Badfish SUP

What Badfish SUP does

Badfish SUP designs, manufactures, and sells river-specific stand-up paddleboards, surfboards, and inflatable watercraft through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce site, a flagship retail store, and an authorized dealer network across North America. Founded in 2010 in Salida, Colorado by Mike Harvey — a whitewater park designer who helped create Scout Wave — and board shaper Zack Hughes, the company originated from the founders' pursuit of surfing standing river waves on the Arkansas River. Co-owner Luke Hopkins, a former professional kayaker, joined in 2017 to broaden product development. The product portfolio centers on the Monarch inflatable paddleboard (flagship, with a 2026 refresh adding welded seams, AirLite drop stitch construction, and kayak-convertible D-rings), a family of composite river surfboards (Wave Farmer, Whiskey Throttle, Bomb Drop), whitewater rafts (Ark 10'6" and Ark 13, $2,999–$3,499), the Hammer Paddle Cat pontoon craft, and accessories including the trademarked Re-Leash™ snap-shackle safety leash invented by Hughes in 2011. The company also retails complementary brands such as O'Neill wetsuits and Badfish-branded apparel.

Underlying technology is mechanical and materials-focused rather than software-driven: DuraClear commercial-grade PVC fabric (first-to-market for inflatable boats), AirLite drop stitch construction yielding roughly 30% lighter boards, and welded seams for air retention. Revenue is generated entirely through one-time unit sales of physical goods — hard surfboards priced $99–$999, the Monarch at $799, rafts at $2,999–$3,499, accessories (e.g., Re-Leash at $75, fins $26–$35), apparel ($21–$80), and O'Neill wetsuits ($64.95–$479.95) — plus gift cards. Go-to-market is hybrid: badfishsup.com DTC, the Badfish Surf Shop retail store opened in 2023 in Salida (positioned as the highest elevation surf shop in America), and a regional dealer locator network. The company is privately held, founder-owned with no disclosed external institutional investment, and operates from a manufacturing/warehouse headquarters at 5572 US Hwy 50 in Salida, Colorado.

Name

Badfish SUP

Legal name

Badfish Stand Up Paddle

Website

https://badfishsup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Badfish SUP designs and sells river-specific stand-up paddleboards, surfboards, and inflatable rafts directly to paddlesports enthusiasts via e-commerce, its Salida, Colorado surf shop, and a North American dealer network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Paddleboards & River Surfboards

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Sports & Marine Recreation Retail (Paddle/Surf/Dive/Boat Accessories) (CRAMABAI), Surf & Beach Sports Retail (Surfboards, Bodyboards, Skimboards) (CRAMAIAE)

Keywords

• River surfboards
• Inflatable paddleboards
• Whitewater rafts
• Stand up paddleboards
• River surfing equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Salida

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

Revenue model

1. Hard Surfboards: EPS/fiberglass composite river surfboards including Wave Farmer, Whiskey Throttle, Bomb Drop, and other shapes. No warranty on composite boards.
2. Inflatable Paddleboards: Monarch and other inflatable SUP boards with 5-year warranty. Sold direct with accessories (pump, paddle, leash, backpack).
3. Rafts & Watercraft: Inflatable rafts including Ark 10'6", Ark 13, and Hammer Paddle Cat. Professional-grade durability with 3-6 year warranties.
4. Accessories: Surf accessories including Re-Leash, fins, traction, board bags, pumps, dry bags, paddles.
5. Apparel & Clothing: T-shirts, hoodies, hats branded with Badfish mountain surf lifestyle aesthetic.
6. Wetsuits: O'Neill wetsuits and accessories sold through retail store and e-commerce.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Badfish SUP designs, manufactures, and sells river-specific surfboards, inflatable stand-up paddleboards (SUPs), whitewater rafts, and water sports accessories built for river surfing and whitewater paddling. Their flagship products include the Monarch inflatable SUP and a lineup of river surfboards (Wave Farmer, Whiskey Throttle, Bomb Drop) using proprietary materials such as DuraClear fabric and the trademarked Re-Leash safety system. Products are sold direct via e-commerce, through a flagship retail store in Salida, CO, and via an authorized dealer network.

Product overview

Badfish SUP is a specialty outdoor recreation company offering inflatable paddleboards, river surfboards, rafts, and water sports accessories designed for the mountain surf lifestyle. The product portfolio centers on the Monarch inflatable paddleboard (flagship SUP with 2026 updates), a diverse river surfboard lineup including performance boards (Wave Farmer, Whiskey Throttle, Full Throttle) and foamies (Bomb Drop, ShredTown), whitewater rafts (Ark 10'6 and Ark 13), the Hammer Paddle Cat pontoon craft, and the Donut River Tube. Accessories include the proprietary Re-Leash safety leash system, fins, pumps, paddles, and dry bags. The company also retails O'Neill wetsuits and branded Badfish clothing (t-shirts, hoodies, hats) through its e-commerce platform and flagship Badfish Surf Shop retail location in Salida, Colorado.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Monarch Inflatable Paddleboard Flagship inflatable stand-up paddleboard (SUP) featuring welded seams, AirLite drop stitch technology, and kayak-seat compatibility. Includes pump, paddle, leash, and backpack. Priced at $799.
• Hammer Paddle Cat Versatile pontoon-style paddle craft with 24-inch tubes, DuraClear commercial-grade fabric, and splash guard. Designed for two-person river running with rowing frame compatibility. Priced at $2,199.
• Ark 10'6" Raft Family-friendly inflatable raft with 18-inch tube diameter, adjustable thwarts, and DuraClear PVC construction. Suitable for paddling with friends or fishing rig configuration. Priced at $2,999.
• Ark 13 Raft Most versatile raft in the lineup with capacity for six passengers. Handles Class V whitewater, overnight trips, and fishing expeditions. Priced at $3,499.
• Wave Farmer River Surfboard High-performance river surfboard series with three sizes (4'10, 5'2, 5'4) featuring Gore-Tex vent, EPS/fiberglass construction, and FCS tri-fin setup. Designed for modern engineered river waves. Priced at $699.
• Whiskey Throttle Surfboard Compact river surfboard (4'8 x 18.5 x 2.7) with pulled-in nose and single concave for responsive, high-performance surfing. Features carbon wood stringer and Gore-Tex vent. Priced at $749.
• Bomb Drop Surfboard High-volume foamy surfboard (5'0 x 21.5 x 3, 38.5L) with hybrid foam core and HDPE slick bottom. Entry-level price with durable, high-performance construction. Priced at $399.
• Re-Leash Safety Leash System River-specific safety leash system with snap shackle developed by co-founder Zack Hughes in 2011. Includes river surfing and river running configurations in 6-foot straight and 8-foot coiled variants. Priced at $75.
• Donut River Tube Performance river tube with tapered front design, dual handles, and abrasion-resistant PVC construction. Inflates via standard SUP valve with heavy-duty self-draining floor panel.
• O'Neill Wetsuits (retail) Full line of O'Neill wetsuits including men's, women's, and youth Epic and Hyperfreak series retailed through the Badfish Surf Shop and e-commerce. Covers river surfing cold-water protection from 1.5mm tops to 5/4mm hooded full suits. Pricing $64.95-$479.95.
• Badfish Branded Clothing (T-Shirts, Hoodies, Hats) Brand apparel including graphic t-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, crop tops, hoodies, crew sweatshirts, trucker hats, 5-panel hats, running hats, foam truckers, and boonie hats featuring Badfish mountain surf lifestyle designs. T-shirts approximately $27-$40, hoodies $65-$80, hats various.
• Surf Accessories (fins, traction, board bags, pumps, dry bags, paddles) Surf accessories line including Badfish 3.5" Thruster Surf Fin Set ($35), Surf Belt ($30), board bags ($69-$129), pumps, paddles, and dry bags.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top-selling paddleboard since 2018 with thousands of loyal paddlers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Diversify WhitewaterminorOthersNon-profit partner working to promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in paddlesports by removing barriers for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and allies in kayaking, canoeing, rafting, and stand-up paddle boarding.
• Vet ExpeditionsminorOthersNon-profit partner empowering veterans to overcome challenges associated with military service through outdoor training and leadership programs.
• American WhitewaterminorOthersNational river conservation nonprofit with mission to protect and restore America's whitewater rivers and enhance opportunities to enjoy them safely.
• O'NeillminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWetsuit brand carried at Badfish Surf Shop retail location alongside RVCA, Rip-Curl, and Astral brands.
• RVCAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerApparel brand carried at Badfish Surf Shop retail location.
• Rip-CurlminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSurf apparel brand carried at Badfish Surf Shop retail location.
• AstralminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFootwear/boat gear brand carried at Badfish Surf Shop retail location.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hala SUP: Hala SUP is a direct-to-consumer inflatable SUP brand focused on whitewater and river performance, including dedicated river SUP shapes. Hala is the closest direct peer in the river-specific inflatable SUP category where Badfish's Monarch competes, sharing price points, dealer networks, and rider demographics.
• AIRE: AIRE manufactures inflatable rafts, catarafts, and SUPs with proprietary PVC technology — a direct match to Badfish's DuraClear-positioned raft and paddleboard lineup. Both target whitewater enthusiasts and outfitters with welded-seam, commercial-grade inflatables, making AIRE the most direct competitive peer in the inflatable watercraft category.
• Jackson Kayak: Jackson Kayak designs and manufactures whitewater kayaks and has expanded into SUPs and platform craft. Overlap with Badfish in whitewater design DNA (Luke Hopkins's pro-kayaker background mirrors Jackson's founder-base) and in the outfitter/endemic paddler channel makes it a closely comparable peer in technical whitewater product design.
• Glide SUP: Glide SUP designs inflatable and rigid stand-up paddleboards, including river and all-water shapes, with a comparable price point and dealer-distribution model. Closely overlaps with Badfish's Monarch and surf-SUP positioning for paddlers seeking performance boards.

Broad incumbents

• NRS (Northwest River Supplies): NRS is the dominant North American paddlesports outfitter selling rafts, SUPs, wetsuits, and river gear through retail and dealer channels. It is comparable to Badfish as a multi-category river-recreation brand but operates at far larger scale with a much broader catalog, serving as the incumbent against which Badfish competes on river-specificity.
• BOTE: BOTE is a direct-to-consumer paddleboard and water-craft brand with an owned retail footprint and broad SUP/catamaran/raft catalog. Comparable to Badfish in the DTC + specialty retail playbook and in pricing tiers, but BOTE serves a far larger flatwater/fishing consumer base rather than whitewater specialists.
• Surftech: Surftech is an established surfboard and SUP manufacturer using composite construction (EPS/fiberglass), directly comparable to Badfish's hard surfboard line (Wave Farmer, Whiskey Throttle, Bomb Drop). Surftech is a broader incumbent serving ocean surfers, while Badfish specializes in river-specific shapes, making them adjacent-but-comparable in composite board manufacturing.
• Starboard (SUP): Starboard is a globally established SUP and water sports brand with both recreational and race/river product lines. Comparable to Badfish in paddleboard manufacturing scale and dealer presence, but operating as a broad incumbent across flatwater, race, and surf rather than specializing in river use cases.

Emerging players

• SIC Maui (Boardworks): Boardworks/SIC Maui builds performance SUPs and surfboards, including all-water and touring shapes. Overlaps with Badfish on the SUP side and on composite construction, but with broader ocean and flatwater focus rather than whitewater specialization, positioning it as a partial-overlap emerging peer.
• Waka SUP: Waka SUP is an emerging premium inflatable SUP brand with a strong whitewater and downriver product line. Comparable to Badfish in rider demographic (river-focused paddlers), price tier, and product positioning, but with a smaller dealer footprint and no retail experience layer, making it a niche emerging peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/badfishsup
• Xx.com/badfishsup
• Facebookfacebook.com/badfishsup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/badfish-sup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Badfish SUP