OCEAN CITY — DAKS Kayaks, which specializes in rentals with on-the-spot delivery and nature tours, is now under new ownership.
Originally owned by Dave and Alene Hartman, former employees Shane and Elizabeth Dooner are now at the helm of the business, which has been a staple of the Ocean City community since its opening in 2012.
The Hartmans, with help from their two children Allison and Caroline, ran the business successfully for more than a decade from a shop on the corner of Asbury Avenue and 11th Street.
The retail space will be shutting its doors and for a time the business will offer only rentals and tours. However, the shop’s sale does not mark the end of DAKS Kayaks but rather a new beginning as the married couple take over.
The Dooner duo has had its paddles in the business for some time. Shane, an avid surfer and water sports enthusiast, began working at DAKS in 2016 and it was there that he met his future wife, Elizabeth, an Egg Harbor Township native who was a tour guide at the time.
“She had just come back from Costa Rica to work for the summer and somehow I convinced her to stay, and well the rest is history.” Shane said.
It was that shared passion and experiences that would lead them to marry and just recently welcome their first child, Niall, to the family. The couple has worked on and off during the summer seasons and became close friends with the Hartmans over the years.
When they heard about the plan to sell, they knew they had to do something.
“When they told us they were selling, well we just couldn’t stand to see this place go,” Shane said.
Their story is a special one of not only a husband and wife but former employees taking over a business that they not only love but actually brought them together.
The Dooners plan to continue its mission of increasing access to water sports. They offer all of the various tools and knowledge to help people, amateurs and professionals alike, venture out into the waters of the ocean and bay.
They rent kayaks, canoes and standup paddleboards, which they deliver along with a cart to homes or right to the beach or bay. They also offer nature tours to allow participants to view the rich marine life of Great Egg Harbor Bay, as well as lessons for paddleboarding and kayaking.
“We go out and there’s a lot of interesting birds, animals and history out in the bay. We give our customers a good taste of that. Some of the waterways were even used by privateers and smugglers during the Prohibition Era,” Shane said.
While the Asbury Avenue store and retail aspect will no longer be in operation, DAKS’s presence in Ocean City is still felt and usually seen thanks to the giant trailer they drive to make deliveries. He called it “the best type of billboard,” as he is advertising as he makes deliveries and pick ups.
“The rentals are wherever you want to go. If it’s at the beach, the bay or any spot, we’ll drop it off for a few hours or a few days. It’s to-your-door delivery,” Shane said.
They said they hope to keep the legacy that the Hartmans started survive and thrive.
They talked about the benefits of water sports and the fun and exciting experiences that it brings.
“It’s a good thing to try if anyone is scared or hesitant of the water. It’s a very peaceful experience,” Shane said. “It’s very easy, it’s safe, it’s fun. It’s a new experience and we hope a lot of people want to try it.”
DAKS Kayaks can be reached at dakskayaks.com and (609) 464-1347.
– By EDDIE D’AMICO/For the Sentinel