Wrightsville SUP

What Wrightsville SUP does

Wrightsville SUP is a privately held, founder-owned water sports rental and instruction business headquartered at 96 W Salisbury St, Wrightsville Beach, NC, founded in 2011 by Jarrod Covington and operating with 11–50 employees. The company rents stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, fat-tire bikes, and beach cruisers, and delivers guided experiences including SUP lessons, kayak tours, outrigger canoe tours, LED-lit nighttime SUP tours, SUP yoga, SUP fitness (TRX-based), and surf lessons across multiple regional beaches (Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Figure Eight Island, Topsail, Surf City). A branded merchandise line (hats, tees, sweatshirts, sunglass straps) is sold on-site, and e-gift certificates are available. Technology is operationally light: a Webflow website, a third-party booking layer via Peek.com, and organic social presence across Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube, with no proprietary platform, app, or API.

The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and event-driven: tourist visitors to Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington-area locals book through the website, by phone (910-378-9283), or by walking in, while weddings, families, and corporate groups make pre-arranged reservations. Pricing is unit-based across roughly $15–$35 for rentals and $35–$200 for tours/lessons, with a $125 monthly rental program during April providing extended-duration access. Discovery is driven primarily by Tripadvisor (#1 ranking for SUP and kayak rentals in Wilmington) and Yelp reviews, supplemented by organic social and word-of-mouth referrals from prior customers. Strategic partnerships with PaddleFit (instructional certification), Longwave Yoga (SUP yoga), and Werner Paddles (equipment) shape the service offering, while a Surfchex webcam integration surfaces surf conditions on the company site.

The business operates seasonally, with full operating hours from April 1 through October 31 (8am–6pm) and year-round availability by appointment from sunup to sundown. Revenue mechanics are diversified across usage-based equipment rentals, one-time-license tours/lessons, hardware sales of merchandise, and gift certificate purchases; no recurring SaaS, membership, or subscription revenue stream is disclosed. The company has no disclosed funding rounds, no investors, no parent/subsidiary structure, and no M&A history, indicating an independent, owner-operated recreational services company with no external capital intensity.

Name

Wrightsville SUP

Legal name

Wrightsville SUP

Website

https://wrightsvillesup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wrightsville SUP is a private, founder-owned water sports rental and instruction business in Wrightsville Beach, NC, offering stand-up paddleboard and kayak rentals, lessons, LED-lit night tours, outrigger canoe tours, SUP yoga, surf lessons, and bike rentals to tourists, locals, families, and corporate groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Sports Recreation Services

NAICS

Recreational Goods Rental (532284)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Whitewater & Paddle Sports Centers (Rafting, Kayak, SUP, Canoe) (THAAAKAF)

Keywords

• Stand up paddleboarding rentals
• Water sports instruction
• Guided kayak tours
• Beach equipment rentals
• Outdoor recreation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Wrightsville Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Equipment Rentals: Hourly/daily rentals of stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, and bikes. Equipment is provided with safety briefing. Single or tandem options available. 24-hour access available during certain periods.
2. Lessons and Tours: Guided instructional experiences including SUP lessons, kayak tours, surf lessons, and fitness/yoga classes. Expert instructors provide guidance and equipment.
3. Outrigger Canoe Tours: Group outrigger canoe experiences with steersman. OC-6 person canoe for team paddling experiences. Cultural and adventure activity.
4. Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including hats, sweatshirts, t-shirts, sunglasses bands. Purchased at the physical shop location.
5. Gift Certificates: E-gift options for adventure gift certificates valid for water sports activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wrightsville SUP rents stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, and bikes, and provides guided water sports instruction and tours at Wrightsville Beach, NC. Offerings include beginner SUP lessons, kayak and outrigger canoe tours, surf lessons, SUP yoga, SUP fitness, and LED-lit nighttime paddle board excursions for tourists, families, wedding parties, and corporate groups. All equipment, including life vests, paddles, helmets, and maps, is included with rentals and experiences.

Product overview

Wrightsville SUP operates as a recreational water sports rental and instruction business offering Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) as its core product, complemented by multiple equipment rental and tour modules. The portfolio includes SUP lessons and tours (core), standalone SUP board rentals, kayak rentals and guided tours, outrigger canoe tours, bike rentals, nighttime LED-lit SUP tours, SUP yoga (partnered with Longwave Yoga), SUP fitness classes, and surf lessons across multiple regional beaches. The company also sells branded merchandise and gift cards. All offerings are booked through a third-party booking platform (Peek.com) and are available at Wrightsville Beach, NC, with rental prices starting around $15–$35 and guided experiences ranging from $35–$200.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stand Up Paddle Board Lessons and Tours

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PaddleFitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional paddlesports certification and training program. Wrightsville SUP is an affiliated provider, indicating staff receive certified training and adhere to industry standards for paddleboard instruction and safety.
• Longwave YogacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Longwave Yoga for SUP Yoga lessons. Certified yoga instructors provide paddle board yoga classes in partnership, combining yoga practice with water-based paddle board experience.
• Werner PaddlescoreTechnology or IntegrationEquipment partner supplying paddle products. Werner Paddles is a leading manufacturer of paddles for canoe, kayak, and SUP. Wrightsville SUP uses their equipment, indicating a preferred vendor relationship.
• SurfchexminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides live webcam feeds of surf conditions at Wrightsville Beach, allowing customers to check conditions before booking activities. Linked on the website footer.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Maui Surf Clinics: Hawaii-based surf and stand-up paddleboard instruction business offering group and private lessons at a premier beach destination, comparable in product mix, pricing model, and tourist-customer focus.
• Cocoa Beach Surf School: Florida-based surf and paddleboard instruction school operating at a major beach destination, offering a similar mix of lessons, rentals, and guided tours to tourists and locals — a close functional analog to Wrightsville SUP in a different coastal market.
• Carolina Surf School: Carolina Beach-area surf instruction school offering surf and paddleboard lessons along the southern North Carolina coast, directly overlapping Wrightsville SUP's geographic market and target customer base of beach visitors.

Others

• Werner Paddles: Leading manufacturer of paddles for canoe, kayak, and SUP and a disclosed equipment partner of Wrightsville SUP; comparable as a key supplier in the paddlesports ecosystem whose brand recognition also flows through to Wrightsville SUP's marketing.
• PaddleFit: Professional paddlesports certification and training program that affiliates Wrightsville SUP; comparable as an ecosystem enabler whose instructor certifications directly support Wrightsville SUP's safety claims and credibility.

Broad incumbents

• Ron Jon Surf Shop: National surf retail brand with multiple coastal locations offering paddleboard, kayak, and bike rentals alongside retail apparel — a broader incumbent that competes in some beach markets with both rentals and merchandise, similar to Wrightsville SUP's mixed offering.
• REI Co-op: National outdoor recreation retailer operating rental programs for paddleboards, kayaks, and bikes across multiple U.S. markets, providing a scaled, brand-recognized alternative for casual rental customers in markets where REI has a presence.

Regional players

• Blockade Runner Beach Resort: Adjacent Wrightsville Beach hotel that offers on-site water sports and beach recreation amenities, including paddleboarding and kayak activities, making it a direct local competitor for tourist guests seeking bundled accommodations plus water sports.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wrightsvillesup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Wrightsville SUP