Find it, plan it, paddle it…that’s the motto from NRS and its new PaddleWays app, the first-ever navigation app built specifically for paddlers as an all-in-one tool for knowing where, when and how to go paddling. Discovering new places to paddle, planning your bucket-list trip, or navigating your next adventure, PaddleWays is designed to break down barriers to paddlesports and give back to conservation by donating 1% of sales to promote responsible use and resource conservation.
Joining forces with water recreation GPS navigation and mapping app onWater, NRS is beyond excited to serve paddlers with new tools and technology to help improve experiences on the water. “While other adventure sports have long benefitted from widely used mobile technologies, paddlesports has been left behind, until now,” says NRS’s Mark Deming. “Our vision for PaddleWays is to continue breaking down barriers to the outdoors, delivering the tools that help all paddlers access the information they need to get out on the water.”
Known for their fishing app, onWater provides detailed information on thousands of miles of rivers, creeks and shorelines across the United States. Satellite imagery provides GPS-specific points of interest and public vs. private property boundaries along river corridors. Using a mobile device, users can track their current location and movement or calculate distances, in river miles, to any point of interest including access points, boat ramps, campgrounds, river hazards, rapids and more. A fully integrated photo and journal feature also allows users to use GPS-specific data to record and relive their adventures. PaddleWays harnesses this powerful technology to deliver an all-in-one tool for discovering, planning and navigating experiences on the water.
“It’s about time we brought these tools to the paddling community,” adds onWater’s Alex Maier. “We’re proud of our deep bank of data and mapping that gives paddlers all the beta they need—right at their fingertips. And because we’re constantly adding rivers and updating information, the community plays an active role in building this experience as we go.”
The PaddleWays app will serve as a guidebook and GPS navigation technology, with offline capabilities, to help paddlers make informed decisions on and off the water. Additionally, in cooperation with American Whitewater, the team aims to utilize the app to promote responsible use and to protect rivers and streams across the country. NRS is donating 1% of its PaddleWays app sales to American Whitewater.
“American Whitewater has been committed to providing easy access to river information in pursuit of creating a safer river going experience for almost 70 years, and we’re excited to partner with NRS and the PaddleWays app to offer new and exciting tools to better inform river runners,” says AW’s Evan Stafford. “We hope PaddleWays app users will take seriously the river safety and responsibility code we’ve helped to include with its purchase, and that as river users we can all work together to help protect, restore and maintain access to our rivers.”
NRS’s Mark Deming on the New App:
PL: How long did it take to develop, how hard was it, and any projections on how many paddlers you hope to subscribe?
Deming: “NRS is a gear company, that’s our wheelhouse, so developing a digital app has been a totally new experience for us with a steep learning curve. After a two-plus year journey from concept to launch, seeing PaddleWays come to life feels like arriving at the bottom of a big rapid. We couldn’t have done it without our friends and partners at onWater showing us the lines and setting safety. We’re thrilled to be able to put this needed technology in the hands of paddlers.
“Almost every avid mountain biker, hiker and climber has incorporated digital tools into their activities. Because paddling is a smaller market, the tech industry overlooked it. So, NRS stepped up to fill the void. We believe PaddleWays will become the go-to tool for discovering, planning and navigating experiences on the water. It’s hard to put a number on it, but we expect to see widespread adoption of this technology in the coming months and years. This will not only go a long way toward breaking down barriers to participation, but will create a pathway for promoting safety, conservation and responsible recreation in cooperation with American Whitewater.”
Discover features
- Explore rivers near and far with detailed interactive maps.
- Read guide-book descriptions of paddling destinations.
- Match your skill level with provided difficulty ratings.
- Connect to related resources for more information
Planning features
Know before you go with all the information you need to plan the perfect outing from a single trusted source.
- Measure river miles between put-ins and take-outs, or between camps, to plan your day.
- View access points, boat ramps, campsites, restrooms, and other points of interest.
- Check the weather and river flows by location.
- Find local paddle shops and shuttle services.
- See other user’s comments on recent conditions.
- Reference notes, photos and saved places from previous trips.
Navigation features
Never wonder where you are, where you’re going, or what’s around the next bend.
- Access detailed interactive 2D and 3D maps online and offline.
- Choose between Satellite, Outdoor and Street map modes.
- Measure distances in river miles.
- Set alerts for upcoming take-outs, camps or rapids.
- Mark places to remember and include notes and photos.
- View public and private land designations.
Info: PaddleWays