Moss Bay Rowing, Kayaking, and Sailing Center

Name

Moss Bay Rowing, Kayaking, and Sailing Center

Legal name

Moss Bay

Website

https://mossbay.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Moss Bay is a privately-held, seasonal outdoor recreation business operating from a single South Lake Union marina in Seattle, offering hourly kayak and paddleboard rentals, guided tours, a week-long youth summer camp, group reservations, and $400 season memberships to individuals, families, and community youth groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Recreation & Water Sports Services

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (4872)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Recreation Rentals & Tours Retail Counter (On-site Sales) (CRAMAIAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water & Marine Guiding Services (Kayak, Canoe, Raft, SUP, Sailing) (THAAALAB)

Keywords

• Water sports rentals
• Kayak paddleboard rentals
• Kids summer camp
• Guided kayak tours
• Season membership passes

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hourly Rentals: Kayak and paddle board rentals charged on an hourly basis. Single kayak and paddle board at $24/hr; double kayak at $32/hr. One-hour minimum charge with prorated 10-minute increments thereafter. First come, first served — no reservations.
2. Kids Summer Camp: Week-long all-inclusive kayaking, paddle boarding and sailing camp for children ages 6-12 at $575 per camper. Includes equipment, instruction, and activities M-F from 8:45am-3:15pm. Aftercare available at $12/hr per child. Registration via lottery system.
3. Guided Tours: Adult guided kayak tours on Lake Union, Portage Bay, and Arboretum at $80/person (minimum 10 participants). Kids kayak tours at $40/kid (minimum 15 participants). Group reservations for 15-30 people with custom pricing. Offered seasonally Mid-May to Mid-September.
4. Seasonal Membership: Unlimited kayaking and paddle boarding for the season (May 15–Sept 15) at $400 per person plus tax. Members get club-hour access, bring-a-friend pricing ($10/hr for double kayak), and a one-time waiver on file.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Moss Bay operates a seasonal waterfront recreation business on South Lake Union in Seattle, offering hourly kayak and paddleboard rentals, guided kayak tours for adults and children, week-long Kids Camps combining kayaking, paddle boarding, and sailing for ages 6-12, large group activity reservations (team building, birthdays, youth groups), and a season membership pass for unlimited use during club hours (May 15–Sept 15). All services share the same marina location, equipment, and trained staff, with operations running May through October and weather-dependent daily openings during summer.

Product overview

Moss Bay Rowing, Kayaking, and Sailing Center is a recreational water sports business offering seasonal boating activities on Lake Union in Seattle. The company operates a unified rental and instruction platform comprising hourly kayak and paddleboard rentals (single and double options), guided kayak tours for adults and children, a week-long Kids Camp for ages 6-12 covering kayaking, paddle boarding, and sailing, group activity reservations for large parties, and season membership passes. All services share the same waterfront marina location, equipment, and staff, with operations varying by season (May through October) and weather conditions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hourly Single Kayak Rental Walk-in hourly single kayak rental for individuals ages 12 and up, including life jacket and basic gear. Priced at $24/hour with a one-hour minimum charge, then prorated in 10-minute increments; first-come, first-served at the South Lake Union marina.
• Hourly Double Kayak Rental Walk-in hourly double kayak rental for pairs, including families with children 11 and under who must be accompanied by an adult. Priced at $32/hour with a one-hour minimum charge, then prorated in 10-minute increments; first-come, first-served at the South Lake Union marina.
• Hourly Paddleboard Rental Walk-in hourly stand-up paddleboard rental for all ages and experience levels on Lake Union. Priced at $24/hour with a one-hour minimum charge, then prorated in 10-minute increments; first-come, first-served at the South Lake Union marina.
• Kids Camp Week-long summer kayaking, paddle boarding, and sailing camp for children ages 6-12 on Lake Union. Camps run Monday-Friday, 8:45am-3:15pm, at $575 per camper per week including equipment and instruction; registration via annual lottery with waitlist. Aftercare available separately.
• Adult Kayak Tours 2.5-hour guided kayak tours for adults around Lake Union, Portage Bay, and the Arboretum area of Lake Washington. Includes a mini lesson and all basic gear; priced at $80 per person with a minimum of 10 participants. Offered Tue/Wed at 3:30pm and Sat/Sun at 9am, Mid-May to Mid-September.
• Kids Kayak Tours 2-hour kids kayak tour including a brief kayak lesson and 1.5-hour tour around the lake, designed for birthday parties and youth groups. Priced at $40 per child with a minimum of 15 participants (double kayaks only). Offered Tuesday at 12:15pm and Saturday/Sunday at 9am, Mid-May to Mid-September.
• Group Activities Large group reservations for 15-30 people with dedicated boats and staff, supporting birthday parties, family reunions, corporate team building, class field trips, and youth groups (YMCA, Boys & Girls Club). Mix of single kayaks, double kayaks, and paddle boards; after-hours sunset/moonlight paddle option available. Pricing is custom, with a 10% discount for groups of 15+ and a 25% nonprofit discount; 1-week advance booking required with full payment at sign-up.
• Season Membership Season pass providing unlimited kayaking and paddle boarding during club hours from May 15 through September 15. Priced at $400 per person plus tax, with bring-a-friend double kayak pricing at $10/hr. Sold in person with a one-time waiver on file and limited spots available.
• After Care Extended child care service for Kids Camp attendees available until 5:15pm each camp day. Sign-up and cash payment collected daily at pickup, priced at $12 per hour per child.

Quantifiable outcome

• No serious injuries in 35 years of Kids Camp operations with a 6:1 or better camper-to-counselor ratio.
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• REI Co-op: National outdoor co-op that rents kayaks and paddleboards at flagship stores, including Seattle. Competes indirectly for the same recreational paddler via gear rental and classes, with a much broader merchandise and multi-location footprint.

Others

• Boatsetter: Peer-to-peer boat rental marketplace with a digital booking layer and water experience inventory. Adjacent competitor for casual boaters; relevant as a benchmark for how Moss Bay's no-online-reservation rentals model could be digitized.

Direct peers

• Argosy Cruises: Seattle-based harbor cruise and tour operator offering paid water-based sightseeing experiences. Compares on the guided-tour revenue stream and Seattle tourism customer base, though with motorized vessels rather than human-powered craft.
• Agua Verde Paddle Club: Seattle outfitter offering kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals, instruction, and guided tours from a University of Washington–adjacent waterfront. Closest direct comparison to Moss Bay on the Seattle paddling market, serving similar drop-in, tour, and group customers.
• Northwest Outdoor Center: Seattle-based sea kayaking outfitter providing rentals, instruction, and guided tours on Lake Union and Puget Sound. Targets a similar recreational and tourist customer base with overlapping tour and class inventory.
• Alki Kayak Tours: West Seattle outfitter offering guided kayak tours and lessons from Alki Beach. Directly comparable product (guided kayak tours, instruction) targeting Seattle-area tourists and residents, with a regional rather than downtown location.
• The Center for Wooden Boats: Also located on South Lake Union, offering small-craft rentals (sailboats, rowboats, kayaks) and hands-on sailing instruction. Shares Moss Bay's exact waterfront, family/youth instructional model, and Lake Union rental flywheel.

Regional players

• Anacortes Kayak & Paddleboard Rentals: Kayak and SUP rental outfitter in the San Juan Islands gateway city. Compares on guided tours and rental pricing models, but serves a different geography (saltwater/Puget Sound) and primarily North Sound tourism traffic.
• Seattle Parks & Recreation — Watercraft Programs: Municipal sailing, rowing, and paddling programs at Green Lake and other Seattle parks. Overlaps on youth paddling/sailing instruction and public-access rentals; relevant comparables for nonprofit and subsidized outdoor recreation that competes for the same family dollar.

Emerging players

• Urban Surf: Seattle stand-up paddleboard shop and event operator with rentals, lessons, and paddle-board fitness. Overlaps on Seattle paddleboard rentals and beginner instruction, though more retail and class-led than marina-based.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/moss-bay-kayak-paddle-board-sail-center-196867493688343
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/moss-bay

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 Moss Bay Rowing, Kayaking, and Sailing Center