ave Club Water Sports is a family-run rental business located near the scenic Silver Lake Sand Dunes in Mears, Michigan. Nestled along a stretch of freshwater shoreline, the business has been passed down through generations, growing over the years while staying true to its roots. Today, it’s led by Ted and Gina Ferwerda, who are guiding the business into the future with the help of tools like BookingCentral.
Q: How did Wave Club Water Sports get started?
Ted: Our family has been in the hospitality business for a long time. My dad started a resort here in Michigan back in the 60s, and as time went on, we branched out into water sports rentals. In the late 80s and early 90s, we added Jet Skis, pontoon boats, sailboats, and parasailing. It all grew gradually. Over time, we found our rhythm, and now the next generation is getting involved, too.
Q: What was it like running rentals in the early days?
Ted: It was just me and my wife Gina handling things back then. We didn’t have much in the way of technology—just a phone, some pens, and a reservation book. As things changed and more people started searching online for vacation activities, we knew we had to make some updates. We eventually got a website up, but it stayed pretty basic for a long time.
Q: Did you use spreadsheets to track bookings?
Ted: Nope. It was all handwritten. We’d take calls, then jot down names and phone numbers on paper. That worked for a while, but there were definitely some challenges—especially when it came to keeping information accurate or handling last-minute changes.
Q: What were some of the biggest issues with the old system?
Ted: One big challenge was training seasonal staff. Since we’re only open part of the year, it can be tough to get everyone up to speed quickly. And if someone wrote down the phone number incorrectly or misspelled a name, that could cause problems when customers arrived.
Q: How did you find BookingCentral?
Ted: We did a lot of research—reading reviews, trying to find something that would actually work for us. Some had high fees, like FareHarbor with 6%, which we didn’t like. We started calling other businesses to see what they used, and they were genuinely enthusiastic about BookingCentral. When I reached out, their team was great. Super responsive, easy to talk to, and the system just made sense for what we needed.
Q: What changed after you started using BookingCentral?
Ted: For one, it’s really easy to customize. We can update boat descriptions, upload photos, and manage availability without a lot of hassle. And now, people can book with us all year long, instead of waiting until the season starts. It’s made planning way easier.
Q: What’s your favorite feature so far?
Ted: The text messaging feature is a big help. It lets us communicate with customers on the day of their rental. If the weather’s great, I can shoot them a message to come a little early and get on the water before things get too busy. It helps space out arrivals and keeps everything running smoothly.
The text messaging feature is a big help... It helps space out arrivals and keeps everything running smoothly.
Q: Any advice for folks just starting in water sports rentals?
Ted: Keep it simple at the beginning. Don’t feel like you need the biggest or newest equipment right away. Start with what you can manage, learn the ropes, and let things grow at a pace you’re comfortable with. Trying to expand too fast can be risky if you’re not ready.
Q: What’s next for Wave Club and BookingCentral?
Ted: We’re looking to add more convenience for our guests—things like optional gear rentals or package upgrades they can select while booking online. That way, they’re all set before they even arrive. We’re also planning to add a few more rental units, but parking is tight, so we’re figuring out the logistics.
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