PaddleWays App: Your Pocket Guide to Paddling
4-minute read
The PaddleWays app is a feature-packed digital tool for those in the paddling world. NRS partnered with onWater (a water recreation app) to develop it and launched PaddleWays in mid-2023.
(Photo courtesy of PaddleWays)
Thanks to smartphones everywhere, the app is designed to be, as their website says, “your pocket guide to paddling.”
The app is available for iOS at the App Store and for Android on the Google Play Store. So far it covers the continental US. Let’s dig in and see what it’s all about…
What Does the Free Version Include?
PaddleWays has a free and paid version like most apps do. The free version is loaded with features and may be enough for recreational and occasional paddlers.
You can look up local regulations, weather, public launches and property parcels. You can see current water flows. Then you can track your trips with private waypoints, routes and the river miles measuring tool.
The app shows rapids, any hazards you can expect, and points of interest along the waterway you plan to paddle, including campsites. It features rivers and lakes nationwide. It endeavors to take the work out of deciding where to paddle and how to paddle it.
You’ll reap the community benefits of others who use the app—read others’ comments and see their images, and provide your own to help folks who want to learn more about where you’ve paddled.
What Does the Paid Version of PaddleWays Include?
Avid kayakers, canoeists, paddleboarders and packrafters will want to look at investing in the paid or Pro version. It’s less than $50 bucks for a year, or under $10 bucks a month if you prefer that route (2024 prices).
You get everything that’s in the free version plus a few key features:
- Offline maps—This is a biggie if you paddle regularly in remote areas without good (or any) cell coverage. Download the map ahead of time so you can refer to it anytime.
- 3D maps—Perfect to be able to see topography in destinations you’re considering.
- River streamflows keep you up-to-date with real-time flow and conditions for precise planning.
- Geofenced alerts—An easy way to let your family and friends know where you are, especially in the event of an emergency.
What Users Are Saying about the App
As of the date of this writing, it has 3.8 stars in Google Play and 4.3 stars in the App Store. Some users love it while others complain of glitchiness and limited location features.
Here are a few of the comments from reviewers:
“This app was literally so helpful on our last five day river trip! The GPS location works the whole way, and really helped us figure out stopping points, great beaches, and helped us better time manage our trip! I can’t wait to see them expand into more rivers…” (App Store)
“I was really surprised to see just how few rivers are listed in the database. I understand it must be a massive undertaking…My biggest suggestion would be to allow route creation…Given that there’s so many bodies of water it only makes sense to allow info creation from users…Would love to see where it goes!” (App Store)
“Awesome resource for new paddlers! I’m new to kayaking and joined a group to find areas where I could legally go…This app was recommended to me and makes it easy to pick new spots and find places that I would have never known about. Worth downloading and having on-hand for reference!” (App Store)
“I really appreciate the user friendliness of this app and the river details. I also like how I can add my own way points and stuff. I look forward to more development of waters around here.” (Google Play)
“This could be a great app. I like the idea of public updating. Hopefully it picks up popularity…I’ve used it a few times planning trips. Keep up the good work!” (Google Play)
The onWater support team is active on both platforms, reaching out to reviewers to try to answer questions and solve problems. Several reviewers have offered helpful suggestions for future versions.
* * * * *
You can learn more about the app on the PaddleWays website to decide if you’d like to try it yourself. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with the latest news.
What paddling questions can our friendly Customer Service team help you with? Contact us at 715-755-3405 or [email protected]
More for you...