Georgia’s Crescent Kayaks makes a premium product found in many mom-and-pop sporting goods shops.
During the past 10 years, kayaking has become one of the fastest growing water sports in the United States. The kayak and canoe manufacturing business in America has grown into an annual $550 million industry catering to adventurers young and old who explore our nation’s waterways.
Whether it be on a lake, river or the oceans, kayaking provides a unique way to connect with nature while getting a great physical workout from paddling.
People often learn about kayaking after taking a rental vessel out to enjoy a sweltering summer day. Many of these same people go on to make kayaking a major part of their summertime activities, eventually purchasing their own kayaks and paddles.
This emulates the same formula James Derbecker followed to launch Crescent Kayaks, an independent manufacturer of personal water cruisers.
“I first started out doing rental and adventure companies,” said Derbecker from his 30,000-square-foot factory in Carrollton, Ga. “I had a 40-foot trailer, and I would go down to the beach every weekend and just hustle that way. Renting other people’s designs.
“We had a shop fire at the molding facility in 2018, and the entire company burned down so that was a really big challenge. But we rallied, and I decided this was the opportunity to do my own designs. After the fire, I started to design what would become our brand for retail sales.”
Born in Ontario, Derbecker fell in love with outdoor water sports while spending summers navigating the Great Lakes waterways. After moving to Georgia, Derbecker eventually turned his passion into an American-made business.
“From the start we were paddling and American-made focused,” said Derbecker. “We are probably the largest independent kayak brand in North America. After the top four or five, we are like the largest boutique or sole-owner brand.”
Crescent Kayaks are built through the process of roto-molding, a technique Derbecker learned from his father who used the method to build plastic playgrounds. The shell of the kayaks comes from a cast aluminum mold, which is called a tool.
“You have powdered plastic, and you weigh that up and that is called the shot weight, and every boat has a shot weight,” said the 36-year-old Derbecker. “A shot weight is the amount of plastic you are going to put into the boat. It gets weighed and then put into an oven. It heats up and kind of makes a molten ball, and that molten ball starts coating the interior of the tool.
“Through centrifugal force it starts expanding out and coating and then you essentially move all the material coating that creates the outside shape. You then move it to cooling, where it slowly cools in what is called the cycle. You then split the tool in half, and you are left with the negative of that tool, which ends up being your kayak shell.”
The roto-molding process is done at partner factories in South Carolina. The polyethylene shells are then shipped to Cresent headquarters in Carrollton for finishing, which includes assembly of deck fittings or riggings.
“We assemble our frame seating in house. Our seats are done by a custom motorcycle handlebar shop just down the road from us,” Derbecker added. “Our seat covers are hand sewn. The textiles are from Georgia. We use a really killer climbing rope company here in town called Blue Water Ropes.
“We try to source materials as locally as we can. We like to show that some of the most affordable, quality kayaks can still made here in the USA.”
Cresent Kayaks manufactures 11 models of kayaks that include recreational kayaks, fishing kayaks, tandem kayaks and a motor-powered skiff. Its premium rec kayak is available for less than $1,000.
“We use the same materials as brands that sell for $3,000 or $4,000. We use that same material on our $699 kayak,” said Derbecker. “We are American-made and are highly competitive in the quality kayak market.
“Chinese kayaks are just designs that are ripped off from other kayak brands. They are competitive in price, but American brands are far superior. We have always been proud as a top paddling brand that is made in America.”
Derbecker partnered with Drew Gregory, the top kayak bass fishing angler in the country, on a boat that quickly brought results on the Bassmasters fishing circuit. The first year that Bassmasters included a category for kayak fishing, Gregory won the division aboard a Derbecker- and Gregory-designed kayak.
“We try to source materials as locally as we can. We like to show that some of the most affordable, quality kayaks can still made here in the USA.”
Crescent Kayaks employs 20 manufacturing workers at its Carrollton location and helps provide jobs for many others at its roto-molding partners facilities in South Carolina. Its Primo model has become the company’s most popular.
“I made a kayak called a Primo and the whole point of that boat was to show that we could make a better more affordable kayak in America using beautiful parts and American labor and do it better and cheaper than any boat in China,” said Derbecker. “And we did it. We sell thousands of them a year.
“That’s our whole kind of core values and a cool synergy that it is made in America. We really keep in line with the identity of American made. I’ve had big box stores off to take our line but in a perfect world, what we shoot for is to be in the best local paddle shops in every major city.
“There is that synergy of local manufacturing and American-made and we want to support these mom-and-pop lifestyle type of owners and shops.”
From calm lake paddling to challenging whitewater runs, there’s a kayaking experience to suit different skill levels and preferences. So, get out on the water and give it a try this summer.
Crescent Kayaks are available at dealers in the Southeast, Northeast and Midwest. While they don’t sell online, several of their dealers offer direct-to-consumer purchases. And if you are far away from a Crescent Kayak dealer, they may ship a kayak to you directly.
To view the Crescent Kayak models and find a dealer visit the company website at www.crescentkayaks.com.