Stand Up Paddleboarding in Great Britain
By Jo Moseley
Having paddled and been around SUP for over ten years, I am still constantly surprised and love it when something exciting happens in the SUP world. I feel that way about Jo Moseley, her journey and now her utterly brilliant new book, Stand Up Paddleboarding in Great Britain.
You will find this book invaluable if you love paddleboarding and are new or ‘old’ to the sport. The research is extensive not only for the paddle journeys, of which there are over 30 but the local knowledge too, which Jo has cleverly drawn out of willing locals, keen to show off their favourite paddle areas.
The book is published by adventure book specialists Vertebrate Publishing and has a lovely weight and feel about it, always so important in a book. The introduction is full of helpful information, from Jo’s own SUP journey, the history of SUP, how to get started, kit, safety, planning, weather, and the environment, to how Jo chose the locations to include in her book.
She then takes us on a beautiful journey from Wales, through Scotland and then on to England with some unique finds and places that I certainly now want to visit. Each paddle is a love story to that area, taking you on Jo’s journey with the local paddleboarders, with top tips and recommendations to make your trip truly memorable. I appreciated all the other information in each area, from the technical details of distances, launch points with alternatives to how to get there, the route information, and where to eat and drink.
There’s also information on local instructors, guided tours, and equipment hire – really practical help and everything you need to know in one handy place.
Not only is there a running theme of stunning and interesting paddles, but safety is clearly and quite rightly up there, with a ‘difficulty’ paragraph for each route and some great advice on safety kit.
Jo has been clever enough to reference and include some fabulous advice from really knowledgeable experts who have been in the water sports industry for many years as well as being great paddleboarders – this is no lightweight book; it’s incredibly thorough and I believe will stand the test of time and become a SUP ‘bible’ for many paddlers.
This book is written with love and passion, not just for the sport of SUP, but for the people and places Jo has met – a wonderful book to own or gift to friends and family interested in SUP, whatever their level. It’s also an excellent travel guidebook in its own right.
I plan to keep my copy in the van so that it can be referenced whenever we go away and possibly find ourselves in the very places Jo has visited – I recently went on a Sail and SUP holiday in Scotland organised by the Water Skills Academy and took this book with me. I happened to find myself reading about Jo’s adventures around the Isle of Mull which was quite surreal, as I was paddling there at the time – her local knowledge was spot on! The book created a lot of interest with all the other guests on the trip, and we were constantly picking it up and browsing through Jo’s superb stories and marvelling at the glorious photos. There are many incredible images throughout the book, together with helpful maps.
This book will inspire you with its magnificent stories and imagery, and I feel blessed to have contributed in some small way – I now own a signed copy with a beautiful, personal inscription. Thank you so much, Jo, for bringing this book to life for us all.
