If you want to rent out kayaks or add to your resort’s fleet, you have to answer the age-old question: “How many single kayaks do I need, and how many doubles?”
If you don’t get this ratio right, you’ll lose money. Too many singles will keep couples and families from coming in. If you have too many doubles, you will lose the solo adventurers.
As a boat maker who has built more than 500 rental stations around the world, I don’t simply build boats; I also look at statistics.
I know which fleets grow and which ones have trouble with dead inventory. Today, I’m going to tell you the “Inventory Logic” behind wholesale inflatable kayaks so you can get the correct combination for your area.
The Economics of the Tandem (2-Person): Your “Cash Cow”
The Tandem Kayak is the most popular way to make money in places with a lot of tourists, such lakes, quiet beaches, and hotel fronts.
- Revenue Density: A double kayak takes up about the same amount of room as a single kayak, but it costs 1.5 to 2 times as much to rent. You are making money off of one “asset” with two consumers.
- The Demographics: According to Family Travel Association trends, multi-generational and couple travel is dominating the outdoor market. Most beginners are intimidated to paddle alone. They want to be in the same boat with a partner or a child.
Factory Verdict: For general tourism, the Tandem is your volume driver. It needs less instruction (the stronger paddler sits in back) and keeps groups together.
The Case for the Solo (1-Person): The “Freedom” Factor
Should you just buy doubles all the time? No way. To deal with the “odd numbers,” you need Single Kayaks.
- The “Third Wheel” Scenario: Three friends show up. Five people from the same family come. You lose that extra person if you only have doubles. To make the group work, you need singles.
- The Guide Boat: Your guides require fast, nimble single kayaks to get around the group quickly if you run tours.
- The Enthusiast: Some customers do know how to paddle. They don’t like how slow a double boat is, so they ask for a high-performance, drop-stitch single kayak to go faster.
The “Golden Ratio”: What Should You Actually Order?
When our B2B clients ask for a price, we normally suggest a beginning mix based on the state of their water. Here is the standard for the industry:
Scenario A: Calm Water / Beach Resort / Family Park
- The Ratio: 70% Tandem / 30% Single
- Why: Most of your consumers are couples and families. Speed doesn’t matter; steadiness and being “together” do.
Scenario B: Adventure River / Long Distance Tour
- The Ratio: 40% Tandem / 60% Single
- Why: These customers are better at sports. It takes a lot of energy to paddle a heavy double kayak for 10 miles. They like the freedom and tracking of a sleek single drop-stitch kayak.
The Secret Weapon: The “2+1” Convertible Kayak
I highly recommend stocking our “Convertible” Models if you want to completely eliminate the risk of buying the wrong mix.
These tandem kayaks are a little longer (typically 3.8m to 4m) and have three seat places.
- Mode 1: Put two seats in a normal Tandem.
- Mode 2: Put one seat in the middle for a well-balanced Solo.
- Mode 3: Put two adult chairs and one little kid seat in the middle (The Family Setup).
You can change your fleet every morning dependent on that day’s bookings by stocking wholesale inflatable kayaks that can be converted. This makes sure that all of the assets are used.
Storage ROI: Why Inflatables Beat Hard Shells
Storage costs are a silent killer for rental companies. Hard shell kayaks need huge permanent racks. Hard shells will cut into your profit per square metre if your rent is high, such for a kiosk on the beach.
You can deflate and stack inflatable drop stitch kayaks on pallets when they’re not in use. A modest storage cupboard or the back of a vehicle may hold a fleet of 20 boats.For details on optimizing warehouse space, you can reference inventory management best practices
Conclusion: Start Smart, Scale Fast
Don’t buy something just because you want to paddle it. Buy things that your customers will like.
A mix of Convertible Tandems and a few Performance Singles is the safest way for most new rental businesses to make money.
Want a personalised fleet proposal? Let us know what kind of water you have (lake, river, or ocean) and Contact Huale Commercial Team. To get you started, we’ll make a suggested inventory list with a tiered wholesale discount.
