Stand Up Paddle Colorado

What Stand Up Paddle Colorado does

Stand Up Paddle Colorado operates as a family-owned outdoor adventure business, doing business as SUP Kentucky (legal entity The Gorge Underground LLC, registered in Kentucky, USA), that delivers guided stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking tours at multiple Kentucky locations. Its core product portfolio centers on unique natural environments that are not accessible on foot: the Crystal Kayak and SUP Glow Tour explores a flooded abandoned limestone mine at Red River Gorge using underwater LED lights; the Grayson Lake Paddle Boarding Adventure visits Grayson Grotto with up to seven waterfalls; Cumberland Falls Paddle Board Adventures offer proximity to a 62-foot waterfall with Moonbow night experiences; the Crystal Kayak Unguided is a self-directed variant; the Witches and Wizards Full Moon Glow Float is a themed seasonal event at Carter Caves State Resort Park; and the SUP Basics Class provides beginner instruction at Jacobson Park in Lexington. The product surface is supplemented by Custom Group Trips for 4–30 participants and gift cards, with adjacent lodging via Grayson Getaways Campground.

The business runs on a direct-to-consumer commerce model with no proprietary technology platform: reservations are taken through FareHarbor's embedded booking widget on supkentucky.com with real-time availability calendars, supported by Google Maps APIs and Google Analytics. Pricing is per-person across age tiers and weekday/weekend bands, ranging from $40 (SUP Basics) to $150 (Grayson Lake 4-hour adventure), with ancillary revenue from $5 photo albums, BYO-equipment events, and gift cards. Tour sizes are intentionally small (4–8 guests per tour, max 30 for private groups), and the guide-to-client ratio is held at 6:1 or better using certified guides. Operations are seasonal: Kentucky domestic tours run April–October, with an international travel season November–March delivering at least two trips per year (Mexico as a fixed annual destination plus one rotating location), giving the business a 12-month revenue cycle. The company is private, family-owned, with 11–50 employees and no disclosed external funding, and markets through TripAdvisor, organic social (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X), email, and word-of-mouth referrals.

Name

Stand Up Paddle Colorado

Legal name

The Gorge Underground LLC

Website

https://supkentucky.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Family-owned outdoor adventure company (operating as SUP Kentucky / The Gorge Underground LLC) offering guided stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking tours in Kentucky, plus seasonal international trips, booked direct-to-consumer via FareHarbor for individual travelers and private groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Adventure Tourism

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Kayaking, Canoeing & SUP Tours (Guided/Paddling Excursions) (THAJAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water & Marine Guiding Services (Kayak, Canoe, Raft, SUP, Sailing) (THAAALAB), Kayaking, Canoeing & SUP Coastal Tours (THAAAIAF), River & Wetland Ecotours (Canoe/Kayak, Mangrove/Swamp Tours) (THAAAEAE), Whitewater Rafting, Kayaking & River Adventures (THAJABAB)

Keywords

• Stand up paddleboarding tours
• Guided cave kayaking
• Outdoor adventure tourism
• Paddleboard lessons
• Underground mine kayaking

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Guided Adventure Tours: Primary revenue from selling tickets to guided outdoor adventure experiences including cave kayaking, waterfall paddleboarding, and full moon floats. Customers pay per person; pricing varies by tour, age tier, and day of week. Real-time online booking via FareHarbor.
2. Equipment Rental / BYO Events: Revenue from bring-your-own-equipment events (e.g., Witches and Wizards Full Moon Glow Float at $50 for self-equipped participants) and unguided crystal kayak experiences.
3. Gift Cards: Sale of gift cards with preset or custom denominations, redeemable on any offering. Cards expire after 5 years.
4. Photo Albums and Add-ons: Optional add-on revenue from photo album purchases (e.g., $5.00 for photo albums on certain tours) and other ancillary fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Stand Up Paddle Colorado (operating as SUP Kentucky) sells guided stand-up paddleboarding and crystal-clear kayak tour experiences at unique Kentucky natural sites, including an underground flooded limestone mine, multi-waterfall grottoes, Cumberland Falls, and full-moon glow float events. The company also runs a beginner SUP Basics Class at Jacobson Park in Lexington and offers custom private group trips, gift cards, and a partner campground (Grayson Getaways) as supporting offerings. Domestic tours run April–October in Kentucky; international trips, including annual Mexico departures, run November–March.

Product overview

Stand Up Paddle Colorado operates a portfolio of stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking tour experiences, primarily centered around cave and underground adventures. The core product lineup includes the Crystal Kayak and SUP Glow Tour (year-round underground cave experience), the Grayson Lake Paddle Boarding Adventure (multi-waterfall river exploration), Cumberland Falls Paddle Board Adventures (waterfall proximity tours including Moonbow night experiences), Crystal Kayak Unguided (self-directed underground exploration), Witches and Wizards Full Moon Glow Float (seasonal costumed event), and SUP Basics Class (instructional introduction). The company also offers Custom Group Trips for private events and Gift Cards as an add-on. Supporting infrastructure includes Grayson Getaways Campground for overnight stays. Local Kentucky tours run April-October with international expeditions (including annual Mexico trips) from November-March.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Gorge Underground: The branded name for the company's underground cave and mine kayak/SUP tours at the Red River Gorge location.
• Grayson Getaways Campground

Products and services

• Crystal Kayak and SUP Glow Tour Year-round 1.5-hour guided tour paddling through an abandoned limestone mine at Red River Gorge illuminated by underwater LED lights and headlamps, with rainbow trout viewing and an underground waterfall; for guests aged 5+; maximum 8 guests per tour; from $75 per person weekday / $85 weekend.
• Grayson Lake Paddle Boarding Adventure 4-hour guided stand-up paddleboarding experience at Grayson Grotto featuring up to seven waterfalls (including Grotto Falls), cliffs, caves, coves, and a secret cove accessed through a sandstone crack; for guests aged 16+; maximum 8 participants; $150 per person.
• Cumberland Falls Paddle Board Adventures 1-hour guided stand-up paddleboarding near the 62-foot Cumberland Falls, with a Moonbow (full moon) experience available at the same rate; for guests aged 12+; maximum 5 guests per tour; $75 per person; optional add-ons for yoga, covered wagons, and horseback riding.
• Crystal Kayak Unguided 2-hour self-guided underground kayaking experience in an abandoned limestone mine with crystal-clear bottom kayaks and underwater LED lights, including gear (kayak, LED lights, helmet, headlamp, PFD) and optional rainbow trout viewing; for guests aged 18+; max 4 per group; $100 per person.
• Witches and Wizards Full Moon Glow Float 3-hour costumed full-moon glow float event at Carter Caves State Resort Park, approximately 4 miles round trip, beginner-friendly with complimentary van shuttle from Grayson Getaways Campground; for guests aged 5+; $50 per person; BYO equipment participants attend free.
• SUP Basics Class 1-hour entry-level stand-up paddleboarding instruction covering gear, board handling, paddle strokes, and balance techniques at Jacobson Park in Lexington, Kentucky; includes SUP board, paddle, and PFD; ages 6+ (under 12 must be accompanied by adult); maximum 8 guests; $40 youth / $60 adult.
• Custom Group Trips Private customized paddleboarding tours and adventures for groups of 4–30 participants, with individual or lump-sum payment collection and itinerary modification options.
• Gift Cards Gift certificates sold at preset or custom denominations and redeemable on any tour offering; cards expire after 5 years.
• Grayson Getaways Campground Sub-brand campground offering cabins and various camping sites near Grayson Lake, providing overnight accommodation adjacent to paddleboarding tour locations and shuttle service for full-moon glow float events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Small group experiences with 4–12 participants per trip and 6:1 maximum guide-to-client ratio
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FareHarborcoreTechnology or IntegrationFareHarbor provides the embedded online booking and reservation platform for SUP Kentucky's website, enabling real-time availability calendars, online payments, gift card sales, and waitlist management. This is a critical operational technology partnership for the company's direct-to-consumer booking flow.
• Nocqua LED LightsminorOthersNocqua LED lighting technology is used in crystal clear bottom kayaks and SUP boards to create the underground glow effect for cave tours. Supplier of underwater LED illumination equipment.
• NRS (Northwest River Supplies) / HalaminorOthersNRS and Hala are equipment suppliers providing high-quality stand-up paddleboards for tours. SUP Kentucky uses boards from these brands for its Grayson Lake and Cumberland Falls adventures.
• Accent PaddlesminorOthersAccent Paddles provides paddles used on Cumberland Falls paddleboard tours.
• Grayson Getaways CampgroundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrayson Getaways Campground is adjacent to Grayson Lake paddleboarding tours and provides shuttle service for the Witches and Wizards Full Moon Glow Float event. It's a nearby partner campground for lodging near tour locations.
• Sheltowee Trace Adventure ResortminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecommended alternative tour provider for Cumberland Falls visits when SUP Kentucky cannot operate due to staffing constraints. Represents a referral/hand-off relationship in the regional adventure tourism ecosystem.
• World Nomads Travel InsuranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWorld Nomads travel insurance is promoted on the SUP Kentucky Travel Insurance page as the recommended insurance partner for international travel trips, with SUP Kentucky facilitating the referral and providing a dedicated form for guest information collection.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Viator (Tripadvisor Experiences): Global online marketplace for tours, attractions, and experiences. Operates as a distribution and discovery layer that SUP Kentucky also benefits from via TripAdvisor reviews and direct bookings.

Direct peers

• Adventures on the Gorge: West Virginia-based adventure resort offering whitewater rafting, zip-lining, and guided outdoor experiences with integrated lodging. Closely comparable on multi-site adventure tourism model, guide ratios, and lodging-plus-activity bundling.
• Mammoth Cave Adventures: Kentucky-based adventure operator offering zipline, cave, and outdoor experiences near Mammoth Cave. Comparable on Kentucky-specific outdoor adventure tourism and cave-themed attraction offerings.
• Ace Adventure Resort: West Virginia whitewater rafting and adventure resort with integrated lodging and multi-activity packages. Comparable on water-based adventure tourism and lodging-plus-tour bundling model.
• Carter Caves State Resort Park: Kentucky state park hosting the Witches and Wizards Full Moon Glow Float. Comparable as a cave-tourism operator and as a key geographic/regulatory partner for SUP Kentucky's cave-based tours.
• YOLO Board Adventures: Coastal SUP/kayak tour operator and paddleboard retailer. Comparable on guided SUP/kayak tour offerings and beginner-friendly instruction-led experiences.
• Nantahala Outdoor Center: One of the largest outdoor adventure outfitters in the U.S., offering guided rafting, paddling, and multi-activity experiences at scale. Highly comparable business model (guided outdoor water-based adventures, small groups, lodging integrations) to SUP Kentucky's paddle-led offering.
• Hocking Hills Canoe Livery: Ohio-based guided canoe/kayak/SUP outfitter operating on regional rivers and lakes. Directly comparable on small-group guided paddling tours, equipment-led experiences, and Midwest regional adventure positioning.
• Cumberland Caverns: Tennessee commercial cave operation offering guided cave tours, adventure experiences, and overnight trips. Comparable on guided cave-based adventure experiences and underground tour operations.

Others

• Grayson Getaways Campground: Adjacent lodging operation that is itself a sub-brand/related entity of SUP Kentucky. Relevant as an integrated ecosystem partner that hosts SUP Kentucky guests and provides shuttles for full moon glow floats.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/supkentucky?lang=en
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1mk4BS87hSolez1KFEecpA?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/supky
• Instagraminstagram.com/supkentucky
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sup-kentucky

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 Stand Up Paddle Colorado