I have taken the plunge and launched my YouTube channel yesterday. My goal is to build a resource for women and girls who are paddlers (or want to be paddlers) for paddlesports gear using YouTube. I will be doing gear reviews, without any influence of paddlesports brands, and without the aim of generating revenue. I am starting with all of my own paddlesports kit, so a unique aspect of these reviews is whether the kit is durable and stands the test of time.
Why is it called: JUST ONE MORE PADDLE?
Well, this is how I live my life. Every Sunday evening or Monday morning is about mapping the week: finding time to paddle my board, my kayak or practice rolling. Even if I've been four or five times in a week, I find myself trying to squeeze in a sixth or seventh paddle. They aren't all epic journeys- I have a full time job- but even 45 minutes sitting in waves, bobbing along the coastline does wonders for my day.
The idea for this channel was born in my mind earlier this year when I was looking to buy some paddlesports kit and couldn't find any decent advice online to inform my purchase. Most gear reviews on YouTube have been done by men, and as helpful as they are, they don't understand the issues we face as women paddlers. Paddlesports shop are great and an invaluable resource, but at the end of the day we are in the shop for a limited time and trying things on dry land.
Most of us do not have proportional bodies, some of us are too small or indeed too large to fit into a lot of paddlesports kit that is on the market. Some of us aren't flexible enough to use back zips on wetsuits and many of us just can't find anything that fits us properly. Some of us are multi water sports women and rightly would like kit that works for everything. It can be a minefield navigating the huge amount of choice we have as paddlers and knowing what will work for us on the water.
I had always wanted this to be a team effort, but sadly the team I chose for myself decided to cut me out of my own idea and try to pass it off as their own. Not only does this make me sad for them, but also for me because they took a passion project and turned it into a contest. I've done the artwork and logo myself, I'm not affiliated to any brands and I'm definitely not doing this for any money.
I would love for this to be a community effort, so if you are interested in being a part of this channel either on or off camera reviewing your favourite (or least favourite) paddle kit please email me at justonemorepaddle@gmail.com or contact me via the website to start a conversation.
HAPPY PADDLING :-)