These days there seems to be an app for everything from listening to music to buttering your sliced bread… just kidding, this doesn’t exist, but how cool would it be if it did?! So, naturally, paddle boarding is no exception to this.
Why do I need to use a SUP app?
There’s a SUP app for just about everything you can think of and all of these are put into place to make your life that little bit easier, whilst you’re out on the water. From tracking your fitness by recording paddling distance and your calorie burn to creating logbooks of your favourite adventures to apps giving you the best advice on your SUP technique. Others can help find unique routes to explore, safe places to launch, and even locate the closest restaurant for a full Saltie day out. There really is an app for everything.
For this blog post we have narrowed down the best apps for paddleboarding which will not only make your life a lot easier out on the water but will also keep you safer and record your memories whilst you’re at it. How awesome is that?! Have a read below of our top useful paddling apps.
1. Paddle Logger
First up on the list of best apps for SUP is possibly the most popular SUP app; Paddle Logger. An awesome app, developed by David Walker, that allows you to record your SUP journey, recording the time you take to paddle from one point to another. A bit like Strava, but for paddleboarding. Another great aspect of this popular app is the ‘paddle live’ element to it. Offering live tracking with automatic updates of your location if you get into any difficulty. Something which we think every paddle boarder should be used for that extra protection!
Every trip that you record on Paddle Logger comes with a detailed logbook. It has a notes section, a photo gallery, and a map. You can access this logbook whenever you want to check and compare your performance because a little healthy competition never hurt anyone…
Price: Free
Currently only available for IOS users
(Photo via Paddle Logger website)
,2. Windy
One of our favourite apps, Windy is the app for checking the wind direction and speed. Trusted by storm chasers, pilots, governments, and pretty much everyone else, this app boasts of being a professional wind app. Making it ideal for a quick check before heading out on your Saltie adventure. Even better, Windy doesn’t show you ads unlike other wind apps and is free. So you’ve really got nothing to lose by downloading it (except for maybe a bit of storage space)
Price: Free
,3. Go Paddling
A really awesome all-rounder app for planning your paddleboarding trip. Loaded with over 25,000 paddling locations for kayaking, canoeing, and stand-up paddling, making this app the one you need if you’re new to paddleboarding or just looking for a new location.
Paddlers can also share their experiences by leaving comments to let you know what the location is like and if it’s any good.
They can also add new locations and update existing ones. Meaning you’ll never run out of new places to explore!
Price: Free
,4. My Tide Times
Another great app for planning your SUP trip. My tide times does exactly what it says on the tin; lets you know the tide times. This is essential to planning a safe paddle boarding trip out on the sea. It is always best to make sure you’re paddling out with the tide (between high tide to low tide), and arriving back with the tide (between low tide to high tide). It’s always good to check the tidal ranges as well. An essential for ensuring you’re well prepared for paddling out on the sea. Also, don’t forget the tides change with the moon, so the tide timetable is always changing. So, be sure you’ve checked them before you head out, as they’re unlikely to be the same as the last time you went!
Price: Free
5. RiverApp
If you’re a fan of river paddle boarding then this app is pretty much essential for you—the most widely used app to monitor river conditions across Europe and North America. When water levels are too high, rivers can become a real-life hazard. RiverApp was created to help you easily monitor river conditions before you leave your house, ensuring you opt for a safe paddle boarding or kayaking trip.
The app checks river levels, flows and temperatures as well as letting you save your favourite spots for next time, posts hazards you may come across ready for the next user as well as adds custom level alarms.
Price: Free
(Photo via RiverApp website)
6. Paddling Magazine
This app is ideal for keeping up with the latest paddle-boarding news. It features top paddle boarding stories, advice on what equipment to take with you, reviews of people’s trips, and different skills (even including recipes they recommend for your next overnight SUP trip!) It’s a really great all-rounder app, perfect for the paddleboard obsessed.
Price: Free
Above are our top paddle-boarding apps, however, there are hundreds to choose between all of which offer you something different. We have also chosen to include all free apps – because who doesn’t love a free one!? But, if you have a larger budget then you’ll also be able to find some really awesome paid ones which offer you more in-depth tips and location advice.
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