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.
The tragic paddleboarding incident in October 2021 on the Western Cleddau river in Haverfordwest reminds us all of the risks this highly popular sport can present. This article collates much of the advice already included in other WSA guidance that relates specifically to the lessons we can extract from the MAIB report into this incident.
