Saunton Surf Hire, located on the beautiful North Devon coast in the UK, was already a well-established surf business, offering surf lessons and retail products before deciding to add a rental service. Booqable allowed them to easily integrate rentals into their existing operations by creating a smooth online booking experience for their range of boards, wetsuits, and more.
We interviewed Mike, the founder of Saunton Surf Hire, to explore how Booqable helped him and his team manage the shop and track a growing inventory across multiple services.
Making Booqable barcodes surf-proof
Managing surfboard rentals presents unique challenges, particularly with tracking equipment. Surfboards are exposed to harsh weather, salt water, and rough handling, making it difficult to label them with barcodes. Mike explained that the team needed a solution that would stay intact on the boards while simplifying inventory tracking.
This led to the development of custom waterproof barcodes. Mike shared how they purchased a special compound gel to coat the barcodes on surfboards, enabling them to withstand the rough conditions of salt and sea. Some of these Booqable-generated barcodes have lasted up to three years, making inventory management much easier.
Saunton Surf Hire also applied barcodes to their wetsuits using durable cattle tags, ensuring the labels withstand water and wear. These tags are securely attached to the wetsuits, allowing for easy scanning and tracking without compromising the gear’s functionality or comfort.
Adding rentals to their existing surf business
In our conversation, Mike emphasized how crucial it was to integrate the rental service into their already-established surf shop and surf school.”We were already well-established with lessons and retail, but we saw the growing demand for rentals and wanted a solution that wouldn’t disrupt what we were already doing.”
He also highlighted the importance of ensuring the new rental service, powered by Booqable, worked seamlessly alongside their existing offerings. With Booqable, they found the perfect solution in the online store feature, which allowed them to add a rental service to their website as a new link. This integration enabled the rental service to run alongside other sections of their website, such as the online store for retail products and the contact form for surf lessons. The ‘click-to-rent’ link, easily embedded into their existing site, was a “game-changer” for Mike and his team.
By adding the Booqable online store link, Saunton Surf Hire ensured their rentals, sales, and lessons operated cohesively, enhancing both the customer experience and team efficiency.
Riding the wave of business expansion with Booqable
Through Booqable’s rental software and custom waterproof barcodes, Saunton Surf Hire has improved both its rental and retail services. The integration has simplified operations, boosted customer satisfaction, and provided a scalable solution for their expanding business.
As the surf scene in North Devon continues to grow, Saunton Surf Hire is well-positioned to meet increasing demand with reliable, well-organized rental services while continuing to offer surf lessons and retail products. Mike is confident that the business will keep thriving, thanks to streamlined processes and the rising popularity of their rental services.
