Hourly hire booking
Singles, doubles, SUPs and pedal kayaks booked by the hour or half day, with live availability and online payment.
Kayak & SUP hire booking software: slots & waivers
Kayak & SUP hire: booked by the hour, on the water faster. Paddle more, paperwork less.
A glassy Saturday morning brings a queue at the shed, a clipboard of soggy waivers and nobody quite sure how many doubles are still out. Then the wind comes up on Sunday and you spend an hour on the phone. We build kayak and SUP hire systems that book by the hour, sign waivers ahead, track every craft and handle the weather. Then we host them and look after them.
Looking for kayak or SUP hire booking software that actually fits how a paddle hire runs?
Paddle hire is fast turnover by the hour. Singles, doubles, boards in three sizes, life jackets for kids and adults, walk-ups mixed with online bookings and a forecast that can wipe out a whole day. Most hire businesses juggle a booking app that doesn't really understand fleet, paper waivers, a whiteboard of who's out and a phone that never stops on a windy morning.
Wollopit builds custom kayak and SUP hire software around how your shed actually runs. Customers book a craft for an hour and sign their waiver before they turn up. The fleet board shows what's out, what's due back and what's late. When the wind picks up, one tap tells everyone booked and offers them a new time or a refund. We connect the tools you already like, work around platforms like Rezdy or FareHarbor if they're doing the job and look after the lot on our own servers.
01The problems
What we hear from kayak and SUP hire businesses
Does your kayak and SUP hire business have these problems? Here's how we'd fix them.
Most paddle hire operators we talk to know their water inside out. It's the bookings, the waivers and the weather calls that eat the good mornings.
- The problemWalk-up queues on the best morningsPerfect conditions bring a line at the shed while staff fill in forms, take cards and hunt for the right paddle.How we fix itOnline hourly booking with walk-ups taken on a tablet in under a minute, so the queue moves.
- The problemWaivers on a soggy clipboardPaper forms get wet, handwriting is unreadable and finding last summer's waiver is a lost cause.How we fix itDigital waivers signed at booking, one per paddler, stored and searchable by name or date.
- The problemFleet tracked by eyeNobody's sure how many doubles are left or whether the big boards are all out until someone walks down to the rack.How we fix itLive fleet availability by type and size, so you only sell what's actually on the rack.
- The problemLate returns nobody noticesA family's half an hour overdue and the next booking is standing there waiting for their kayak.How we fix itAn on-water board with timers, overdue alerts and the hirer's mobile one tap away.
- The problemWind days mean a dozen phone callsThe forecast turns, the bay whitecaps and you're ringing every booking one by one.How we fix itWeather cancellation in one tap: SMS and email to everyone affected with a rebook link or refund.
- The problemGear sizes guessed at the shedKids' life jackets run out and the 90 kg bloke ends up on a beginner board that's too small.How we fix itPaddler ages and weights captured at booking so the right PFDs and boards are set aside.
- The problemLessons booked by textSUP lessons and kids' sessions arranged over messages, then double booked with a hire.How we fix itBookable group and private lessons with instructor rosters and their own craft held back.
- The problemOnline agents and walk-ups clashA Viator or Experience Oz booking lands for a board you just gave to a walk-up.How we fix itOne shared inventory across your website, booking platforms and the counter so nothing doubles up.
- The problemDings and broken paddles go unrecordedA board comes back with a crack, nobody writes it down and it goes out again the next day.How we fix itDamage logged on return with photos, craft pulled from hire and a repair list for the off day.
- The problemSchool and party groups by emailGroups ask for quotes, numbers change three times and the paperwork arrives on the day.How we fix itGroup enquiries turn into quotes, deposits and a single link where every paddler signs their waiver.
- The problemGift vouchers missedPeople ask for a voucher at Christmas and you scribble one on a card or lose the sale.How we fix itGift vouchers sold online, emailed as a nice card and redeemed against any hire or lesson.
02What we build
Solutions
What we build for kayak and SUP hire businesses. Usually all talking to each other.
Pick the one that's hurting most or join the whole lot up. Everything is built around how your team works, not the other way round.
Fleet board
Every craft by type and size, what's on the rack, what's out, what's due back and what's in for repairs.
On-water timers
Start a hire when they push off, see time left at a glance and get alerts when someone's overdue.
Digital waivers
One waiver per paddler signed on their phone before they arrive, with guardians signing for kids.
Walk-up check-in
A tablet at the shed for walk-ups: pick a craft, sign the waiver, tap the card and go.
Weather cancellations
Cancel a session or a whole morning in one tap with SMS, rebook links and refunds or credit.
Lessons & guided paddles
Group and private lessons, sunset paddles and guided tours with their own times, guides and craft.
Group & school bookings
Quotes, deposits, numbers that change and a single waiver link for the whole group.
Gift vouchers
Sold online, emailed or printed, with balances tracked and redeemed against any booking.
Damage & maintenance log
Photos on return, craft pulled from hire, repair notes and a service history for every board and kayak.
Reviews & follow-ups
A thank you SMS after the paddle with a link to Google or TripAdvisor while they're still smiling.
A website that floats
Quick on mobile, live availability on every page and built to rank for 'kayak hire near me'.
03The systems
The big ones
Your whole paddle hire, on one system.
These are the systems paddle hire operators ask us about most. Each works on its own and they get properly clever once they're joined up.
Hourly booking & fleet
Book by the hour. Only sell what's on the rack.
Customers pick a craft, a time and how long, then pay online. Availability comes straight from your real fleet, so you never sell the last double twice. Walk-ups and booking platforms draw from the same pool.
- Hourly, half day and full day hire
- Singles, doubles, SUPs and pedal kayaks
- Availability by craft type and size
- Buffer time between hires for rinsing
- Walk-ups on a tablet at the shed
- One inventory shared with Rezdy or FareHarbor
- Peak and off-peak pricing
- Add-ons like dry bags and wetsuits
- Online payment or deposit via Stripe
Waivers & check-in
Signed before they leave the car park.
Every paddler signs their own waiver on their phone when the booking's made, with guardians signing for kids. At the shed staff see who's signed, who hasn't and what size life jacket each person needs.
- One waiver per paddler, not per booking
- Guardian signing for under 18s
- Swimming ability and experience questions
- Ages and weights for PFD and board sizing
- Reminder SMS if someone hasn't signed
- QR check-in at the shed
- Searchable waiver history
- Group links for schools and parties
On-water & weather
Know who's out. Call the wind in one tap.
A live board shows every craft on the water with a timer and the hirer's number. When the wind turns, cancel the session and everyone booked gets an SMS with a rebook link or refund.
- Live timers for every hire
- Overdue alerts at the shed
- Hirer's mobile one tap away
- Wind and forecast on the dashboard
- Cancel one slot or a whole morning
- SMS and email to everyone affected
- Self-serve rebooking
- Refunds or credit to their account
- Weather call log for your records
Lessons, tours & groups
Lessons and guided paddles without the text chain.
SUP lessons, kids' sessions, sunset paddles and guided tours run alongside hire with their own times, instructors and craft held back. School and party groups get quotes, deposits and a single waiver link.
- Group and private lessons
- Guided tours and sunset paddles
- Instructor rosters and availability
- Craft reserved for each session
- Minimum numbers before a tour runs
- Group quotes and deposits
- Class lists and paddler notes
- Gift vouchers for lessons and tours
04How it changes
Before and after
A windy Sunday morning, wolloped.
Here's how a wind call could change. Every paddle hire is different, so we map yours first.
Before
- Wake up to whitecaps on the bay
- Dig out the booking list and start ringing
- Leave voicemails for half of them
- Two families turn up anyway
- Refunds done one by one that night
After
- Forecast shows 22 knots on the dashboard
- Tap cancel on the morning slots
- Everyone booked gets an SMS straight away
- Most rebook themselves for next weekend
- Refunds and credits sorted automatically
05Services
Everything under one roof
Software, websites and systems for kayak and SUP hire businesses.
Whether you're starting fresh or upgrading what you've got, it's one team from the first sketch to the support call.
Custom software for kayak and SUP hire businesses
Built around how your kayak and SUP hire business actually runs: hourly hire booking, fleet board and the admin in between, in one system you own.
Websites for kayak and SUP hire businesses
Fast, hand-built websites that rank for the searches your customers make and turn visits into enquiries, bookings or orders.
Kayak and SUP hire business system upgrades
Running on spreadsheets, old software or a platform you've outgrown? We move your data across and upgrade in stages so the business never stops.
Apps and portals for kayak and SUP hire businesses
On-water timers and digital waivers: customer and staff portals that work on any phone without an app store.
Integrations and automation
We connect Rezdy, FareHarbor and Checkfront so information moves on its own and nobody retypes it.
Hosting, support and care
Managed hosting, updates, backups and security for your kayak and SUP hire business, looked after by the people who built it.
06Integrations
Connections
Plays nicely with what you already use.
We connect to the tools you rely on, work around booking platforms you're happy with or replace the ones holding you back.
- Rezdy
- FareHarbor
- Checkfront
- Bókun
- Viator
- Experience Oz
- Stripe
- Square
- Xero
- MYOB
- TripAdvisor
- Google Business Profile
- Google Maps
- Mailchimp
- Twilio SMS
- Willyweather
- Bureau of Meteorology
07How we work
The process
Some people dip their toe in. We turn up in a rebreather.
We get properly below the surface of your kayak and SUP hire business: the systems, the busy days and the jobs everyone hates. Then we fix the bits that matter most first.
- 01
Think
We spend a morning at the shed and on the phone with you, then work out what's actually slowing the turnover.
- 02
Archi-tech
We plan it before writing code: your fleet, slots, waivers, lessons, weather rules, booking platforms, hosting and cost.
- 03
Build
Real engineering, shown to you early and often. Usually the most painful bit first, so you get a win before the summer rush.
- 04
Look after
We host it, maintain it and keep improving it. When something breaks you call the people who built it.
08Questions
FAQ
Things kayak and SUP hire businesses ask us.
Something else on your mind? Ring 0423 011 252 and ask the people who'd build it.
Can we offer guided tours as well as hire?
Yes. Guided paddles, sunset tours and lessons run alongside hire with their own times, guide rosters and craft held back so hire can't book them out.
Can every paddler sign their own waiver?
Yes. Each person gets their own waiver to sign on their phone, with guardians signing for kids. We set it up with your wording, so it's worth having your insurer check it.
Can it handle walk-ups as well as online bookings?
Yes. Walk-ups are taken on a tablet at the shed from the same fleet, so online bookings and walk-ups never fight over the same board.
How does weather cancellation work?
You decide to call it, tap cancel and everyone in that slot gets an SMS and email with a rebook link or refund. We can show wind and forecast data on the dashboard to help you decide.
We already use Rezdy or FareHarbor. Do we have to switch?
No. If your booking platform is doing its job we build around it: fleet board, waivers, weather messages and the rest on top. If it's holding you back we'll show you what replacing it involves before anything changes.
How much does a paddle hire system cost?
It depends on what you need, so we quote up front once we understand it. No surprise invoices, no lock-in and you own what we build.
How long does it take?
Smaller jobs like digital waivers or a fleet board can be quick. Bigger systems are planned in stages so you get the first win early, ideally before summer.
Who looks after it once it's built?
We do. We host it on our own managed servers and keep it updated and secure. When you need something you ring the people who built it.
We already have systems. Can you upgrade them instead of starting again?
Usually, yes. Most kayak and SUP hire businesses we work with keep what's working and upgrade the rest in stages. We move your data across, connect the old and new while we switch and retire the old system only when the new one is proven.
Contact
Got a kayak and SUP hire business problem? Consider it wolloped.
Tell us what's slow, broken, manual or missing. You don't need a spec, just describe what's going on.