Zeil-en Surfschool Neptunus

What Zeil-en Surfschool Neptunus does

Zeil-en Surfschool Neptunus is a privately held Dutch sailing and surfing school operating from Idskenhuizen, Friesland, in the heart of the Frisian Lake District. Founded in 1969, the school has operated continuously for over 55 years from the same location, offering NWD-certified sailing and windsurfing instruction to children and adults. The core product portfolio includes week-long and half-week residential sailing camps for children aged 7-17, windsurf camps for ages 11-18, private and group sailing lessons (keelboat, daggerboard, and windsurf), school camps for Dutch primary/secondary/MBO/HBO/WO institutions, boat rental, and group accommodation in a converted historic church building (De Kerk). Fleet assets include Valk keelboats, Optimists, Laser Pico, RS Tera, RS Zest, kayaks, SUPs, motorboats, and windsurf equipment, with private use of the shallow Idskenhuizenmeer lake and access to the broader connected Frisian lake system.

The business operates on a direct-to-consumer model with seasonal operations concentrated between April and October. Pricing is per-person or per-group with commission-based discounts for larger groups (e.g., €220 down to €85 per person for private day courses depending on group size of 1-4+); camp pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Customer acquisition relies on organic social media (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube), blog content, SEO, and word-of-mouth from a high-loyalty returning camper base. The target segments are Dutch families seeking adventure camps for children, adults wanting sailing skill development, educational institutions organizing school camps, and corporate groups seeking team-building clinics. Operating economics appear small-scale, with 11-50 employees, a single location, and no publicly disclosed financials.

The school is owned and operated by Bas and Marinke, who have held ownership since 2010. There is no evidence of external investment, private equity involvement, or public listing. The company holds NWD certification and Watersportverbond affiliation, ensuring standardized instruction quality and national diploma recognition. Customer reputation is strong, evidenced by a 4.7/5 Google rating across 74 reviews. The business is asset-heavy in physical facilities (converted church, fleet, beachfront) and instructor labor, with limited digital infrastructure beyond a basic booking platform. No AI/ML capabilities, API products, or technology platform extensions are present in the offering.

Name

Zeil-en Surfschool Neptunus

Legal name

Zeil- en Surfschool Neptunus

Website

https://zeilschoolneptunus.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zeil-en Surfschool Neptunus is a privately held Dutch sailing and surfing school in Idskenhuizen, Friesland, founded in 1969, offering NWD-certified sailing and windsurfing camps, lessons, and boat rental to children, adults, schools, and corporate groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Sports Instruction

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAAAKAC

Surf Schools & Surf Camps

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Adventure Sports & Activity Centers (Paragliding, Skydiving, Surf Schools)

SECONDARYTHAAALAB

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

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Adventure & Ecotourism Equipment Rental & Guiding Services

SECONDARYTHAJAJAJ

Surfing & Kitesurfing Experiences (Lessons, Camps)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Marine & Water Experiences (Boat Tours, Diving, Snorkeling, Fishing)

SECONDARYTHAJABAK

Surf, Kitesurf & Wind Sports Adventures

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Adventure & Outdoor Experiences (Hiking, Rafting, Zipline, Safaris)

Keywords

• Sailing instruction
• Windsurfing lessons
• Sailing camps
• Boat rental services
• Water sports education

Headquarters

HQ city

Idskenhuizen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Sailing and Surf Camps: Week-long residential camps for children (7-17 years) and half-week camps including accommodation, meals, instruction, equipment, and evening activities. Primary revenue stream during summer season.
2. Sailing and Windsurfing Lessons: Private and group sailing lessons for adults and children including keelboat (Valk), swordboat (Laser Pico), and windsurf instruction. Priced per person with tiered group pricing (1-4+ persons).
3. Boat Rental: Rental of various boats including Polyvalken (always with outboard motor, optional deck tent), Laser Pico, RS Zest, Optimist, kayaks, SUPs, motorboats, and windsurf sets. Bookable from single day to full week.
4. School Kamp Organisatie: Organised school camps for primary schools, secondary schools, and MBO/HBO/WO institutions combining sailing, outdoor activities and educational challenges with full accommodation and meal service.
5. Gift Vouchers: Gift vouchers for sailing lessons available as presents for birthdays, holidays, or special occasions for all ages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Zeil-en Surfschool Neptunus is an NWD-certified sailing and windsurfing school operating in Idskenhuizen, Friesland, Netherlands, offering multi-day sailing and surf camps for children (7-18), private and group sailing lessons for all ages, windsurfing instruction, boat rental (Polyvalken, Laser Pico, RS Zest, Optimists, kayaks, SUPs, motorboats, windsurf sets), and organized school camps and corporate sailing clinics. The school leverages a private shallow lake (Idskenhuizenmeer, max 1m deep) with its own surf beach and access to the broader Frisian lake system, with instruction delivered by certified instructors using NWD curriculum.

Product overview

Zeil-en Surfschool Neptunus is a sailing and windsurfing school located in Idskenhuizen, Friesland, operating for over 55 years as an NWD-certified sailing school. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of products: sailing camps for children aged 7-18, sailing lessons for all ages (including keelboat, daggerboard, and windsurf instruction), windsurf camps for ages 11-18, boat rental services, school camps for educational institutions, group accommodations in a converted church building, sailing clinics for corporate groups and private parties, gift vouchers, and reunion weekends. The company also issues the Nationaal Watersportdiploma (National Water Sports Diploma) for certified skill levels. Their fleet includes Vals (keelboats), Optimists, Laser Pico, RS Tera, Laser, Laerling, and windsurf equipment. The company operates from the Frisian lake district, with facilities at Bramerstraat 66-68, 8523 NJ Idskenhuizen.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• De Kerk: The converted church building used as group accommodation at the sailing school location.
• Terugkomweekend

Products and services

• Zeilkampen (Sailing Camps) Overnight sailing camps for children aged 7-17 (and 7-18) lasting multiple days, offering comprehensive sailing instruction, accommodations, meals, and evening activities in the Friesland lake district. Full-week and half-week options available.
• Surfkamp (Surf Camp) Windsurfing camps for children aged 11-18, teaching windsurfing skills alongside social activities and evening programs, including use of the school's own bar.
• Zeilkamp halve week (Half-Week Sailing Camp) New lower-threshold introductory half-week sailing camp option for children who may not be ready for a full week away from home.
• Zeilles (Sailing Lessons) Sailing lessons for children and adults in various formats (private, group, clinics) covering keelboat (Valk), swordboat (Laser Pico), Optimist, RS Tera, and RS Zest at different skill levels. Private day courses range from €85-€220 per person depending on group size.
• Windsurfen Volwassenen (Adult Windsurfing Lessons) Windsurfing lessons for adults using the newest surf equipment, taught at the shallow Idskenhuizen lake suitable for beginners and advanced students.
• Kielboot (Valk) Privéles - Dagcursus Private sailing lessons in the Valk keelboat with certified instructor, including full-day courses from 09:30 to 17:00 with routes to various Frisian lakes. Pricing from €85-€220 per person depending on group size (1-4 persons).
• Zwaardboot (Laser Pico) Volwassenen Sporty single-handed sailing lessons in the Laser Pico, taught at the shallow Idskenhuizen lake with wetsuit and life jacket provided.
• Bootverhuur (Boat Rental) Rental service for various watercraft including Polyvalken (with outboard motor, optional deck tent), Laser Pico, RS Zest, Optimists, kayaks, SUPs, motorboats, a large steel motor launch, and windsurf sets. Bookable from single day to full week.
• Schoolkampen (School Camps) Organised school camps for primary schools, secondary schools, and MBO/HBO/WO institutions combining sailing, outdoor activities and educational challenges with full accommodation and meal service.
• Zeilclinic (Sailing Clinic) Corporate team-building and group sailing experiences for companies, friends, or bachelor parties, including basics of sailing, team collaboration, and customizable catering options.
• Cadeaubon zeilles (Sailing Lesson Gift Vouchers) Gift vouchers for sailing lessons available for all ages and skill levels, suitable for birthdays, holidays, or as surprise gifts.
• Groepsaccommodaties (Group Accommodations) Group lodging facilities including De Kerk (The Church), a converted church building providing accommodation and dining for camp participants and groups.
• Terugkomweekend (Reunion Weekend)

Quantifiable outcome

• 55+ years of continuous operation since 1969
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Nationaal Watersportdiploma (NWD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNWD-certified sailing school following standardized national curriculum for sailing and windsurfing instruction. Certification ensures quality standards, certified instructors, and official diploma recognition for students.
• Watersportverbond (Dutch Watersports Federation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated with the Dutch Watersports Federation, the governing body for watersports in the Netherlands, ensuring adherence to national standards and best practices.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sunsail: Sunsail is an international sailing holiday and flotilla operator offering RYA sailing courses, family sailing weeks and club-level instruction in Mediterranean and Caribbean waters - functionally similar to Neptunus's instructional sailing-week model at much larger scale.
• Mark Warner Holidays: Mark Warner runs family beach holidays in the Mediterranean with kids' sailing clubs, windsurfing schools and instructor-led water-sports lessons, overlapping Neptunus's youth-camp + multi-discipline instruction offering.
• Neilson Holidays: Neilson is a UK/European active-holiday operator running beachclub resorts and flotilla sailing holidays with learn-to-sail and RYA-certified instruction, directly comparable to Neptunus's certified-lesson + camp model.
• Pean Watersport: Pean Watersport is a sailing and water sports school/resort in Woudsend, Friesland - the same lake district as Neptunus - offering sailing courses, surf camps, boat rental and group accommodations to a comparable Dutch family and youth audience.

Broad incumbents

• TUI Water Sports / TUI sailing experiences: TUI packages sailing holidays, surf schools and watersports experiences across Europe as part of a much broader tour-operator portfolio, indirectly competing with Neptunus for Dutch family vacation spend.
• Landal GreenParks water sports centers: Landal GreenParks operates Dutch/European holiday parks with on-site water sports schools and sailing/surfing instruction; broader scope but a competing family-holiday channel for watersports-active households.

Regional players

• Bootcamp / Zeilvakantie NL operators: Dutch sailing holiday brokers and water sports camps operating across the IJsselmeer and Frisian lakes, aggregating supply and competing for the same Dutch family audience that Neptunus targets with direct bookings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ZeilschoolNeptunusIH
• Facebookfacebook.com/zeilschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/zeilschoolneptunus
• Xx.com/zsneptunus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zeilschool-neptunus

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Zeil-en Surfschool Neptunus