Paddler Story: Niall O’Donovan

Our paddling journey started in 2019, with a family micro adventure for a day’s sea kayaking in Kerry. Both my wife and I were immediately hooked, having grown up in; on; and under the water. Sea kayaking seemed a perfect fit, as our kids had flown the nest and we were ready for our next adventure.

Throughout 2020 we focused on training courses and getting out on peer paddles. We also accumulated gear to start to become self-reliant and ready for any opportunity out on the water.The real fun started in 2021, when after much research, we plunged for two P&H sea kayaks.

I have a passing interest in data and so it was at this time that I wanted to start capturing our paddles. I came across Paddle Logger on the Apple App Store and from the start, the apps clean user interface and its ease of use made it an easy choice. For us, it worked flawlessly – just hit GO and forget about it until the end of the paddle.

We have logged all of our paddles and as of the end of 2024, Paddle Logger has accompanied us across 182 paddles; 1,295nm; and over 25 days! In that time, the Paddle Logger platform has also grown, with regular updates and new functionality. I particularly appreciate the export options, in particular the granularity of the route image export, as well as getting the GPX data export.

We are very fortunate on the south and west coasts of Ireland, to have a vast range of coastlines to explore. While we average around 2knots on a paddle, this drops significantly when we are exploring in & around rocks and caves. So while we are not taking full advantage of Paddle Loggers pace tracking features, it is of some interest for open water crossings.

I enjoy taking photographs during our paddles. Highlights include capturing interaction with marine life (jellyfish, basking sharks, dolphins); waves; and the beautiful coastline. After each paddle, I would take the export from Paddle Logger and combine with a selection of photographs (using the Diptic app). This have given us a wonderful library of our paddles, that goes way beyond raw data. Each collage reminds us of the route, our put-in; the sea / weather conditions; and the highlights. This is great to share with fellow paddlers on the trip, as well as inspire other paddles of new areas to explore.

At this stage, Paddle Logger is an as essential piece of kayaking gear, as the paddle itself. We are excited to see what new features the Team brings to life. In the meantime, gear up; get out on the water and hit GO!