ShoreSports

What ShoreSports does

ShoreSports is a privately held watersports school and equipment rental business operating from a mobile trailer at Mudeford Quay, Christchurch, Dorset, UK. The company is incorporated in England as ShoreSports Limited (Companies House number 12124800) and is owned and managed by Nick May, who has over 25 years of industry experience and holds RYA, British Canoeing, and BSUPA qualifications. Operations are seasonal, running approximately April through November, with all activities offered in the sheltered, shallow waters of Christchurch Harbour.

The company's core offering is a broad portfolio of water sports instruction and equipment hire across five categories: kayaking, windsurfing and winging (including the newer wingsurf and wingfoil disciplines), stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), sailing, and a dedicated kids club for ages 6–16. Structured courses culminate in certifications issued through affiliations with British Canoeing, BSUPA, and the RYA. The business also packages group activities — corporate team building, school groups, birthdays, and hen/stag events — often combined with meal packages supplied through a local cafe partnership. All activities include wetsuits and buoyancy aids at no extra charge, and the AALA licence (Reference R1995) authorizes the company to serve under-18s, a regulatory credential that most competitors do not hold.

Commercially, ShoreSports operates as a direct-to-consumer business with bookings processed through the FareHarbor platform embedded in its website, supplemented by email/phone reservations and walk-in traffic at the Quay. Pricing is unit-based and pay-as-you-go, with individual activity prices ranging from approximately £15.75 for a one-hour SUP hire to £375 for a four-day intermediate sailing course. Customer segments are three horizontal personas: individuals and families seeking recreation, children and youth needing supervised instruction, and organized groups seeking event-style bookings. The business is small, owner-operated, and dependent on a single location, with no disclosed revenue, no external investors, and no parent company.

Name

ShoreSports

Legal name

ShoreSports Limited

Website

https://shoresports.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ShoreSports is a privately-held, owner-operated UK watersports school at Mudeford Quay, Christchurch, offering kayaking, windsurfing, SUP, sailing, and kids club lessons, tours, and equipment hire to tourists, families, and groups during the April–November season.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Watersports Instruction and Equipment Rental

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Surf Schools & Surf Camps (THAAAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Whitewater & Paddle Sports Centers (Rafting, Kayak, SUP, Canoe) (THAAAKAF), Surf, Kitesurf & Wind Sports Adventures (THAJABAK), Water & Marine Guiding Services (Kayak, Canoe, Raft, SUP, Sailing) (THAAALAB)

Keywords

• Watersports instruction
• Equipment rental
• Stand-up paddleboarding
• Kayaking tours
• Sailing courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Christchurch

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Water Sports Lessons and Courses: Instructional courses including kayaking, windsurfing/wingsurfing, stand up paddleboarding, and sailing. Courses range from taster sessions to multi-day certification programs.
2. Equipment Hire: Hourly and daily rental of kayaks, paddleboards, windsurfing equipment, and sailing dinghies. Prices vary by equipment type and duration.
3. Kids Clubs and Youth Programs: Multi-activity weeks, sailing clubs, windsurfing, and paddling courses for children aged 6-14 during school holidays.
4. Group Events and Corporate Team Building: Raft building sessions, group activities for schools, birthday parties, hen and stag events with optional BBQ and picnic packages.
5. Gift Vouchers: Digital and email gift cards sold through FareHarbor booking system, valid for the year purchased plus the following year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ShoreSports is a watersports school and equipment rental business operating from Mudeford Quay, Christchurch, Dorset. It delivers lessons, multi-session courses, guided tours, and certification programmes (RYA, British Canoeing, BSUPA) across kayaking, windsurfing/winging, stand-up paddleboarding, and sailing, alongside kids' multi-activity clubs and corporate/group events such as raft building. All bookings include wetsuits and buoyancy aids at no extra charge, with activities offered seasonally from April through early November.

Product overview

ShoreSports is a watersports school and equipment rental business operating from Mudeford Quay in Christchurch, Dorset. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of water sports activities organized into five main categories: Kayaking (rentals, lessons, tours, and British Canoeing certification courses), Windsurfing/Winging (equipment hire, lessons from taster to intermediate, and wing foil instruction), Stand Up Paddle-Boarding (board rentals including mega SUP, lessons, BSUPA-certified courses, and guided tours), Sailing (dinghy rentals, taster sessions, RYA-recognized courses from beginner through performance, and seamanship skills), and Kids Club programs (multi-activity camps for ages 6-14 including windsurfing, sailing, kayaking, SUPing, and raft building). The company also accommodates groups for corporate team building, school outings, birthday parties, and hen/stag events. All activities include equipment provision (wetsuits, buoyancy aids) with no hidden charges, and lessons are conducted by qualified instructors holding RYA, British Canoeing, and BSUPA credentials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kayak Hire Hourly and daily rental of single and double sit-on-top kayaks suitable for all ages and experience levels, with wetsuits and buoyancy aids included.
• One Hour Kayak Taster Lesson One-hour introductory kayaking lesson covering equipment handling, basic controls, safety, tides, and weather fundamentals for beginners.
• Kayak Tours Guided kayak tours including the Christchurch Loop, Mudeford Quay to Christchurch Priory, Iford Bridge one-way or return, and Poole Harbour Round the Islands, with wildlife spotting and varying durations.
• British Canoeing Certification Courses British Canoeing certification courses including Paddle Start Award (3 hours) and Paddle Discover / Explore progressive awards developing decision-making and independent paddling skills in sheltered waters.
• Windsurf and Winging Hire Hourly windsurfing equipment rental using Starboard, Fanatic, and Unifiber/GA boards and sails (beginner to advanced), plus winging hire with 4m/5m/6m wings and wing foil board options, and a 10-hour all-levels prepaid hire card.
• Windsurfing and Winging Lessons One-hour taster lessons (ages 8+), beginner and intermediate courses following the RYA syllabus, wingsurf introductory lessons, and WingFoil lessons (ages 16+).
• Windsurfing Courses (Beginner & Intermediate) Two-part beginner course and comprehensive two-day / four x two-hour beginner course (RYA syllabus) covering rigging, sailing upwind and downwind, tacking, gybing, and theory; intermediate course covering faster tacks/gybes, beach starts, harness, planning, and footstraps.
• Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) Hire Hourly and day hire of single-person Red Paddle Co inflatable and hard boards, plus Mega SUP for groups of up to 6 adults or 8 children, with wetsuits and buoyancy aids included.
• Stand Up Paddleboarding Lessons One-hour SUP introductory lesson teaching board control, efficient paddling, safety considerations, and board/paddle design for beginners aged 8+.
• BSUPA Level 1 Ready to Ride SUP Course BSUPA-certified two-hour SUP course on flat water covering weather awareness, board carrying, paddling technique, turns, self-rescue, and expedition planning.
• Stand Up Paddleboarding Tours Guided SUP tours including Mudeford Quay to Iford Bridge (one-way or return, 2.5 hours), Mudeford Quay to Christchurch Priory round-trip, Around Poole Harbour's Islands (minimum 3 participants), and Poole to Wareham with optional lunch stop.
• Sailing Dinghy Hire Hourly and daily hire of sailing dinghies — Zests, Teras, H12s, and Hartley 15s and 12.2s — for competent sailors, with wetsuits and buoyancy aids included.
• Sailing Lessons Introductory sailing session in 1- or 2-hour formats, group lessons (max 6) or private lessons available for all ages.
• Learn2Sail Courses Beginner sailing courses taught by RYA qualified instructors, available as 2-hour sessions, 4-session packs, or 2-day courses covering fundamentals.
• Intermediate to Performance Sailing Courses Advanced sailing instruction including improver courses, race coaching, seamanship skills, and spinnaker lessons delivered by RYA Race Coaches.
• Seamanship Skills Course Specialised sailing course developing boat control, maneuvers, man-overboard procedures, and on-water safety skills.
• Kids Club Multi-Activity Programs Multi-activity school-holiday programmes for children aged 6–14, including Multi Activity Weeks Adventurer (8–14, five days), Pirates (6–8, three days), Windsurfing Fun 10+, Sailing Fun 3-Day Kids Club, Intermediate Pro Sailing, Paddling Adventurer, and Saturday Sailing Club — all delivered by qualified instructors under AALA licence.
• Raft Building and Group Activities Team-building raft construction challenge using barrels, logs, and rope culminating in races across Christchurch Harbour, with optional BBQ and picnic packages for corporate team building, school outings, birthday parties, and hen/stag events.
• Gift Vouchers Digital and email gift cards and vouchers available for purchase online, valid for the year purchased plus the following year.

Quantifiable outcome

• Wetsuits and buoyancy aids provided free with all activities
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShoreSports holds an AALA licence (Reference R1995) which authorizes them to provide activities for those under 18. This is a regulatory requirement for certain adventure activities involving children.
• British CanoeingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShoreSports is affiliated with British Canoeing and follows their syllabus for kayaking courses. Owner Nick May holds BCU qualifications including Level 3 Sea Kayak Coach certification.
• BSUPA (British Stand Up Paddle Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShoreSports offers BSUPA-certified courses including Level 1 Ready to Ride. Instructors are BSUPA qualified and issue BSUPA certificates upon completion.
• Royal Yachting Association (RYA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShoreSports is affiliated with RYA for sailing and windsurfing instruction. Instructors are trained to RYA standards and qualifications.
• Mudeford Rocks CafeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal cafe partnership for supplying BBQ and picnic meal packages for group bookings at Mudeford Quay.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• FareHarbor: Online booking and reservation platform widely used by tour and activity operators, including ShoreSports. Not a competitor but a critical distribution and commerce enabler for the school's direct-to-consumer bookings.
• British Canoeing: UK national governing body for paddlesports that sets syllabus and certification standards for kayak and SUP coaching. Not a competitor but a key affiliation partner and ecosystem enabler for ShoreSports' kayaking courses.

Direct peers

• Southsea Watersports: South Coast watersports school offering kayaking, SUP, windsurfing and sailing lessons and hire on the sheltered waters of Portsmouth Harbour. Direct comparable in operating model and beginner-friendly sheltered location.
• Lagoon Watersports (Hove): Established Brighton-area watersports centre offering sailing, windsurfing, SUP, kayaking and kids clubs with RYA-qualified instructors. Direct comparable in multi-discipline watersports school with strong youth programme.
• The New Forest Water Park: Multi-activity watersports centre in Hampshire offering kayaking, SUP, windsurfing and open-water swimming with equipment hire and lessons. Closely comparable operating model and geography on the South Coast of England.
• Poole Harbour Watersports: Independent watersports school based in Poole Harbour offering kayak, SUP, sailing and windsurf lessons, hire and tours. Same South Coast catchment as ShoreSports and overlapping on Poole Harbour tour routes.
• Rockley Watersports: Dorset-based RYA training centre in Poole offering dinghy sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and SUP courses and kids clubs. Same Dorset geography and similar RYA-affiliated instruction model.
• Calshot Activity Centre: Large South Coast watersports and outdoor activity centre offering sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and SUP with RYA- and BC-qualified instructors. Comparable multi-discipline watersports school operating in a sheltered coastal location.

Emerging players

• The SUP Company: UK-based stand-up paddleboarding school and tour operator offering BSUPA-accredited lessons, tours and equipment hire. Comparable in the SUP-specific instruction and tour vertical.
• Windsurf Academy / Waterborn UK: Specialist UK windsurf and wingfoil lesson provider running clinics and camps in coastal locations. Comparable overlap on windsurf/wingfoil instruction, particularly in the beginner and improver segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/shoresportsuk
• Facebookfacebook.com/shoresports
• Instagraminstagram.com/shoresportsuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shoresports

Compliance4 records

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 ShoreSports