Decathlon, the world’s largest sports retailer, have launched a rental service across a range of their products, including stand up paddleboards (SUPs), kayaks and e-bikes, in order to make certain sports more accessible to the many.

Not everyone can afford to buy products like stand up paddleboards or kayaks outright, and many people simply don’t have the space to store them at home, but with the rental service, customers simply ‘pay-per-use’ and enjoy the wonderful benefits of trying exciting new sports, without having to make a significant investment.

The service is unique in that it charges per 24 hours, rather than per hour. This means that a standard SUP or kayak can be hired for a full 48 hours for less than £1 per hour, which is significantly cheaper than other pay-per-hour providers.

For a kayak, the first 24 hours is charged at £30, then the second day is charged at just £15, and any subsequent days are charged at £10 per day. This means that a week-long rental would cost just 56p per hour!

The offering is currently available in London (Surrey Quays), Southampton, Poole and Glasgow (Braehead), but the service will be rolled out to more stores in the future. You can view the products available at each store here: Decathlon Rental Services.

Commenting on the launch, Sharon Poulter, Rental Lead for Decathlon, said: “This is a really exciting development in our work to become a more sustainable business, all the while boosting the accessibility of sports. Our mission is to make sports more accessible to the many, and offering rental services is definitely the most environmentally-friendly way to do so. All of our rental products are refurbished or ‘like new’, creating a genuinely circular economy.

“As part of the service, we will be providing package deals, so that customers can rent everything they need for a weekend full of adventure, including e-bike and SUP or kayak combinations at a reduced price. I look forward to growing this proposition, giving more and more people the opportunity to explore new sports.”