Photo credit: Vancouver Water Adventures
Paddleboarding is mocked by those who don’t do it and beloved by those who do. That’s why the paddleboard stands at Vancouver beaches English Bay, Granville Island and Jericho run out of paddleboards every sunny day from May onwards. It’s not prohibitively expensive – Rates usually run $20/hour for board rental – and the folks doing it are certainly fit.
Here’s good news for avid boarders or those who want to get into the sport: Vancouver’s park board approved a three-year agreement with Vancouver Water Adventures to operate a paddleboard rental station at Kitsilano Beach, the city’s second busiest beach at Monday’s board meeting.
“Vancouver Water Adventures, a five-year-old company that operates at Granville Island, beat five other bids to run the stand that it will set up and take down daily as early as May 1.
The paddleboard rental business has grown “exponentially,” owner Clayton Watson, 30, said of the business he runs with his sister Jessica Watson.
Last year they had to add almost 20 boards to their original fleet of 10 to keep up with demand, he said.
‘We literally had line ups before we opened the door,’ Watson said, adding that they sold out almost daily.
‘It’s a good exercise, you get to get out on the water, it’s better than just going to the beach,’ he said. ‘Ladies like it cause they can go, get a tan, get a work out.’
The company will pay the city a minimum of $5,250 to operate on the beach, or 7 per cent of its revenue up to $100,000 and 8.5 per cent of revenue more than $100,000. It will be fully insured and hopes to have a fleet of 50 boards.
Board rentals cost $20 for the first hour and $10 per hour after that. People will be able to rent a board at Kits beach and drop it off at Granville Island.”
Last modified: February 26, 2013
