8 Paddleboarding New Year’s Resolutions You’ll Actually Keep
Struggling to set your goals for the year ahead? Channel your enthusiasm for paddleboarding with these SUP-themed New Year’s Resolutions you’ll actually keep.
Written by Luke Green /
It will come as no surprise to learn that we’re big advocates of paddleboarding all year round. There’s absolutely no reason why you can’t paddleboard in every season; in fact, some of the best experiences you’ll have with your inflatable paddleboard might take place outside of the summer months. However, success and safety on the water does depend heavily on understanding the weather.
Beyond sunny skies and rainfall, you must account for wind strength, tides, and water conditions at all times of the year. Strong gusts, shifting tides, and rapid currents can all quickly become challenging, not only spoiling the fun but also putting your safety at risk. Fortunately, there are a lot of valuable tools you can consult to prepare for different conditions. With this in mind, we’ve pulled together the 5 best weather apps that you can use to get reliable insights when planning your adventures.
The Met Office has long been at the forefront of weather forecasting in the UK and their dedicated app is undoubtedly one of the best for UK weather forecasting. Drawing upon refined and carefully analysed data and technical expertise, this app makes it easy to make quick and informed decisions with its at-a-glance weather information.
On further digging, the Met Office app also offers a serious level of detail in its forecasts, with detailed hourly forecasts for rain, wind, temperature and more. The clear prominence of wind speeds and gusts within the interface is particularly invaluable for paddleboarders, alongside clearly featured weather warnings that ensure you steer well clear of dangerous conditions.
Wind is certainly one of the most important factors to be aware of when paddleboarding, as wind conditions can really make or break your time on the water. This is where Wind Compass comes in. This app offers a no-frills, reliable way to check the wind at a glance. It displays both actual wind speeds and gusts at your exact current location, allowing you to get to your chosen SUP spot and get instant confirmation that the wind is doing what you actually think it’s doing before you launch.
Wind Compass also has the ability to track wind forecasts over the next few hours and in locations further afield, which can be invaluable when planning in advance.
For advanced paddlers visiting higher-risk spots and those who prefer to receive as much weather information as they can at one time, Windy is certainly one of the best weather apps for paddleboarding. Windy offers incredibly detailed wind forecasts based on its own network of weather stations. Access to this unique data means that the app’s forecasts are precise, up-to-the-minute, and ultimately some of the most accurate you can access.
This weather app also provides detailed information about other weather phenomena such as swells and pressure, making it a great pick for those dabbling in SUP surfing and needing specific conditions.
While wind and tides are still important, river paddleboarding requires you to be aware of additional data. RiverApp offers these insights and is designed specifically for those who enjoy exploring this kind of waterway. It provides real-time information on river levels and flow rates so that you can assess whether it’s a good time to paddle or whether the river’s flow might negatively impact your journey.
What makes RiverApp stand out as one of the best weather apps for paddleboarding is the fact that it offers data not only for the UK but also for waterways further afield in Europe and beyond. If you’re planning to travel with your board, RiverApp is a great companion and gives you confidence that you’ll be aware of otherwise unfamiliar conditions ahead of time.
If paddleboarding on the sea is your focus, it's Nautide that you’ll want to check out before hitting the water. Designed especially for sea activities, Nautide makes it easy to check those all-important tide times alongside other critical information including wind speed and swell forecasts.
Whether you’re dealing with high or low tides or want to steer well clear of big waves, Nautide’s interface makes it easy to see all of the weather data you need in one place. It’s also ideal for wider family trips to the beach, where you might all be enjoying slightly different activities in the water but will still rely on the same information to stay safe doing so.
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