Whenever Watersports' self-serve kayak kiosk is now open at the 150-acre Sugar Land Memorial Park, the company announced in a Feb. 7 Facebook post.
About the program
Residents can access the self-service kiosk—which will be available from park open to sunset or park close, whichever is sooner—on their phone, with kayak rates going for $20 an hour for a single and $40 an hour for a tandem kayak, officials said.
Kayaks can also be rented for the whole day for $50 or $80, respectively. Customer service for the kiosk is available by calling 860-837-0334.
"We want to make paddling as accessible as possible," said Mike Ulitsch, Whenever Watersports co-founder and owner.
Looking back
Sugar Land City Council approved the license agreement in October, with the city receiving a $100 monthly rent allotment and a 5% share of monthly gross revenue for the 156-square-foot battery-operated rental station, which holds eight kayaks in the Memorial Park lake. The contract is estimated to bring the city between $10,000 and $15,000 in gross revenue per year.
The move comes after ShareKayak LLC, which has been in contract with the city since July 2022, opted out of its contract earlier this year, per agenda documents. Parks department maintenance staff installed a floating kayak launch in 2023.
What’s next?
The contract will last five years, with five additional one-year renewal terms, according to agenda documents.
