During the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) many Jews participate in a service/tradition called tashlich, which loosely translated from Hebrew means “casting off.” This is observance involves symbolically casting off the sins of the previous year by tossing pieces of bread into a body of flowing water. The service of tashlich is one of Margaret’s favorite of the year…no surprise since it takes place on the water.

To start the Jewish year 5779, we’re offering a community-led tashlich on Percy Priest Lake for the third year in a row. We have a limited number of kayaks and paddleboards available for those who want to get on the water, or you are welcome to bring your own. We also have some inflatable inner tubes and floats for those who prefer those. There is no charge to join us. We do ask that you register online so we know how many people to plan for.  Do this in advance online through this link or by calling us, as numbers are limited.

Tashlich will be observed: Tuesday, September 11, 2018 at 3 p.m. 

Hope to have you join us for this Nashville Paddle Company-style approach to a Rosh Hashanah tradition.

1968 was a good year! Our favorite lake, Percy Priest Lake, turns 50 on Friday, June 29, 2018 and we’re having a birthday party. Nashville Paddle Co. will have special discounts (book a class or rental and get 50% off your next class or rental). We’re ask 50 customers to each paddle 1 mile, for a total of 50 miles. We’ll have a lake clean-up effort, a sunset Intro class, yoga and fitness classes, and, of course, we’ll have cake.

The Army Corps of Engineers is having their own celebration right up the street at 10 a.m.! Stop by there before heading to paddle with us.

Thanks to a grant from the Tennessee Clean Water Network, we have a water fountain that anyone can use—park-goers or customers—any time we are open. We encourage you to bring your own refillable container to keep hydrated at the lake (it is hot in Tennessee in the summer).

If you don’t have one, you can buy one of our lightweight, pack-flat options. The idea is that you can keep it with you all summer and ditch (by recycling, please) those one-use bottles. We’re supporters of TCWN and the Cumberland River Compact; keeping our waterways clean is essential to us. Reducing plastic waste is a big part of that effort.

As if our regular Sunset Social Paddles weren’t enough fun, Sara Bradley is making selected nights that much more fun. Pack your own dinner or a snack (in a waterproof bag, trust us on this) and join her for a Picnic & Paddle. You’ll SUP or kayak your way out to a pretty spot, and then feast on your board.

You’ll get to talk to your fellow paddlers (that’s the social part, after all) and paddle back. Don’t be surprised if Sara has some fun surprises up her sleeve, too.

Upcoming Picnic & Paddle dates:

June 24, 6 p.m.

July 22, 6 p.m.

August 5, 6 p.m.

We know one of the reasons you like to come out to paddle on Percy Priest Lake is it is scenic and serene (and with all the rain we got this spring, it is greener than ever). We want you help keeping our lake clean. Here’s the deal: Nashville Paddle Co. has a stack of river clean-up bags given to us by our friends at TWRA. They’re mesh, so they keep the trash in the bag, but let the water run out, so they don’t get heavy. Ask our staff for one the next time you paddle. Bring it back filled with trash from the shore or the water, and we’ll give you a code for 10% off your next class or rental.

Thanks for your help in keeping Percy Priest scenic!

Whether you want to teach SUP or SUP yoga or you just want to take your paddling to the next level, we have the programs that will stuff your brain full of info about paddle technique and water safety. You can earn your World Paddle Association Class 1 and SUP Yoga certification right here in Music City! We have two options: May 5, 2018 for SUP/WPA only. June 2 and June 3, 2018, SUP WPA and SUP Yoga.

In the SUP Yoga Certification and you’ll learn:

• How to sequence a yoga class for all levels of students on a board
• How to cue and demonstrate yoga poses during a class
• Tips on growing your classes and resources when starting a business

The first day of training includes a WPA Class 1 Certification. If you’re not a yoga instructor, but want to grow and expand your knowledge of paddling or consider teaching on the water, join us for the 1-day course. You’ll learn:

• Basic water rescue techniques
• Best practices for paddling techniques
• How to convey safety for groups and individuals on the water
• Effective ways to teach in front of a group

Once you have your certification, you’ll be in a better position to safely and confidently expand your SUP yoga classes in our own city. This is the training we use for our staff. Nashville Paddle Co. can provide board, paddle and PFD discounts for yogis looking to start or expand their own SUP Yoga programs in their home cities.

Cost is $495. Not interested in yoga? The one-day WPA-only portion training is $295 (deduct $35 from either training if you are bringing your own board, paddle and PFD).

CPR & First Aid certification is not included with this class, and not required for attendance, but you must submit proof in order to receive your WPA certification form. Need a local class? Call Precious Hearts.

Certification is held at Nashville Paddle’s boathouse on J. Percy Priest Lake. Class size is limited and registration is now open. Contact liz@nashvillepaddle.com for more details.

Do you know the rule of 120? Add together combined air and water temperature. If the number is lower than 120 degrees, don’t paddle without a wet or dry suit. If it is less than 120 degrees, cold shock and hypothermia are risks. Right now the Percy Priest surface water temperature is 53 degrees. That’s chilly! The National Center for Cold Water Safety has lots of details about cold water dangers when the water is below 70 degrees.

We know it is hard not to paddle when the sun comes out, especially after we have been waiting all winter to get back out there. But sudden cold-water immersion is a real safety risk. If you are heading out before the water temps warm up, remember to follow best practices:

• Wear a wet or dry suit
• Don’t paddle alone
• Tell someone where you are going and when you will be back
• Have a phone in a dry bag so you can contact someone in an emergency
• Wear RoadID or other ID
• Check weather and wind conditions before you head out
• Know your paddling ability
• Wear a PFD
• Use a leash appropriate for the kinds of water in which you are paddling

Be safe and we’ll see you on the (warmer) water soon!

When Nashville Paddle Co. SUP instructor and Hala Gear Ambassador Jacky Dustin Good posted some awesome pregnancy photos from Jennie Pyfferoen (Photography), both Jacky and the photographer got some push-back…”Is that safe?” people asked.

This is a paddling blog and not medical advice, so if you have concerns about your own SUP activity while pregnant, please speak to your own doctor. However, Jacky kept paddling during her pregnancy (and thinks it contributed to an easy, five-hour birth) and has a happy and healthy daughter, so we asked her to tell us whatsSUP with paddling while pregnant:

A doula friend of mine compared giving birth to “a marathon.” While labor definitely intimidated me, my build and athleticism was what gave me hope for an active natural childbirth experience. One of my first questions to my OB/GYN was, “Can I still paddle board and play beach volleyball?” “Yes!” she said, explaining I can–and should–continue the same activities I’d been doing before pregnancy. I, of course, stopped diving for volleyballs (and quit playing altogether at 34 weeks), but I paddleboarded up until the day before I went into labor.

Some people expressed concern when seeing me pregnant on a paddleboard, assuming it was unsafe. And while I probably wouldn’t start an activity that requires good balance with 30 extra pounds on my abdomen, my six years of experience (plus being PaddleFit and WPA certified) made me more than comfortable on the water. A few changes:

• I never paddled alone once while pregnant .
• I bought a bigger and sturdier board (the Hala Straight Up ) because it was more stable (and will be great when I have a baby on board next year!)
• I asked a friend to help inflate my SUP when it wore me out.
• Getting back on the board when I fell or wanted to swim was a bit of a challenge with my watermelon-sized belly, but it just meant I had to take my time with it like with everything else.
• My paddle stroke didn’t change much, although some days my pace slowed down.

Besides loving to SUP, my pregnant self knew that keeping my core strong for labor was essential. And what better way to do that than stand up paddle? Unlike most of my other workouts, if I did happen to fall down, it’d be into the water, which is low impact. Not to mention what an absolute relief swimming ended up being, with the pressure of all that extra weight disappearing. Some days I went out just to do that, and others I simply enjoyed sitting on my board and dipping my swollen ankles into the water.

I believe staying active in SUP kept me in shape for a safe and speedy childbirth. No doubt it helped keep me relaxed on those days I could have been stressing out, (important during pregnancy!). I owe a lot to SUP, and I don’t ever see me quitting. I only see me making more paddlers.

At Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) many Jews participate in tashlich, which loosely translated from Hebrew means “casting off.” This is observance involves symbolically casting off the sins of the previous year by tossing pieces of bread into a body of flowing water. The service of tashlich is one of Margaret’s favorite of the year…no surprise since it takes place on the water.

To start the Jewish year 5778, we’re lucky enough to have Rabbis Rice from Congregation Micah leading tashlich on Percy Priest Lake for the second year in a row. We have a limited number of kayaks and paddleboards available for those who want to get on the water with the rabbis. If you’d like to come and bring your own kayak, paddleboard, canoe, inner tube (or swim), there is no charge.Those who want to join us, but don’t want to get on the water can do so from shore. If you want to reserve one of our boats or boards, there is a cost of $20 each. Do this in advance online through this link or by calling us, as numbers are limited.

Tashlich will be observed the shabbat of Rosh Hashanah: Saturday, September 23, 2017 at 2 p.m. 

Hope to have you join us for this Nashville Paddle Company-style approach to a Rosh Hashanah tradition.