Hello, my name is Jo Moseley, and I am the bestselling author of three books about paddleboarding.
Two are guidebooks – ‘Stand Up Paddleboarding in Great Britain – Beautiful Places to Paddleboard in England, Scotland and Wales’ and ‘Stand Up Paddleboarding in the Lake District – Beautiful Places to Paddleboard in Cumbria’. The latter won the Lakeland Book Awards Zeffirellis Guides and Places Award 2025. My latest book is ‘Adventures on the Water – The Power of Paddleboarding to Change Lives’ – a collection of 27 inspiring personal essays from incredible paddleboarders on how SUP has enhanced their lives. I am also the host of ‘The Joy of SUP – The Paddleboarding Sunshine Podcast’.
In this column I share inspiring stories of environmental projects, mental wellbeing initiatives and how we can make SUP more accessible. If you have a story, please email me on jomoseley@yahoo.com or message me on Instagram @jomoseley.
Read the review by Dale Mears of ‘Adventures on the Water – The Power of Paddleboarding to Change Lives’ at: https://paddlerezine.com/adventures-on-the-water/
Bath Spa University Research
I am sure we have all felt the benefits of paddleboarding for our physical, mental, emotional, and social health, and yet SUP-specific research remains in its infancy. Sara Kennedy generously shared her work in my latest book, Adventures on the Water – The Power of Paddleboarding to Change Lives, and I was delighted to discover researcher Lucas Colgan recently.
Lucas Colgan, 31, is a mature student in the final year of his psychology undergraduate studies at Bath Spa University. Acknowledging the lack of formal evidence and research, Lucas’s work focuses on the effects of paddle location and frequency on well-being. The study is part of his undergraduate dissertation and will contribute to a wider study he is collaborating on with his supervisor, Dr Georgina Hughes.
Lucas has been paddleboarding for four years now across the South West and Wales. His favourite is Nolton Haven Beach in West Wales. He loves the sense of freedom and calmness on the board, and this was what drew him to the sport. However, as he progressed, he realised that it is more than that for him, including the social aspects and paddling with friends, whether sharing a board in the surf or going longer distances on the river.
Lucas has always been passionate about the influence nature and exercise have on our mental well-being. This inspired him to study psychology and help others discover what supports their mental health and allows them to live the best version of their lives. The opportunity to then examine the effects of one of his favourite sports was, he explained, ‘a no-brainer’.
The combined study aims to answer the question: Can the location and frequency of paddleboarding influence well-being? They are currently collecting both qualitative (non-numerical data) and quantitative (numbers and patterns in large groups) data via an online survey. The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to provide a unique perspective on the topic.
They are using a well-being scale and open-ended questions to collect rich data to test their hypothesis. Participants will answer demographic questions, a well-being scale and then the open-ended questions. It is not compulsory to answer all questions, but the more answers people provide, the more data they can use.
If you would like to get involved, here is the important information:
The deadline for submitting your data for the wider study is 20th April 2026 at the very latest. To meet Lucas’ dissertation deadline, it is 1st April 2026.
This is the survey link: https://run.pavlovia.org/pavlovia/survey-2025.2.0/?surveyId=d82a4938-d40d-4323-9ccf-7eb14c0a4a79
If you have any questions or queries surrounding the study or results, please contact: Lucas Colgan lucas.colgan23@bathspa.ac.uk
Dr Georgina Hughes g.hughes4@bathspa.ac.uk
Scan the QR code for easier access.
I am really excited that Lucas is conducting the research and look forward to finding out more when the results are published. Please do get involved with the research, and all the best, Lucas!
