On the Water with a PADL

We’ve all heard of being ‘up a creek without a paddle’, well this is much better. PADL is another tech-driven innovation that is making being on the water easy and fun again! Imagine having the inspiration of getting out on Biscayne Bay for some motorless recreation. So, you buy a $1200+ paddle board, store it until the mood strikes your fancy, drag your heavy 11-foot paddle board out of storage, strap it carefully to your car, drive to a launch area… NAH! Just let PADL make it stress-free!

The process is easy enough. Load up the free PADL app and stop at any one of their locations in South Florida. Using your phone’s Bluetooth, you unlock the board that is located just steps away from the launch area and you go. It is that simple!

[L to R] PADL’s CPO Khalil Khouri, COO Felipe Jauregui and CEO Andres Avello

The brainchild of three entrepreneurial friends who grew up together in Miami, PADL started after they saw the explosive growth of app-based electric scooter rentals and said, ‘Why can’t we do this for people who love to get out on the water?’ So, in August 2017, CEO Andres Avello, CPO Khalil Khouri and COO Felipe Jauregui started with a whiteboard and applied the newly available tech around them to develop a locking mechanism that was key to making PADL possible.

“We launched on Key Biscayne in August of 2019. That was a big learning curve for us. It was our experimental station where we had to pour concrete and run underground electric,” explained COO Felipe Jauregui. “After that, we learned how to be much more efficient. Now we have a modular station that can quickly be dropped into place with a forklift and it is completely solar-powered, meaning we are not dependent on any kind of service.”

PADL’s custom-designed rental stations are in great locations. Each had to be negotiated with the local municipalities, whom now adore that they have this amenity available to their residents and visitors.

Each paddle board is equipped with GPS tracking, which allows riders to see where they’ve been and track distances. It also allows PADL to live-track the board to ensure safety on the water.

They currently have 40 locations in Florida. From Palm Beach to Tampa to The Keys, they seem to have captured the best spots. Locally, you can select Coconut Grove’s Peacock Park, Palmetto Bay’s Deering Point Park, Miami’s Marine Stadium or nine other launch points. In the next year, they hope to have 10+ more location from which you can choose.

When the mood hits you, just launch your PADL app. When you find a spot, the app will tell you if weather permits rental at that time (safety first!) and if so, how may paddle boards are currently available. Some locations also have small canoes, too. In short, this is a very elegant app. When onsite, you just need to be within Bluetooth range to rent. It is Bluetooth that unlocks the board and starts your timer.

Rentals are charged by the hour. You can also choose a pre-paid membership (either monthly or bi-annual) which includes a daily 2-hour board rental. There are some discount options when you share the app to new customers as well.

So, if you are ready to be ‘on the water WITH a PADL’ you can start at padl.co, call 786-749-6730 or best of all just download their app on Apple or Android by searching PADL. I’ve been on their boards for several weekends in a row now. It’s a lot of fun and great exercise. Plus, you can improve our environment by picking up trash from our waters. It’s a win-win for everyone!