Island Water Sports — Local services in Delray Beach

The first Island Water Sports was opened by Kirk Cottrell in 1978 in Pompano Beach. Less than a year later they moved to Deerfield Beach where they sold surf clothing and surf boards. It quickly became known as "the" surf shop in Deerfield Beach. Business was good in the 1980's and they franchised to 26 stores. Unfortunately the 1990's were not as kind and the business took a hit. Kirk Cottrell leaned on his faith and in 5 years he was able to relaunch a more conservative business plan. In 1997 Cottrell and his family moved to South Africa to work as missionaries and start a Calvary Chapel. Sadly he lost his life in 2001 in a surfing accident. Island Water Sports is now run by Cottrell's son Cheyne and family. The Kirk Cottrell Pavilion in Deerfield Beach where Island Waters Sports has given free surf lessons to kids for years is named in his honor.

My daughter used to enjoy the free surf lessons given by IWS with her friends when she was in elementary school and when he uncle gifted her his damaged surf board we took it to them to be fixed. They still have the Deerfield Beach location but when I was shopping in Delray I stumbled on this outpost across from the beach on Atlantic Avenue and I had to stop in to relive a few memories.

Parking for this store is metered on the street. From the outside the store doesn't look very large but looks can be deceiving. As soon as you enter you can see that there are actually several rooms filled with clothing for men, women, and children, accessories, surfboards, skateboards, shoes, toys, tumblers, sunglasses, hats, and more.

IWS has a rental business too. You can rent a surfboard all day for $45 or a stand up paddleboard for $60. An all day bicycle rental is $45 or an e bike for $75. They have a surf and skate camp for kids and private and group surf and stand up paddle board lessons. They still offer the free Saturday 7-9 AM all age, all level surf and paddleboard lessons with equipment provided. They can even give lessons at your special private event or birthday party.

The girls working were so sweet. They were on hand to help and we had a nice chat. IWS is an iconic family owned business and they have given so much to the community. I am glad to see they are are still inspiring the next generation of surfers and skate boarders who love the outdoors as much...

Every time I visit this location, the employees are always talking and laughing among themselves. They don’t greet customers, offer help, or act professionally. Because of this, I never end up buying anything—there’s simply no good customer service. It’s disappointing, especially since this is an expensive store with products I really like. Unfortunately, the poor attitude of the staff ruins the experience. I hope the owner reconsiders hiring people who don’t seem to care about their work or the customers. I won’t be coming back. I don’t appreciate being...

This shop really makes you feel like you're a local. I have been coming to this shop for years and it amazes me how great the customer service is; I always felt welcomed the moment I walk through their door. The people here are really friendly and are so open to let you know what's happening in town. They sell great stuff and the employees are very knowledgeable about what they are selling. I hope to do more business with these guys on my next visit. Thank you for...