Jo Moseley's Guide to Paddleboarding

Friend of FINDRA and Paddleboarding Enthusiast, Jo Moseley has just released her second book on the subject, Stand Up Paddleboarding in the Lake District - Beautiful Places to Paddleboard in Cumbria. 

Jo has been an avid supporter of FINDRA for many years, and we have been delighted to be part of her recent Instagram journey of a handstand a day until she's 60! 

She has already written several blogs for us, on various aspects of her outdoor adventures, including the launch of her adventure Film, "Brave Enough - A Journey Home to Joy", featuring her 11-day coast-to-coast paddleboard journey on the UK's network of canals.  

Whether you are an avid paddleboarder or considering starting out, Jo's body of work is worth taking a look at, for practical, fun advice which includes important details such as where to stop for coffee and cake after a trip out on the water!  

Here is an excerpt from the blog, written for the publishers of her book Vertebrate Publishing, and to read the full blog, follow the link at the bottom.  

Jo Moseley's Guide to Paddleboarding

"Hello! My name is Jo Moseley and I am the author of two bestselling books about beautiful places to paddleboard with Vertebrate Publishing. I am also the host of The Joy of SUP – The Paddleboarding Sunshine Podcast and have a regular column called Paddleboarding for Good and write kit reviews for SUP Mag UK.

I’d like to share with you what I wear and carry on my board as a recreational paddler. This might be for a few miles on my local canal or sunrise SUP on the sea as I described in my first book Stand Up Paddleboarding in Great Britain –Beautiful Places to Paddleboard in England, Scotland and Wales. Alternatively, it’s what I wear for a chilled afternoon paddle on Buttermere or longer endurance adventures on Ullswater or Windermere, which feature in my second book Stand Up Paddleboarding in the Lake District – Beautiful Places to Paddleboard in Cumbria.

For white-water SUP, SUP surfing or SUP racing, I recommend you seek specific advice from a qualified instructor in each discipline. Likewise, I am not covering multi-day expeditions where you take all your cooking and camping kit, although these can be great fun and I would certainly them add to your bucket list!"

Safety:

As a paddleboarder, the most important element is safety – your own, the people you paddle with and anyone who might need to come to your aid if things go wrong.

My top tip before buying your board or any piece of kit is to have a lesson with a qualified SUP instructor. This will save you time, money and give you the best start in your paddleboarding journey. They might recommend the best board to buy for your needs or recommend a local SUP community so you have new friends to explore with. Paddle UK (one of SUP’s governing bodies and formerly British Canoeing) has a directory of delivery partners. Paddling Centres | Find paddling centres near you | Canoe | Kayak | SUP (gopaddling.info)

Permits and Licences:

Before you launch, check if you need a permit to paddle on the body of water. For most inland waterways such as canals and rivers in England and Wales, you will need a Waterways Licence which you can buy from Paddle UK directly and store on your phone. For some harbours you will also need a license or permit, e.g. Salcombe and Fowey. Permits are also required for some Lakes in the Lake District, e.g. Bassenthwaite, Buttermere, Crummock and Loweswater. Waterways Licence | Rivers Licence | Paddleboard | Kayak (paddleuk.org.uk)

Safety Kit:

Using the right safety kit is also key:

Leash: Your leash attaches you to your board and will keep it close by should you fall in, acting as a buoyancy aid and allowing you to get back on as swiftly as possible. Flatwater recreational paddlers wear a coiled leash worn around the ankle, calf or waist. Go to Paddle UK to find out more about the right one for the type of paddling you are undertaking: Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) Safety - Choosing the Right Leash | Paddle UK

Personally I wear a Palm Equipment Quick SUP Leash Quick SUP leash | Palm Equipment or the Red Paddle Co Quick Release SUP Leash Belt with my Red Paddle Co coiled leash Red Paddle Co Quick Release SUP Leash Waist Belt (red-equipment.co.uk)

Buoyancy Aid or Personal Floatation Device: However good a swimmer you are it is important to wear a good buoyancy aid (BA) or personal floatation device (PFD). There are three main styles: a) a waistcoat style fastened with a zip at the front; b) a vest type which is pulled over the head (I prefer these styles as they offer extra warmth and have easily accessible pockets for your phone, map, specs or snacks. I also attach a pealess whistle* if I need to attract attention. When you stop paddling you can cool down quite rapidly so I keep my buoyancy aid on as I’m deflating and packing things away to keep warm.) or c) a waist belt PFD, a smaller pack which fastens around your waist. By pulling a toggle it inflates an internal bladder using a gas cylinder. Some paddlers prefer these for greater ease of movement and compact size.

*Whistle Fox 40 Micro whistle | Palm Equipment

I wear the Palm Equipment Tika (specially designed for a woman’s shape), Riff and Peyto. Touring PFDs (palm.equipment) Palm have the Palm Glide waist PFD and Red Paddle Co the Red Airbelt for those that want the waist belt style.

Means of communication, e.g. a fully charged mobile phone, in a waterproof phone case. This is essential in case of an emergency, to keep in touch with family/friends, should you be delayed or to tell them you are safely off the water. Keep it in a waterproof case on you, not on the board for access. Red Paddle Co Waterproof Phone Case (red-equipment.co.uk)"

For more information on clothing, and what to take on your paddleboard, read the full blog here

https://www.adventurebooks.com/blogs/blog/jo-moseleys-guide-to-paddleboarding-kit

She recommends a full clothing kit list including her favourite FINDRA pieces,

"I wouldn’t normally recommend wool for SUP as it gets so heavy when wet but for a calm paddle, merino wool is a great option under my cagoule and trousers. Merino keeps you warm but is moisture wicking so you don’t get sweaty and sticky. I like FINDRA’s Merino and have worn it for nine years Fern Merino Leggings – FINDRA Clothing and Fern Textured Merino Base Layer – FINDRA Clothing."

Sunday Inspiration 

 Book of the Week

Stand-up Paddleboarding in the Lake District by Jo Moseley is the essential guide for anyone interested in discovering and enjoying this popular sport at its leading UK location – the stunning Lake District National Park. If you are looking for locations outside of the Lake District, we would recommend her previous book Stand-Up Paddleboarding in Great Britain which is available at FINDRA. 

Recipe of the Week

Song of the Week 

Try by Dolly Parton