Surf’s Up: Online surfboard ‘Airbnb’ service expands in SC, takes pain out of travel
For Joe Wilson, waiting to pick up his surfboard after a flight always came with a pang of anxiety.
Would the board be okay? If it got damaged en route, would the damages be minor? Could he find someone nearby to fix it? Airlines, he said, rarely offered much in the way of insurance for damaged surfboards, despite charging exorbitant fees for carrying them.
Eventually, Wilson got tired of worrying about damaged surfboards every time he traveled. He decided that, if possible, he didn’t want to travel at all with them anymore.
So he started The Quiver, an online rental service styled after Airbnb that lets people all over the globe easily find nearby surfboards to rent rather than trying to bring their own on every trip.
Started in 2015, The Quiver has thousands of boards available to rent across 20 countries. It recently expanded its operations in Myrtle Beach, though it has been widely available at other beaches in the Carolinas like Hilton Head Island for a while.
“We can find a surfboard for our customers anywhere in the world,” Wilson said.
Flying with a surfboard is a “huge hassle,” Wilson said, even on Southwest Airlines, which loves to advertise how “bags fly free” — surfboards, however, do not (unless you happen to be flying from one Hawaiian island to another).
“The process just really never made sense, and unfortunately, a lot of the times when you do travel with your boards, they end up getting damaged,” Wilson said. “You end up spending all this money only to arrive at your destination with a bag full of broken boards.”
Driving presents its own risks, as well, if the board is not properly secured or stowed away.
In the coming weeks, Village Surf Shoppe, one of the most storied surfboard rental stores in the Grand Strand, will be renting boards through The Quiver. More than 50 years old, it’s an unassuming storefront, tucked off of Atlantic Avenue near Garden City. The shop’s first owner started by renting boards underneath the Garden City Pier in the late ‘60s.
Village Surf owner Kelly Richards, who has been designing and shaping boards for decades, has never had to worry about getting enough customers. He’s had repeat customers come back for decades.
Joining The Quiver, though, could greatly expand his customer base and bring together the community of surfers in Myrtle Beach, he said. He’s also excited about the prospect of building new connections with visiting surfers who might not know about his shop.
“Generations of people have shopped here. I’ve made surfboards for grandfathers, and now they’re getting surfboards made for their grandkids,” Richards said. Noting the Grand Strand’s explosive growth in both new residents and tourists in the past few decades, Richards said, “We definitely see this as a great tool for us to reach this new wave of people.”
Village Surf joining the service greatly expands the options for surfers in Myrtle Beach. Previously, there were only a few boards available in the region.
Growing and connecting the surfing community was one of Wilson’s and cofounder Rob Bonvetti’s main motivations for creating The Quiver. Wilson said he loves giving surfers a chance to make money off of their boards rather than letting them sit unused.
Some surfboards are best designed for the specific area where they were made. And Wilson said board owners are encouraged to offer advice on the local waves to the people renting.
“Our aim is to be all-inclusive and include anyone with a surfboard, from the shops and shapers to everyday surfers, to provide the access to all different types of surfboards and the most options for the traveling surfer,” Wilson said.
Surfboards range in cost from as low as $15 for a single day or $150 for a full week. To rent a board, go to TheQuiver.com, make an account, pick the board you want, fill out payment info and click rent. After that is done, instructions on when and where to pick up the board will be available. Renters can also contact a board owner in advance or during the rental if they have any questions. Surf board owners can also create an account to list their boards for rent.
The service allows people to test out different shapes and styles of surfboards without having to make the investment of buying a one or hunting around every beach they visit for a rental.
The Quiver also offers a “concierge service”: Surfers can share details about where they plan to travel and what kind of board they are looking, and a representative will help them find the best fit.
“I used to bring my boards on on all the trips that I go on, but now it’s entirely different. I use (the Quiver) myself. I travel extremely light,” Wilson said. “And I get to meet other people in different parts of the world who are part of the community.”
As with any rental service, there are some risks. The surfboard could be damaged or not come back at all, so the Quiver also allows board owners to require a deposit that the renter gets back when they return the board.
“We haven’t had any issues since 2015 in terms of the boards not being returned or anything. ” Wilson said. “It’s just been really good vibes throughout the community.”
This story was originally published May 18, 2021 at 11:48 AM.
