Paddlesports can have wonderful benefits on our wellbeing. From busting bad moods to helping improve more serious issues such as depression and anxiety, paddling is great for your mental health.
The first Covid lockdown saw unprecedented sales of paddleboards as the uptake and demand to try this fast growing sport hit an all time high. Retailers such as Red Paddle Co experienced a 300% rise in SUP sales – and now, as we navigate lockdown 3.0, what’s the next step?
Water Skills Ambassador Stacey Smithson-Grey’s idea for ‘The Lake District 12’ came about after regularly seeing the question on social media groups/forums asking which lakes you can and can’t paddle in the Lake District. Read her diary of her stand up paddleboarding adventure across all 12 of these lakes in 2020.
The water has never been busier with paddlers. As a result of this increased uptake, Water Skills Academy has received a constant number of calls and emails, requesting our advice and opinion on safety equipment and working environments. One of the most popular questions has been about leashes and their use.
This month marks a new milestone for Water Skills Academy, as we have just been awarded full B Corp certification. It has been an interesting and eye-opening journey, but we are proud to be joining the likes of Patagonia, Jamie Oliver Group, Able & Cole, The Body Shop and almost 4,000 companies around the world, each measuring our impact across every facet of the business, and being held to a benchmark that’s a transparent and quantifiable standard.
Are you a passionate paddleboarder looking to turn your hobby into a thriving business? Look no further than our latest blog post, where we interview Caz Dawson (aka ‘SUP Lass’), founder of SUP Lass Paddle Adventures. Caz shares her personal journey in the stand-up paddleboarding industry, including the inspiration behind her successful SUP school and the challenges she faced along the way.
Today is International Nurses Day - a day to celebrate nurses around the world in all specialisms. A day that coincides with the birth of Florence Nightingale. And no better day to find out how our very own Water Skills Academy Trainer and A&E Nurse, Katie Simmons found herself honing her skill set on ward and a board.
If you love the thrill of stand up paddleboarding (SUP), you might want to turn your passion into a career or side hustle by training to become a certified SUP instructor. With a SUP instruction course to suit every level and experience, take the leap into the great outdoors and pass on your wisdom and skill to others. Read on for everything you need to know to become an SUP instructor, including details on the SUP Instructor and SUP Guide Courses on offer at Water Skills Academy.
It was a personal set-back that led to Michelle’s discovery and love for paddleboarding. After sustaining injuries following an accident with a motorcycle on the famous TT course, rehab swimming and a chance encounter with SUP whilst on holiday in 2008. From the moment she stood up, and fell in…she was hooked! So much so that she took to the water as often as possible, pursued extra lessons, sold all her diving kit and invested in a paddleboard. Once Michelle had completed her WSA SUP Instructors Course in 2016, she was up and away with the launch of her paddleboarding business, Saltworks SUP, based on the Isle of Man.
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