Croyde Surf Hire
Croyde Surf Hire is a family-run surf equipment rental and retail shop established in 1987 in Croyde Bay, North Devon, UK. It serves individual tourists and holidaymakers with board and wetsuit rentals, branded apparel, and a camping subsidiary.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersNorth Bovey, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Croyde Surf Hire does
Croyde Surf Hire is a family-run surf equipment rental and retail business operating from "The Little Pink Shop" in the village of Croyde Bay, North Devon, UK, established in 1987. The company rents surfboards, bodyboards, and wetsuits on daily and weekly terms, and retails bodyboards, wetsuits, Santa Cruz-branded clothing, second-hand surfboards, and children's equipment. A WooCommerce-based e-commerce website enables online booking with promotional discount codes, extending customer reach beyond walk-in traffic.
The business is operated by Steve and Sam, whose personal surf expertise informs equipment selection and customer guidance. Revenue is generated through rental fees, retail markups, and ancillary services such as free roof rack fitting. The company also operates Secret Spot Camping as a subsidiary, offering campsite visitors a 20% discount on surf hire, creating a bundled hospitality-and-equipment ecosystem.
The company serves individual tourists and holidaymakers visiting Croyde Bay, a recognized UK surf destination, with no B2B or enterprise customer base disclosed. The model is inherently seasonal, dependent on UK summer beach tourism and local weather conditions. No funding, M&A activity, or AI/technology differentiation is evident in the supplied material.
Croyde Surf Hire firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Croyde Surf Hire
- Legal name
- Croyde Bay Surfing Ltd.
- Website
- https://croyde-surf-hire.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Croyde Surf Hire is a family-run surf equipment rental and retail shop established in 1987 in Croyde Bay, North Devon, UK. It serves individual tourists and holidaymakers with board and wetsuit rentals, branded apparel, and a camping subsidiary.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Croyde Surf Hire industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Surf Equipment Rental and Retail
- akta.pro primary industry
- Surf Schools & Surf Camps (THAAAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Swim & Surf Performance Wear (CRAAAEAG)
Keywords
Where Croyde Surf Hire is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- North Bovey
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Croyde Surf Hire business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Surfboard and Equipment Hire: Daily and weekly rental of surfboards (softboards, Torq hardboards), bodyboards, and wetsuits. Equipment hired out in 24-hour blocks with multi-day discounts available.
- Bodyboard Sales: Sale of bodyboards including premium brands like Science, NMD, Vision, and Apex. Stock ranges from entry-level holiday boards (£44.95) to high-performance models (£279.99).
- Wetsuit Sales: Sale of wetsuits for men, women, and kids including C-Skins and Alder brands. Price range from £49.99 (kids) to £249.99 (premium mens).
- Clothing and Apparel: Sale of Santa Cruz t-shirts and apparel. Stock includes limited edition and archive designs at £2 below RRP.
- Second Hand Surfboards: Buying and selling of pre-owned surfboards. Boards change daily and are sold as seen.
- Kids Toys and Accessories: Sale of toys, Pokémon cards, plush toys, and pocket money treats at the front of the shop.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Beginner Softboard Hire - 7ft & 8ft |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bodyboard Hire |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bodyboard + Wetsuit Combo |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Softboard + Wetsuit Combo |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Torq Surfboard + Wetsuit Combo |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wetsuit Hire Only |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Croyde Surf Hire product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Croyde Surf Hire is a family-run surf shop in Croyde Bay, North Devon, established in 1987. It rents surfboards, bodyboards, and wetsuits by the day, over multiple days, or by the week, and sells bodyboards, wetsuits, surf apparel, children's products, and second-hand surfboards. Customers can book or buy through the company website and collect from the physical shop.
Product overview
Croyde Surf Hire operates as a family-run surf shop (The Little Pink Shop) established in 1987, offering both equipment hire and retail sales. The hire service includes a comprehensive range of surfboards (softboards, Torq hardboards), bodyboards, and wetsuits available for daily, multi-day, and weekly hire, with popular combo packages bundling boards with wetsuits for convenience. The retail side stocks bodyboards from Science, NMD, Vision, and Apex brands, wetsuits from C-Skins and Alder for men/women/kids, Santa Cruz clothing, kids toys, and second-hand surfboards. The business also operates Secret Spot Camping behind Saunton dunes with a 20% surf hire discount for guests. A distinctive value-added service includes free roof rack fitting for customers to transport boards to multiple beaches. The shop leverages a WooCommerce/WordPress e-commerce platform for online booking and sales.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Croyde Bodyboard Centre: Specialist bodyboard retail section offering quality bodyboards from brands like Science, NMD, Vision, and Apex
- Secret Spot Camping
Products and services
- Beginner Surfboard/Softboard Hire Daily, multi-day, and weekly hire of stable 7ft and 8ft softboards designed for first-time surfers, families, and beginners.
- Bodyboard Hire Daily and multi-day hire of P.E. core bodyboards with coiled leashes for individuals, families, children, and beach visitors.
- Wetsuit Hire Daily and multi-day hire of 4mm and 5mm wetsuits with GBS seams, including assistance with correct sizing at collection.
- Torq Surfboard Hire Short-term hire of Torq performance hardboards, including 6'6 Fish, 7'2 Fish, 7'6 Mini-Mal, 7'8 V+ Mini Mal, 8'0 Mini-Mal, and 9'0 Longboard models for intermediate surfers.
- Bodyboards Direct retail sales of Science, NMD, Vision, and Apex bodyboards ranging from junior entry-level models to high-performance competition-grade boards in sizes from 33 inches to 46 inches.
- Wetsuits Direct retail sales of C-Skins and Alder wetsuits for men, women, and children in thicknesses from 2/2mm to 4/3mm for different water conditions.
- Santa Cruz Clothing Direct retail sales of official Santa Cruz surf and skate T-shirts, including limited-edition archive designs available in-store.
- Kids Corner Retail toys, Pokémon trading cards, Bluey Mash'ems, plush toys, 3D dinosaurs, and pocket-money holiday treats for children near Ruda Holiday Park.
- Second-Hand Surfboards Purchase and resale of selected pre-owned surfboards, sold as one-offs with changing daily availability and stated condition descriptions.
- Secret Spot Camping Campsite accommodation behind Saunton Sand Dunes with hot showers, a communal kitchen, campers' shelter, fire pit, and a 20% discount on Croyde Surf Shop hire for guests.
Quantifiable outcome
- Serving holidaymakers for over 35 years
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Croyde Surf Hire
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Croyde Surf Hire technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Croyde Surf Hire partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Secret Spot CampingcoreSecret Spot Camping is a campsite operated by the same owners (Sam and Steve), located behind Saunton Sand-dunes. Campers receive a 20% discount on surf hire from Croyde Surf Shop. The partnership creates a complete surf holiday offering combining accommodation and equipment rental. Rated 9.9 from 143 reviews.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Croyde Surf Hire competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Rip Curl: Global surf brand with strong UK retail presence selling wetsuits, surfboards, and surf apparel. Comparable in selling the same product categories (wetsuits, boards, surf clothing) but at global scale with branded stores rather than a single local surf hire shop.
- Animal: UK-based surf and action sports brand selling wetsuits, clothing, and accessories with retail and wholesale presence. Comparable as a UK surf apparel and equipment brand serving the same coastal consumer, though Animal operates as a broader action-sports portfolio.
- Saltrock: Established UK surf lifestyle brand with multiple retail stores across coastal towns selling wetsuits, clothing, and surf accessories. Comparable as a UK surf retail brand serving the same end consumer, though Saltrock operates at a larger, multi-store scale rather than a single hire-focused beach location.
- Roxy: Global women's surf and beach lifestyle brand selling wetsuits, swimwear, and apparel. Comparable in surf apparel and wetsuit categories but at global branded-retail scale rather than local hire-focused operation.
- Surfdome: One of the UK's largest online surf retailers offering wetsuits, surfboards, and accessories. Comparable as a UK surf equipment retailer targeting the same customer base, but operating as an online-only multi-brand platform rather than a beachfront hire-and-retail hybrid.
- O'Neill: Global wetsuit and surf apparel brand with UK distribution. Comparable as a key wetsuit supplier and brand competing in the same surf equipment retail category, but at global branded-retail scale.
- Billabong: Global surf brand with UK distribution selling wetsuits, surfboards, and surf lifestyle apparel. Comparable across surf equipment and apparel categories but competes at a multi-national branded-retail scale.
Others
- C-Skins: Wetsuit manufacturer whose products (NuWave Surflite, Session Lite, etc.) are stocked for retail and used as hire wetsuits at Croyde Surf Hire. Relevant as a key wetsuit supplier rather than a direct hire business competitor.
- Torq Surfboards: UK-based surfboard manufacturer whose hardboards are a core hire product at Croyde Surf Hire. Relevant as a key equipment partner supplying the premium tier of the shop's hire fleet, though not a direct retailer competitor.
Emerging players
- Rapanui: UK-based sustainable clothing brand originating from the Isle of Wight with strong surf and coastal positioning. Comparable as a UK surf-lifestyle apparel brand but operating as a digitally native DTC business rather than a beachfront hire retailer.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Croyde Surf Hire social profiles
Digital presenceCroyde Surf Hire financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Croyde Surf Hire leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Croyde Surf Hire subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Croyde Surf Hire funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Croyde Surf Hire 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 Croyde Surf Hire
What does Croyde Surf Hire do?
Croyde Surf Hire is a family-run surf shop in Croyde Bay, North Devon, established in 1987. It rents surfboards, bodyboards, and wetsuits by the day, over multiple days, or by the week, and sells bodyboards, wetsuits, surf apparel, children's products, and second-hand surfboards. Customers can book or buy through the company website and collect from the physical shop.
Is Croyde Surf Hire a public or private company?
Croyde Surf Hire is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Croyde Surf Hire founded?
Croyde Surf Hire was founded in 1987. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Croyde Surf Hire based?
Croyde Surf Hire is headquartered in North Bovey, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Croyde Surf Hire make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Surfboard and Equipment Hire is the primary driver. The others are bodyboard Sales, wetsuit Sales, clothing and Apparel, second Hand Surfboards and kids Toys and Accessories.
Who are Croyde Surf Hire's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Rip Curl, Animal, Saltrock, Roxy, Surfdome, O'Neill and Billabong. Others are C-Skins and Torq Surfboards. Rapanui is listed as an emerging player.
Does Croyde Surf Hire have an API?
No public API is recorded for Croyde Surf Hire.
What industry is Croyde Surf Hire in?
Croyde Surf Hire's product category is Surf Equipment Rental and Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAKAC, Surf Schools & Surf Camps, with a secondary code of CRAAAEAG, Swim & Surf Performance Wear.