak rentals. Includes kayak, life jacket, and paddle. Hourly rentals targeting recreational paddlers and kayak fishing enthusiasts.
• Paddleboard / SUP Rentals Bic Paddleboard rentals with F2 poly-carbonate paddles at $20/hour Monday-Thursday and $25/hour Friday-Sunday and holidays. Rentals include paddleboard, life jacket, and paddle.
• SUP Yoga Classes Stand-up paddleboard yoga classes including Vinyasa Flow, Sunset SUP Yoga Flow, Wake Up & Flow, Go With The Flow, For The Love Of The Core, and Floating Meditation sessions ranging from 30 to 60 minutes.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• GetMyBoat: GetMyBoat is a global peer-to-peer watercraft rental marketplace where individuals and operators list jet skis, kayaks, paddleboards, and boats for hourly or daily rental — directly competing with Chicago Water Sport Rentals for both supply-side operators and consumer discovery in the same product categories.
• Boatset: Boatset operates a peer-to-peer and operator-side boat and watercraft rental marketplace with booking infrastructure and marketing scale, comparable to the rental-and-booking business model that Chicago Water Sport Rentals runs at 31st Street Harbor.

Emerging players

• Sailo: Sailo is a sailing and boat charter marketplace offering both bareboat and crewed experiences in coastal markets, comparable in that it connects recreational watercraft demand to operator inventory via an online booking flow similar to Chicago Water Sport Rentals' FareHarbor-powered model.
• Yachtico: Yachtico is a boat and watercraft rental marketplace offering charter and bareboat bookings across multiple geographies, comparable to Chicago Water Sport Rentals in the underlying per-day/hour watercraft rental model it markets to leisure travelers.

Regional players

• Chicago Sailing: Chicago Sailing is a Chicago-based sailing charter, lessons, and membership operator competing for the same tourist and local experiential demand on Lake Michigan, providing comparable waterfront leisure offerings in the same geography as Chicago Water Sport Rentals.

Broad incumbents

• Skipper Bud's: Skipper Bud's is an established Great Lakes boating company with sales, service, slip rentals, and on-water experiences across multiple marinas — a broader incumbent that overlaps with Chicago Water Sport Rentals on Lake Michigan recreational boating demand and marina-based service delivery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chiwatersport
• Facebookfacebook.com/CHIWaterSportRentals
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-water-sport-rentals-at-31st-street-harbor

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 Chicago Water Sport Rentals