Published July 5, 2026
This week at Lotz Outdoors we added 2 new brands to the catalog between June 29 and July 5: AIRHEAD (watersports life vests, tow ropes, towables, watermats, and hull protection) and Turning Point Propellers (aluminum and stainless steel boat propellers). Together they bring 29 new products into the store, filling two very different but complementary corners of our on-the-water assortment.
AIRHEAD (Airhead Sports Group) covers the family watersports slice, from Coast Guard approved Yukon PFDs to inflatable Airhead Watermat decks, tube tow ropes, kill switch keys, and Hull Hugr fenders. Turning Point Propellers covers the harder engineering end of boat outfitting, adding a mid-market propeller line with vertically integrated aluminum and stainless foundries and a patented Dual Geometry blade design. Scan the summary table just below for the quick facts, or jump straight into the AIRHEAD and Turning Point Propellers profiles for the full write-ups.
This Week's New Brands at a Glance
| Brand | Product Category | Headquarters | Best Known For | Collection Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIRHEAD | Life vests (PFDs) | Denver, Colorado | Family-friendly PFDs and watersports towables at boat-dealer price points | Watersports Life Vests |
| Turning Point Propellers | Boat propellers (aluminum and stainless steel) | Jacksonville, Florida | Value stainless steel propellers with patented Dual Geometry blade design | Boat Outfitting Propellers |
AIRHEAD
Colorado-based watersports company covering PFDs, towable tubes, tow ropes, inflatable watermats, and boat outfitting under the Airhead, Yukon, Hull Hugr, and Sportsstuff labels.
Brand Overview
Founded: 1991 · HQ: Denver, Colorado · Founder: Founded in 1991 as Kwik Tek; operated as Airhead Sports Group after brand consolidation
Product Categories and Related Collections
The AIRHEAD assortment at Lotz Outdoors reflects the brand's family-watersports focus. The core of the addition is Coast Guard approved life vests under the Yukon label, including the Base Paddle/Angler vest in blue and the Sportsman camo vest, plus a heavier flagship item in the Airhead Watermat inflatable deck for lakeside lounging. Support items round out the line: multi-rider tube tow ropes, kill switch key replacements for outboard motors, coil dock lines, and Hull Hugr flat fenders. At Lotz Outdoors the new AIRHEAD assortment slots into our paddlesports collection, watersports life vests collection, watersports towables collection, towable ropes collection, inflatable docks and mats collection, and the boat outfitting hull protection collection.
Featured Products at Lotz Outdoors
BEST SELLER
Yukon Base Paddle/Angler Vest Blue
|
STAFF PICK
Airhead Watermat Air Inflatable Dec
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BEST VALUE
Wrap It Up! Assorted Colors 3PK
|
MOST UNIQUE
Tube Tow Rope 2 Rider
|
Why We Added This Brand
We added AIRHEAD because our paddle and boat customers have been asking for a single-source label for the everyday water essentials, and Airhead's family-branded lineup covers most of those bases at boat-dealer price points. The Yukon PFD line matches the sizing and Coast Guard approvals that recreational paddlers and casual boaters need without pushing into the specialty rescue market. The Airhead Watermat and Sportsstuff towable series give us multi-rider on-the-water lounging and towing options that complement our existing paddle boards and kayaks. The Hull Hugr fenders, kill switch key kits, and dock line accessories filled small but consistent gaps our team kept hearing about from boat owners in the marina community. AIRHEAD's multi-label umbrella means a customer buying a kids' life vest, a family towable, and a set of dock fenders can now check out with one brand on one order, which keeps our paddlesports and boat outfitting merchandising cleaner and easier to shop.
What Stood Out To Us
What stood out about AIRHEAD is the breadth of the multi-brand umbrella and the pragmatic price ladder inside it. The company operates seven distinct labels (Airhead, Sportsstuff, Yukon, Yukon Charlie's, Hull Hugr, Dry Pak, and Jet Logic) that each target a different job on the water, but all sit under one warranty and one distribution network. The Coast Guard approvals across the Yukon PFDs are the same approvals used by more premium safety brands, at 40 to 60 percent lower retail prices. The Airhead Watermat inflatable deck (a 6 foot by 10 foot lounging platform) is a category we have not carried before and turned out to be one of the more requested items last season from our lake customers. (Sources: Airhead Sports Group about page and label overview Aqua-Leisure Recreation portfolio summary)
Best For
Recreational paddlers and casual boaters buying their family's next round of PFDs, lake and river households that want an inflatable lounging deck for weekend use, boat owners restocking tube tow ropes, kill switch key spares, and dock fenders in one place, and outfitters and rental fleets needing Coast Guard approved sizing across adults and youth at fleet-friendly price points.
How It Fits Our Catalog
AIRHEAD slots into Lotz Outdoors as a family-watersports anchor across paddle sports, life vests, towables, and boat outfitting. The Yukon PFDs pair naturally with our existing kayak and paddle board inventory, and the Watermat and towable ropes extend our on-the-water lounging category into a lineup our customers have been asking for. The Hull Hugr, kill switch, and coil dock line items fold into our boat outfitting collection, giving marina customers a one-brand answer for the small-format outfitting parts that used to require three separate orders.
Brand FAQ
Customers frequently ask the following questions about AIRHEAD.
Are AIRHEAD and Yukon life vests Coast Guard approved?
Yes. The Yukon Base Paddle/Angler and Sportsman life vests carried at Lotz Outdoors are US Coast Guard approved Type III PFDs. Each product page lists the specific USCG approval number and sizing chart.
Who owns AIRHEAD (Airhead Sports Group)?
Airhead Sports Group is owned by Blackford Capital as part of Aqua-Leisure Recreation, following Blackford's 2019 combination of the two portfolio companies. The Airhead brand operates from Denver, Colorado.
What labels roll up under the AIRHEAD parent?
Airhead Sports Group markets under seven labels: Airhead (towables and watermats), Sportsstuff (towables), Yukon and Yukon Charlie's (PFDs and paddling), Hull Hugr (fenders), Dry Pak (waterproof cases), and Jet Logic (marine accessories).
Turning Point Propellers
Jacksonville, Florida propeller manufacturer with vertically integrated aluminum and stainless foundries, offering the Hustler, Express Mach3, Express Mach4, and Aegis product lines.
Brand Overview
Founded: 1997 · HQ: Jacksonville, Florida · Founder: Founded in 1997 in Elk Grove Village, Illinois; relocated to Jacksonville, Florida in later expansion
Product Categories and Related Collections
The Turning Point assortment at Lotz Outdoors is focused, and it should be: propellers are a size-and-fit product. The new addition brings both the Hustler aluminum line (three-blade, entry to mid tier, common pitch ranges from 10.375 by 11 through 12.5 by 13) and the Express Mach3 and Express Mach4 stainless steel lines (three-blade and four-blade, pitches from 13 by 19 up through 15.6 by 25). At Lotz Outdoors the new Turning Point assortment lands entirely in our boat outfitting propellers collection, where it complements our existing aluminum and stainless prop options with a mid-market brand that is well regarded for value stainless and unusual pitch coverage on the Mach4 four-blade line.
Featured Products at Lotz Outdoors
BEST SELLER
10.375X11 Hustler 3B RH AL Prop
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STAFF PICK
15.6X15 Express Mach3 OS 3B LH SS Prop
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BEST VALUE
10.5X11 Hustler 3B RH AL Prop
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MOST UNIQUE
14X9 Express Mach4 4B RH SS Prop
|
Why We Added This Brand
We added Turning Point Propellers because our boat outfitting customers have been asking for a mid-market stainless steel prop option that sits between the aluminum OEM replacements and the flagship stainless brands where a single prop can push past $700. Turning Point sits right in that mid-tier band, with the Express Mach3 stainless series at roughly $450 to $600 and the Hustler aluminum series at under $110. The four-blade Express Mach4 line covers pitch and diameter combinations (notably the 14 by 9) that most competitors skip, and those unusual configurations are precisely where our customers with smaller horsepower outboards and modified hulls tend to get stuck. The vertical integration (Turning Point owns its own aluminum and stainless foundries) is unusual for a mid-market brand, and it translates into more consistent quality control and a wider available pitch matrix than most competing lineups. Adding Turning Point deepens our propeller category with 19 new SKUs across both aluminum and stainless without pushing customers into the flagship price tier.
What Stood Out To Us
What stood out about Turning Point is the combination of vertical integration and a patented Dual Geometry blade profile. Owning both an aluminum and a stainless foundry (rare at any price point below the flagship tier) gives the brand direct control over the casting quality that drives balance and long-term durability. The Dual Geometry blade design varies pitch and camber across the blade radius rather than treating the prop as a single uniform pitch, which is engineered to improve holeshot and top-end together rather than trading one for the other. Turning Point also claims several industry firsts on its published timeline, including the interchangeable rubber hub system (1996), the first lifetime warranty on a hub kit (2009), and the Aegis safer prop design (2014). (Sources: Turning Point Dual Geometry and manufacturing overview PartsVu propeller physics explainer with Turning Point)
Best For
Boat owners upgrading from an OEM aluminum propeller to a stainless steel prop without paying flagship money, smaller horsepower outboards and modified hulls that need a four-blade option in unusual pitch and diameter combinations (the Mach4 14 by 9 is the standout example), boaters replacing a lost or damaged Hustler or Express prop with a factory-warrantied direct swap, and anglers who want a lifetime-warrantied hub kit under the MasterGuard system.
How It Fits Our Catalog
Turning Point Propellers slots into Lotz Outdoors as the mid-market anchor of our boat outfitting propeller category. The Hustler aluminum series gives us a strong sub-$110 aluminum tier suited to replacement and second-boat use, and the Express Mach3 and Mach4 stainless lines cover the $450 to $600 stainless step-up that our marina customers have been asking about. The 19-SKU addition pairs cleanly with our existing outboard parts and hull-protection inventory (including the new AIRHEAD Hull Hugr fenders in this same week's arrivals) so customers restocking a boat can now assemble a full outfitting kit in a single order.
Brand FAQ
Customers frequently ask the following questions about Turning Point Propellers.
Are Turning Point propellers made in the USA?
Turning Point Propellers is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and the company designs and engineers its products in the US. Casting is performed at Turning Point's own aluminum and stainless steel foundries in Malaysia and Taiwan, which the company owns directly rather than outsourcing to third-party foundries.
What is Dual Geometry?
Dual Geometry is Turning Point's patented blade design that varies pitch and camber across the blade radius rather than treating the propeller as a single uniform pitch. The design is intended to improve both holeshot acceleration and top-end speed simultaneously, rather than tuning for one at the expense of the other.
Do Turning Point propellers include a hub kit?
Most Turning Point propellers use the MasterGuard interchangeable hub kit system. Hub kits are sold separately and are matched to the specific outboard family (Yamaha, Mercury, Suzuki, Honda, and others). Check the fitment section on each product page to confirm the correct MasterGuard kit for your engine.
Staff Picks from This Week's New Brands
Two brands this week means we mix picks across both. Each call-out is a piece our buying team actually put hands on while evaluating the lines.
- Best Value: Wrap It Up! Assorted Colors 3PK at $18.72. AIRHEAD's Wrap It Up coil dock line 3 pack is the kind of small-format restock item every boater keeps meaning to buy, and it lands under $20 for three assorted colors. Useful on a paddle board, a jon boat, or a marina slip.
- Most Innovative: 15.6X15 Express Mach3 OS 3B LH SS Prop at $587.76. Turning Point's 15.6 by 15 Express Mach3 OS stainless prop is the clearest example of the brand's patented Dual Geometry design in a common performance pitch, and the OS oversize hub option is what makes it a direct swap for the most popular Yamaha, Mercury, and Suzuki outboards on our marina customers' rigs.
- Most Unique: Airhead Watermat Air Inflatable Dec at $418.76. The AIRHEAD Watermat inflatable deck is a category we have not carried before. It is a 6 by 10 foot inflatable lounging platform designed for multiple riders, and it turned out to be one of the more requested items last season from our lake customers.
- Editor's Pick: Yukon Base Paddle/Angler Vest Blue at $59.99. The Yukon Base Paddle/Angler PFD in blue is the every-family life vest of the AIRHEAD lineup, Coast Guard approved Type III, sized for paddlers, and priced under $60. Our buying team kept coming back to this as the vest they would recommend to a friend buying their first kayak.
This Week in New Brands at Lotz Outdoors
The week of June 29 to July 5 added two new brands to Lotz Outdoors, both anchored in on-the-water gear. AIRHEAD brought 10 new SKUs across Coast Guard approved Yukon PFDs, tube tow ropes, an inflatable Airhead Watermat lounging deck, Hull Hugr fenders, coil dock lines, and outboard kill switch key kits. Turning Point Propellers added 19 new SKUs across Hustler aluminum and Express Mach3 and Mach4 stainless steel props, landing in our boat outfitting propellers collection.
Together the two brands round out the family watersports and boat outfitting corners of the catalog. AIRHEAD strengthens the paddlesports collection, the life vests line, and the towables assortment. Turning Point deepens the boat outfitting propellers collection with a mid-market stainless steel option that sits between the aluminum OEM tier and the flagship stainless brands. To see what we added in prior weeks, browse the full New Brands blog series. We publish a new roundup every Sunday.
