An example of the exclusive map sticker that the Paddle Logger team have built for 10k Her Way! You can then share this map straight to Instagram, Facebook or save to Camera Roll!

To mark the start of 10k Her Way - She SUPs’ Australia wide virtual SUP event, encouraging women to paddle 10km in ANY way they wish from 1st November to 31st December 2020, this week’s blog is about tracking your paddles.

There are many hundreds of apps and ways to track your paddles, but here are my top 6 to help you track your 10k over the next two months!

If you haven’t signed up for 10k Her Way yet, what are you waiting for?! Find out all about it HERE!

1. For the iPhone users… Paddle Logger

Paddle Logger is one of the SUP industries most used (and loved) paddle-specific tracking apps. It has won numerous awards, and it’s easy to see why.

Paddle Logger has been designed from the ground up to be super easy to use and get you out on the water paddling in the shortest time possible. After you have downloaded the app (which is FREE) you will be guided through a one-time setup.

Once that is done, you will see a big button under the Paddle tab, press this and Paddle Logger will start recording. Lock and stow your iPhone in a waterproof dry back (if you don’t own one, you can find the She SUPs Community’s favourite bag here!) and it is time to get on the water!

The app will do all the work in the background, while you focus on enjoying your paddle. Once you have come to the end of the session, get off the water, and press the same button to Pause and then End your trip.

I also love Paddle Logger as it has great shareability, making it super easy to share your route with friends, family and the She SUPs Community. As an official sponsor of 10k Her Way, Paddle Logger has built a new feature exclusively for 10k Her Way participants!!

Once you’ve completed your paddle this will bring up the Digital Logbook entry and summary of your paddle. From the summary page you will see the option to share your session. Press Share, and edit the title to include #10kherway, for your exclusive map sticker! SO COOL. Thanks team Paddle Logger!!

2. If you prefer it hands free…Garmin/AppleWatch/ Smart Watch

There are numerous smart watches that now have a SUP option, Garmin and AppleWatch to name a couple. I won’t go into the details as I’m sure if you own one of these devices, you’re pretty familiar with it already, but I think the greatest advantage of a smart watch is that some talk to you while you’re paddling so you can check off the km’s as you go.

Well I say that it’s an advantage…

Most of the time this is great…

…until you’re sat having a break and your watch keeps telling you that you haven’t travelled anywhere and you need to get a move on haha!

3. For those who love to make movies of their SUP adventures… Relive

Relive has been gaining huge popularity in the She SUPs Community recently, mostly due to the ability to easily create and share beautiful 3D animations of your SUP journey. Relive can either track your paddle or use data from another tracking app (if you have the paid version) and then create an ‘Activity Story’ which you can add to with your own photos and comments from your route, ready to share on social media and/or with friends and family.

I loved playing around with this app and it certainly creates beautiful videos, but I do warn you that it pushes the paid subscription. I ended up using the free trial and then moving back to Paddle Logger or other methods.

4. For those that forget to track their paddle… Google Maps (post-paddle)

Sometimes we forget to switch on our paddle apps, or the battery dies on our smart watch mid-paddle. But have no fear, you can also track your paddle once you’re off the water and resting at home with a cup of tea!!

Simply go to Google Maps and find your paddle location. ‘Drop a pin’ on the water near your launch location (avoiding clicking on any place names such as boat ramps etc) then you’ll see a ‘Measure Distance’ icon appear at the bottom of the screen. Use this to retrace your steps, by adding points along your route, and watch as it measures the km’s you paddled!

Once you’ve tracked your whole route, screen shot the map so that you can log your km’s towards your 10k Her Way journey!

5. For the technophobes… A piece of string and a map!

If you prefer avoiding screens altogether, a piece of string and a paper map may be all you need.

However I don’t recommend this technique while on the water, things may get a bit tricky.

But this can be used post-paddle to re-trace your strokes, and work out the length of your paddle.

Simply use the string to trace your paddle along the creek or waterway you explore.

Mark the start and end on the string with a permanent marker. Then measure the string against the scale of the map to work out the number of kms you paddled!

6. For those who want to just focus on having fun… ‘Gu-estimate’

There’s always the good ol’ gu-estimation.

10k Her Way is a virtual SUP event with a difference. Unlike many SUP events that have come before us, and the many that will come after, 10k Her Way isn’t in any way shape or form competitive in regards to time or distance.

Everyone is achieving 10km in their own way, and every journey is celebrated.

Therefore if you don’t track each km, that’s ok! If you know that you paddle roughly 2.5km every hour, and have paddled for 2 hours, then sure we can say, you’ve paddled approx 5km!

Gu-estimations are always welcome, as long as you’ve gone out there and had a great time on the water!

If you have any other ideas on how to track your paddle or any apps/methods that you love and that other’s may want to hear about, share it with the broader She SUPs Community by posting a comment in the She SUPs Community Facebook Group!

See you on the water!

Vikki x

6 Ways To Track Your Paddles