Kayak Instructors on Square pay $29/month — $348/year. Over three years, that's $1,168. Nexa is $279 once. Break-even runs about 9.6 months. The median kayak instructor earns $40,000/year, so Square's annual cost is roughly 0.9% of typical revenue — every year, forever.
That's $1,168 gone. And you don't own anything. Stop paying, lose access.
You're not the only one who's had enough.
Kayak Instructors face unique challenges: A perfect-forecast morning flips to small-craft advisory winds and you have to scramble to reschedule eight people who already drove to the put-in. Liability waivers get signed on damp paper at the launch and half are illegible by the time you file them. Walk-up paddlers show up without knowing they needed to reserve a boat, and your fleet is already fully booked. Tracking which students have actually demonstrated a wet exit before you let them into open water. On top of all that, Square charges $29/month ($348/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median kayak instructor earns $40,000/year. Software at $348/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.
Your Fleet of sit-on-top and touring kayaks with adjustable foot pegs is yours. You bought it once. Nexa works the same way — $279 once for invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, and full accounting. All connected. All offline-capable. You own it like you own your tools.
Square is just one piece. What else are you losing money on?
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Your exact Square cost, full stack total, and what switching saves. 10 seconds.
| Feature | Square | Nexa |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scheduling | ✗ | ✓ |
| CRM | ✗ | ✓ |
| Time Tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Full Accounting | ✗ | ✓ (SIMPL) |
| Task Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Price | $29/mo forever | $279 once or 3 × $99 |
| 3-Year Cost | $1,168 | $279 |
| Stop paying? | Lose everything | Keep everything forever |
Most kayak instructors are fully switched before the weekend.
Go to Square Dashboard → Customers → Export. Also export transactions and item library.
15-minute setup. Import your customer list and service/product catalog.
Run both for 1-2 weeks. Test invoicing and booking through Nexa.
Cancel paid subscriptions. Keep free account for records access.
You're at the boat ramp before the wind picks up, dragging hulls off the trailer and lining up PFDs by size on the grass. The 9 a.m. intro group trickles in, and you run the land drill first: how to hold the paddle, what a wet exit feels like, why the spray skirt grab-loop matters. Half of them are nervous about flipping, so you spend real time on that before anyone touches the water. On the beach you check every buckle, adjust foot pegs, and have each person practice an edge before you let them paddle out past the no-wake zone. Mid-morning a gust kicks up chop and one student capsizes; you're alongside in seconds with a paddle-float reentry, calm voice, no drama. Back on shore you towel off, swap the wet group's gear for the noon class, and eat a sandwich while answering a text from someone asking if they can bring their seven-year-old. The afternoon is a private touring lesson, smoother water, working on forward-stroke efficiency and a low brace. By the time the last boat is rinsed, hung, and the PFDs are drying on the rack, the light is going gold on the water and your shoulders know it.
Real kayak instructors near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a kayak instructor? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every kayak instructor on Nexa →
For solo operators and small teams (1-5), yes. Nexa includes invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting. Square may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.
It's $7.75/month over 3 years. Square is $29/month — that's $1,168 over 3 years. Which is more? And if you'd rather split it, Nexa is also available as 3 payments of $99.
Yes. Nexa is $279 as a one-time payment, or 3 payments of $99 ($297 total). Either way it's a one-time purchase — no subscription, no recurring fees ever.
30-day money-back guarantee. Full refund. If Nexa doesn't save you $500 in year one, you get every penny back.
Export your data from Square as CSV, import into Nexa in about 5 minutes.
The average solo operator there spends about $2,100/year on software — and kayak instructor face their own version of that math. No state income tax in Nevada. Modified Business Tax applies to employers but not sole proprietors with no employees. Nevada State Contractors Board license required. Clark County requires a business license. Gaming-adjacent businesses have additional requirements.
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Las Vegas metro. Your situation will vary.
Specific gaps Kayak Instructors run into with Square, and what Nexa does instead.
$1,168 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.
Get Nexa — $279 Once