Surf City Ocean Pier Inc

What Surf City Ocean Pier Inc does

Surf City Ocean Pier, Inc. operates a single 937-foot ocean fishing pier with a 40-foot octagon at the end, located at 112 South Shore Drive in Surf City, North Carolina, on Topsail Island. Originally built in 1948 as the island's first ocean pier, it has been owned and operated by the Lore family since 1973, with current ownership held by second-generation Edwin Lore. The pier functions as a 24/7/365 recreational fishing destination offering daily bottom-fishing and king fishing passes, annual season passes, rod rentals, a fully stocked bait and tackle shop, a grill and ice cream counter, and an eclectic souvenir collection. Amenities include two fish cleaning stations, extensive lighting for night fishing, and a covered outdoor dining area; the pier is also notable for holding a blanket North Carolina fishing license that covers all anglers fishing from it.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model with no online purchasing; all transactions occur on-site. Pricing is tiered by consumption: $12 per rod for a 24-hour daily pass, $24 for two rods, $36 for a daily king fishing pass covering three rods, and $275-$590 for annual season passes (with a $150 child tier under 12). Ancillary revenue streams include rod rentals ($12 rental + $30 refundable cash deposit), crab trap and cast net tickets, food and beverage, and souvenirs. Marketing is community-led, centered on a Facebook page, the company website, live webcam integration via Surfchex, an annual children's program (#ReelKidsFish every Thursday in July), and competitive fishing events (#WhosBraggingNow, #WhoCaughtItFirst) running March 15 through November 30.

The pier serves three primary customer segments: individual recreational anglers (daily and season pass holders), families with children (drawn by #ReelKidsFish and child-friendly pricing), and Topsail Island visitors and tourists seeking coastal entertainment. Partnerships include Fisherman's Post for hosting annual spring and fall fishing tournaments, Surfchex Webcams for real-time condition monitoring, and reciprocal relationships with local businesses, the Town of Surf City, and the Topsail Turtle Hospital. The company has no subsidiaries, no external funding, no patents or trademarks, and is not pursuing geographic or product-line expansion beyond its single location.

Name

Surf City Ocean Pier Inc

Legal name

Surf City Ocean Pier, Inc.

Website

https://surfcityoceanpier.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Surf City Ocean Pier operates a 937-foot recreational ocean fishing pier in Surf City, North Carolina, serving individual anglers, families, and Topsail Island tourists through daily and season passes, rod rentals, bait, tackle, and food sales under a family-owned Lore family operation since 1973.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recreational Fishing Pier Services

NAICS

Marinas (713930)

akta.pro primary industry

Fishing Charters & Angling Experiences (Deep Sea, Sportfishing, Fly Fishing) (THAJAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fishing & Spearfishing Charters (recreational/eco-managed) (THAAAIAJ)

Keywords

• Recreational pier fishing
• Ocean fishing access
• Bait and tackle retail
• Season fishing passes
• Family fishing events

Headquarters

HQ city

Smithfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Daily Fishing Passes: Visitors pay per-rod daily fees for fishing access ($12 for 1 rod, $24 for 2 rods). King Fishing passes available for $36 for 3 rods. Revenue is transactional and consumption-based, varying with seasonal traffic.
2. Season Passes: Annual and seasonal subscriptions covering 2 rods and parking pass. Prices range from $275-$300 for individual passes and $550-$590 for two-person passes. Children under 12 pay $150. Season passes provide recurring revenue from dedicated regular anglers.
3. Rod Rentals: Provides rod rental with $30 cash deposit plus $12 rental fee (refundable deposit structure). Deposits are returned when equipment is brought back. This creates a float of cash deposits while generating rental fee revenue.
4. Bait and Tackle Shop: Fully stocked tackle shop and large assortment of bait sold on-site. Revenue from merchandise and consumable sales.
5. Food Service: Fresh ground chuck burgers from the grill, ice cream, and outside covered dining area generate food and beverage revenue.
6. Souvenirs: Eclectic collection of souvenirs sold on-site.
7. Live Webcam Access: Provides real-time webcam feeds of pier conditions via Surfchex Webcams, helping visitors plan trips.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Surf City Ocean Pier operates a 937-foot recreational ocean fishing pier in Surf City, North Carolina, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The core offering is pier fishing access sold via daily passes and annual season passes, complemented by on-site amenities including a fully stocked tackle shop, bait shop, rod rentals, fish cleaning stations, grill/ice cream food service, and souvenirs. The pier also hosts family fishing events such as the #ReelKidsFish children's program and competitive fishing tournaments.

Product overview

Surf City Ocean Pier operates as a single physical location offering recreational ocean fishing access. The core offering is pier access for fishing, supported by daily and season pass options. Additional services include rod rentals, a fully stocked tackle shop, bait sales, a grill with ice cream, and souvenirs. The pier features live webcams for real-time viewing and hosts a children's fishing education program (#ReelKidsFish) every Thursday in July. The business operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including holidays, and does not offer a software or digital product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fishing Pier Access
• Daily Fishing Tickets
• Season Fishing Passes
• King Fishing Passes
• Rod Rentals
• Tackle Shop
• Bait Shop
• Grill and Ice Cream Food Service
• Souvenirs
• Live Webcam System
• Crab Trap and Cast Net Tickets
• Spectator Passes
• #ReelKidsFish Program
• Fishing Competitions (Who's Bragging Now / Who Caught It First)

Quantifiable outcome

• No NC State fishing license required - pier's blanket license covers all anglers

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Pirate Partners / Sponsors for #ReelKidsFishminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal businesses and individuals sponsor the #ReelKidsFish children's fishing program. Sponsors receive recognition through logo/name on event T-shirts. Donations of $200+ get logo featured, $100+ get name listed. Partners include Happy Soles Floors & More LLC, Granny & Pop, Denton Family, Clark Family from Ohio, Larry Miller, Tim Willard, McCoy Brothers, Scotty & Kristy, Jerry Powell, Lanum Family, and many others.
• Topsail Area Chamber of Commerce and TourismminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a local business partner on the pier's Local Links page. Promotes mutual tourism visibility between the pier and regional chamber.
• Town of Surf CityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for weather station data (located next door to pier) and community events. Mayor Doug Medlin listed as a sponsor for #ReelKidsFish.
• Topsail Turtle Hospital / Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured on Local Links page. Ms. Jean Beasley highlighted as part of the pier community. Marine conservation partnership promoting environmental awareness.
• Queen Jean & Vonda Kay Head Boat ChartersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured as recommended fishing charter service on Local Links page. Provides complementary fishing experiences for pier visitors who want deeper offshore fishing.
• Native Son Guide ServiceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured as recommended fishing guide service. Listed as sponsor for #ReelKidsFish 2022. Provides guided fishing experiences.
• Fisherman's PostminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts fishing tournaments at the pier: Topsail Spring Surf and Pier Fishing Challenge (May 5-7) and Topsail Fall Surf and Pier Fishing Challenge (November 3-5). Annual tournament partnership.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• John's Pass Village & Fishing Pier: Operates a public fishing pier at Madeira Beach, Florida with similar daily/season passes, bait/tackle retail, and food concessions. Directly comparable as a tourist-facing saltwater fishing pier on a barrier island.
• Panama City Beach Pier: Public fishing pier in Panama City Beach, FL offering daily/season passes, rod rentals, and tackle/bait concessions. Comparable coastal pier-fishing business model in a tourism-driven market.
• Navarre Beach Fishing Pier: Public fishing pier in Navarre Beach, FL operated by Santa Rosa County with daily/season passes and concessions. Comparable publicly-accessible recreational ocean fishing pier.
• Apache Pier (Myrtle Beach): Longest fishing pier on the East Coast, located at Myrtle Beach, SC, with daily/season passes, tackle shop, restaurant, and arcade. Direct comparable as a fee-based recreational ocean fishing pier in the Carolinas.
• 61st Street Fishing Pier (Galveston): Public saltwater fishing pier in Galveston, TX with daily access fees, bait/tackle shop, and restaurant. Directly comparable fee-based pier operation targeting recreational anglers.
• Sea Mountain Fishing Pier (Cherry Grove): Family-owned saltwater fishing pier in Cherry Grove, SC (near Myrtle Beach) offering daily/season passes and tackle retail. Comparable Carolinas pier operation with similar business model.
• Garden City Pier: Family-operated ocean fishing pier in Garden City Beach, SC with daily fishing tickets, tackle shop, and on-site restaurants. Comparable pier-format recreational fishing business in the Carolina coastal market.
• Pier 60 (City of Clearwater Beach): Famous recreational fishing pier on Clearwater Beach, Florida offering daily fishing access, tackle shop, and sunset/event programming. Closely analogous pier operation targeting tourist anglers in a beach vacation setting.

Regional players

• Queen Jean & Vonda Kay Head Boat Charters: Head boat charter service operating out of Surf City / Topsail Island area, explicitly listed as a recommended partner on Surf City's Local Links page. Adjacent recreational fishing operator in the same local market.

Broad incumbents

• Bass Pro Shops: National sporting goods and outdoor retail chain selling fishing tackle, bait, and apparel. Comparable as a saltwater/offshore fishing retail and tackle supplier relevant to Surf City's tackle shop vertical.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/surfcitypier
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/surf-city-ocean-pier-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Surf City Ocean Pier Inc