en.Wedoany.com Reported - Since the start of summer, water sports such as paddleboarding and surfing have continued to heat up, driving the related equipment industry into a peak production and sales season. Weihai in Shandong has seen a surge in orders for water sports equipment manufacturing, fueled by the "paddleboarding craze." Leveraging its complete industrial chain advantages, local companies are accelerating their transition from traditional OEM production to building independent brands, achieving an upgrade in the industrial value chain.
During the summer vacation, colorful paddleboards dot the sea surface on Weihai's major beaches. Multiple clubs organize training sessions for teenagers, with children paddling and riding the waves under the guidance of coaches, experiencing the joy of water sports. Many clubs' summer camp slots were fully booked as early as the end of June, with daily participants and trainees exceeding one hundred.
Behind the bustling activity on the sea, Weihai's water equipment manufacturing industry is also operating at high speed. In the production workshop of a sports goods company, workers are rushing to produce inflatable paddleboards destined for European and American markets. In the first half of this year, the company shipped over 90,000 units, a 1.5-fold increase year-on-year.
Wang Yongfeng, General Manager of Hetong (Weihai) Sports Goods Co., Ltd., explained that the company entered the industry by doing OEM for others. "After accumulating experience, we started developing our own customers and building our own brand."
Starting with OEM to gain experience and then shifting to independent brands is the development path for many water sports equipment companies in Weihai. The core confidence comes from Weihai's mature local industrial supporting facilities. Within a radius of dozens of kilometers, companies can source all production factors, and new products can go from drawings to samples in just a few days. Wang Yongfeng noted that they have 40 to 50 long-term partner suppliers. "Whatever components we need, or when developing new products, the supply chain can support us quickly."
The growth momentum in the end market is also rapidly transmitted to the upstream component sector. A company originally focused on automotive parts has also pivoted to the water sports track, starting to produce core components such as carbon fiber paddles and hydrofoils for paddleboard companies. As the local industrial cluster gains overall momentum, the company's production capacity has achieved leapfrog growth.
Liu Zhiqing, Deputy General Manager of Weihai Heliyuan Carbon Fiber Technology Co., Ltd., stated that their production capacity in 2026 has increased by 3 to 4 times. "Currently, water sports-related equipment accounts for 55% to 60% of all carbon fiber sales."
Currently, Weihai has formed a complete industrial ecosystem covering raw material research and development, mold design, final assembly manufacturing, and cross-border sales. In the first five months of this year, the city's water sports product exports reached 950 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 20.4%. Among them, paddleboards and surfboards accounted for over 70% of exports, with a growth rate of 38.6%.
