Soak
Soak is a privately held coastal leisure business in Torquay, UK, operating a beachfront site that combines stand-up paddleboarding and kayak instruction, equipment hire, guided tours, and an adjacent beach bar and cafe for tourists and local residents.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersFalmouth, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Soak does
Soak is a privately held coastal leisure and hospitality business operating from a single beachfront site at Torre Abbey Sands in Torquay, on the English Riviera in South Devon, United Kingdom. The company combines stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) instruction and equipment hire with an adjacent beach bar and cafe, plus a small eco-friendly merchandise line sold online, positioning itself as an integrated water sports and hospitality destination. Its core products include paddle board and kayak hire, multi-tier SUP lessons (BYO, beginner, private, and the newer SUPer Clinic format), guided tours of the English Riviera coastline, and an all-day beach bar serving specialty coffee, cocktails, beer, ice cream, and snacks. Soak also runs community-oriented events such as The Great Big Paddle Parade and a free Locals Loyalty Card membership for repeat local customers.
The company was founded around 2010 and operates with 11-50 employees. Its underlying technology is operational rather than software-driven: it relies on the Peek platform for online booking, the Teemill platform for e-commerce merchandise, and Instagram for organic social marketing. Differentiation rests on the founder Sean White's reputation as a founding father of SUP in the UK and his proprietary people-focused training methods, the physical scarcity of its beachfront location within the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark, and the combined water-sports-plus-beach-bar format that competitors in the area do not replicate.
Soak's revenue is generated through three main streams: usage-based fees for water sports activities (lessons at £35-£70 and after-work hire sessions at £10), transactional sales at the beach bar and cafe, and e-commerce sales of organic-cotton merchandise. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and walk-in at the physical site, supplemented by online booking and a loyalty program targeting local residents. Customer segments are split between tourists and holidaymakers visiting the English Riviera and local residents of Torbay, with adjacent referral relationships to associated Wesup paddle board centres in Cornwall, Hampshire, and the River Dart.
Soak firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Soak
- Legal name
- Soak
- Website
- https://soaklifestyle.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Soak is a privately held coastal leisure business in Torquay, UK, operating a beachfront site that combines stand-up paddleboarding and kayak instruction, equipment hire, guided tours, and an adjacent beach bar and cafe for tourists and local residents.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Soak industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water Sports and Beach Hospitality Services
- NAICS
- Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water & Marine Guiding Services (Kayak, Canoe, Raft, SUP, Sailing) (THAAALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Kayaking, Canoeing & SUP Tours (Guided/Paddling Excursions) (THAJAJAF), Kayaking, Canoeing & SUP Coastal Tours (THAAAIAF), Whitewater & Paddle Sports Centers (Rafting, Kayak, SUP, Canoe) (THAAAKAF)
Keywords
Where Soak is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Falmouth
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Soak business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Water Sports Activities: Revenue from paddle board and kayak hire, lessons, and guided tours. Includes BYO lessons, beginner lessons, private lessons, SUPer clinics, and after-work sessions.
- Beach Bar and Cafe: Revenue from specialty coffee, cocktails, beer, ice cream, cakes, milkshakes, and snacks sold at the beachfront location.
- Eco-friendly Merchandise: Revenue from eco-friendly clothing merchandise sold through Teemill online platform. Clothing crafted from organic cotton and powered by renewable energy.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Paddle board lessons ranging from £35-£70 depending on type |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | After-work paddle board and kayak hire sessions |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Locals Loyalty Card membership |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Soak product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Soak operates a coastal lifestyle hub at Torre Abbey Sands beach in Torquay, South Devon, offering stand-up paddleboard (SUP) and kayak hire, professional SUP lessons for all skill levels, and guided tours of the English Riviera coastline. Adjacent to the water sports operations, the company runs the Soak Beach Bar & Cafe serving specialty coffee, cocktails, beer, ice cream, and snacks. The business also sells eco-friendly organic cotton merchandise through an online Teemill storefront.
Product overview
Soak is a coastal lifestyle hub in South Devon offering a unified experience combining water sports and beach bar hospitality. The core products include SUP Lessons (paddle board instruction in multiple formats: BYO, beginner, and private lessons), Water Sports Hire (paddle board and kayak rental), and Guided Tours. Adjacent offerings include the Beach Bar & Cafe serving specialty coffee, cocktails, and food, plus an Eco-Friendly Merchandise line sold online. Additional programs include the Locals Loyalty Card membership and The Great Big Paddle Parade events. The Wesup Abbey Sands centre provides the water-based activities while the beach bar operates as a separate but integrated hospitality experience right next door.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Wesup Abbey Sands: Paddle boarding and kayak experiences at Torre Abbey Sands, Torquay - offering lessons, tours, and equipment hire.
Products and services
- Water Sports Hire Paddle board and kayak hire services at Wesup Abbey Sands in Torquay, offering access to the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark. Includes safety briefings, boards/kayaks, paddles, and buoyancy aids.
- SUP Lessons Expert, fully inclusive paddle board instruction for all levels led by Sean White. Includes BYO lessons (£35pp), beginner lessons (£40pp), private lessons (£70 for 60 min instruction plus 30 min practice), and the BYO SUPer Clinic (£60pp per session).
- Soak Beach Bar & Cafe All-day beach bar positioned directly on Torquay's most iconic beach. Serves specialty coffee, cocktails, beer, ice cream, cakes, milkshakes, and snacks. Located within toe-dipping distance of the sea and adjacent to the water sports operations.
- Guided Tours Paddle board and kayak tours of the English Riviera coastline, offering panoramic views and exploration of natural reef and kelp forests from Torre Abbey Sands.
- Eco-Friendly Merchandise Sustainable clothing line crafted from organic cotton and powered by renewable energy, sold through the Teemill e-commerce platform at soaklifestyle.teemill.com.
Companies that use Soak
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Soak technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature1 record
Soak partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Wesup Abbey SandscoreWesup Abbey Sands operates as the paddle board and kayak centre under the Soak brand at Torre Abbey Sands. They offer SUP hire, lessons, tours, and kayak hire as part of the Soak water sports operations. Find a full list of activities at wesup.co.uk/activities/.
- SolskinnminorSolskinn is a sister company located next door to the water sports operations, offering specialty coffee and light snacks for customers to enjoy after their adventure. Also operates a harbourside gin terrace approximately 1km away in Torquay town centre.
- Wesup Other LocationsminorAssociated paddle board centres at Gylly Beach, Hamble River, and Dartside Quay for customers planning trips to Cornwall, Hampshire, or River Dart areas.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Soak competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Teemill: Sustainable print-on-demand e-commerce platform powering Soak's eco-friendly merchandise store; an infrastructure/enabling vendor for the merch revenue stream.
- Peek: Online booking and experiences platform that Soak uses to schedule lessons and hire; an enabling technology partner rather than a competitor.
- Red Paddle Co: Leading UK inflatable SUP board manufacturer; an ecosystem supplier of the equipment central to Soak's hire and lesson business rather than a direct competitor.
Regional players
- Global Boarders: Cornwall surf and SUP school providing lessons and hire, sharing Soak's instruction-led watersports model in an adjacent South West territory.
- Poole Harbour Watersports: South coast watersports centre offering SUP, kayak, and windsurf lessons and hire; very similar activity mix and coastal tourist audience but based in Dorset rather than Devon.
- Escape Surf School: Cornwall watersports and surf/SUP school offering lessons and equipment hire to tourists, comparable in offering and beachfront model but serving a different UK region.
Direct peers
- SUP Bristol: UK stand-up paddleboarding school offering lessons, hire, and guided tours, directly comparable to Soak's core SUP instruction and rental business.
- Wesup: UK stand-up paddleboard school and hire operator running centres at multiple coastal locations; Soak's Abbey Sands water sports operate under the Wesup brand, making it the closest comparable in offering and model.
- Cornish Rock Tors: Cornwall-based adventure operator offering SUP, kayaking, and coasteering with guided tours and lessons for tourists and locals, closely matching Soak's guided water-activity model in the same UK South West coastal market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Soak social profiles
Digital presenceSoak financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Soak leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Soak funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Soak M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Soak
What does Soak do?
Soak operates a coastal lifestyle hub at Torre Abbey Sands beach in Torquay, South Devon, offering stand-up paddleboard (SUP) and kayak hire, professional SUP lessons for all skill levels, and guided tours of the English Riviera coastline. Adjacent to the water sports operations, the company runs the Soak Beach Bar & Cafe serving specialty coffee, cocktails, beer, ice cream, and snacks. The business also sells eco-friendly organic cotton merchandise through an online Teemill storefront.
Is Soak a public or private company?
Soak is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Soak founded?
Soak was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Soak based?
Soak is headquartered in Falmouth, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Soak make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Water Sports Activities are the primary driver. The others are beach Bar and Cafe and eco-friendly Merchandise.
Who are Soak's main competitors?
Others on record are Teemill, Peek and Red Paddle Co. Regional players are Global Boarders, Poole Harbour Watersports and Escape Surf School. Direct peers are SUP Bristol, Wesup and Cornish Rock Tors.
Does Soak have an API?
No public API is recorded for Soak.
What industry is Soak in?
Soak's product category is Water Sports and Beach Hospitality Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAALAB, Water & Marine Guiding Services (Kayak, Canoe, Raft, SUP, Sailing), with a secondary code of THAJAJAF, Kayaking, Canoeing & SUP Tours (Guided/Paddling Excursions). Its NAICS code is 48721 and its SIC code is 7900.