Hydrus Demo Center Partnership
Hydrus Board Tech partners with rental shops, clinics, and on-water professional service providers. Not a wholesale account. Not a one-off discount. A partnership. 12% cash commission, founder-direct support, three-board minimum, on-water service required.
Who this is for
Hydrus partners with businesses that put paddlers on the water. Not retail-only stores. Not online resellers. The program is small on purpose. We can't support every shop, so we don't try to.
Built for
Rental shops. Lake, river, or coastal SUP rentals where customers paddle the boards before they buy them.
Clinics + lessons. SUP instruction, yoga-on-water programs, learn-to-paddle classes, beginner clinics.
Outfitters + guides. River outfitters, multi-day guided paddle trips, summer camp paddle programs.
Studios with on-water access. Yoga, fitness, or wellness studios that hold paddle sessions on the water.
Not built for
Retail stores without water access. A storefront where customers cannot demo the boards is not what this program is for.
Online resellers + dropshippers. Hydrus runs direct-to-consumer. We do not approve marketplace resellers or third-party retail.
Single-event uses. One demo day, one summer pop-up. The program is built around recurring on-water service, not a one-off discount.
Multi-brand SUP shops. Carrying competing brands disqualifies you (program rule). If you are open to going Hydrus-exclusive, talk to us.
Why we draw the line here. Hydrus is small on purpose. We can support a finite number of demo centers well, or a large number of them poorly. We pick well, every time.
How the partnership works
Apply through UpPromote (our partner platform) or text Jason at (208) 408-1997. Either path works. We review every demo center application personally.
Three-board minimum to start. We help you pick the right boards for your water and your customers. Established demo centers move into wholesale-tier pricing as their fleet grows.
12% cash commission on every qualifying referral your customers make through your link or code. Customers save up to 12%. Direct, paid out monthly through UpPromote.
The financial mechanics
Cash commission on every qualifying referral, paid out monthly through UpPromote.
Customer discount via your code. They save, you earn the commission. Real win-win.
Minimum starting fleet. Established demo centers grow into wholesale-tier pricing.
Demo centers buy their fleet at wholesale-tier pricing. That pricing exists to support the demo center as a business. The wholesale tier gives you margin to operate, replace gear, and grow.
You can sell new inventory directly to a customer who walks in and wants to buy on the spot. Or give them your discount code and link, and let them order from Hydrus directly. Both work.
What we ask: do not run customer orders through your wholesale account to backdoor a discount. The wholesale tier is for demo fleet and the occasional walk-in. There is some trust involved here. We pick partners we can trust.
Honest tradeoffs
Every partnership has a tradeoff. Here are ours, named upfront. Better to know now than to find out after you place your fleet order. If any of these is a dealbreaker for your business, this program is not for you.
Hydrus demo centers do not double as ambassadors for other paddleboard brands. Carrying multiple SUP brands as a multi-brand shop is fine if you go Hydrus-exclusive on the demo center side. If you sign on with another brand, the partnership ends.
Demo centers maintain a minimum annual purchase to stay active. The exact number depends on your fleet size and water. If you do not hit the minimum, the partnership pauses until you re-up. We tell you the number in writing during your application call.
Real on-the-water professional service is a hard requirement, not a preference. Rentals, lessons, clinics, outfitter trips count. Retail-only does not. If your business model changes and the on-water side stops, the demo center status pauses with it.
Wholesale-tier pricing is for your demo fleet plus the occasional walk-in sale. It is not for backdooring wholesale prices to your retail customers. We will not always know what you are doing with the boards. We pick partners we trust. Misuse cancels the partnership.
Why we name these upfront. A partnership built on undisclosed tradeoffs ends in resentment. We would rather lose the wrong-fit lead today than spend a year learning the partnership was never going to work. Read these. If they fit, apply.
Nonprofits + community programs
Hydrus runs a modified version of the Demo Center Program for nonprofits. Same financial structure (12% cash commission, customer discount up to 12%, on-water service requirement), with adjustments for nonprofit operations and mission alignment.
Adaptive paddling programs. Veteran outdoor therapy. Youth water-access nonprofits. Conservation groups running on-water community engagement. If your nonprofit puts paddlers on the water, we want to talk.
Nonprofit demo center applications go through the same UpPromote registration. Add 'Nonprofit:' to the front of your organization name on the application, and text Jason at (208) 408-1997 with a quick note about your mission. He reviews nonprofit partnerships personally.
Frequent partnership questions
Hydrus Board Tech runs a partnership program for paddleboard rental shops, clinics, outfitters, and on-water professional service providers. Demo Center partners earn 12% cash commission on qualifying referrals, gain wholesale-tier pricing on their demo fleet, and partner directly with Hydrus on customer-facing service. Founder-led from Eagle, Idaho since 2012. Apply through UpPromote.
Three boards. The minimum starting fleet is three Hydrus boards, picked together with the Hydrus team to fit your water and your customers. Established demo centers move into wholesale-tier pricing as their fleet grows. There is also an annual fleet minimum to stay active, communicated in writing during your application call.
Yes. Real on-the-water professional service is a hard requirement for the program. Rentals, lessons, clinics, outfitter trips, on-water yoga or fitness sessions all count. Retail-only operations do not. Hydrus does not sell to stores that don't offer on-the-water services. The rule is intentional: it ensures customers get a genuine demo experience before they buy.
12% cash commission per qualifying referral, paid out monthly through UpPromote. Customers using your code or link save up to 12% on their order. The commission is cash (not store credit), distinguishing the demo center program from the customer ambassador program.
No. Hydrus demo centers do not double as ambassadors for other paddleboard brands. Multi-brand SUP shops are welcome to apply if they go Hydrus-exclusive on the demo center side. Signing on with another brand cancels the partnership. The rule keeps the program coherent: customers expect a Hydrus demo center to recommend Hydrus.
Yes, with caveats. Demo centers can sell new inventory directly to customers who want to buy on the spot. Or route the customer to Hydrus.com using the demo center's code or link. Both work. The wholesale tier exists to support the demo center as a business: fleet purchases, replacement gear, and the occasional walk-in sale.
Routing retail customer orders through the wholesale account to backdoor a discount cancels the partnership. There is some trust involved here, and Hydrus picks partners it can trust.
No. Hydrus does not run a generic paddleboard dealer or retailer program. The Demo Center Partnership Program is the only partnership path. The program requires on-the-water professional service, a three-board minimum starting fleet, and an annual fleet minimum to stay active. Retail-only stores are not eligible.
Hydrus runs direct-to-consumer with on-water demo center partners as the only authorized non-DTC channel.
Apply through UpPromote or text founder Jason Zawadzki at (208) 408-1997 with a quick note about your business, water, and on-water service offerings.
Hydrus reviews every demo center application personally, typically with a phone or text conversation before approval. The program is small on purpose, and partner fit matters more than application volume.
Sound like a fit?
Apply through UpPromote, or skip the form and text Jason directly. Either way, the next step is a phone or text conversation about your business, your water, and your fit.
Or email crew@hydrusboardtech.com with a longer note about your business.
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