Paddle Diva Continues to Grow After 15 Years in the Hamptons

After just concluding her 15th year in business, Paddle Diva founder Gina Bradley has a new home for her thriving stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) and water sports operation, and all sorts of exciting things are happening as she enters her 16th summer in East Hampton.

Bradley started Paddle Diva before SUP was the mainstream activity it is today, and she is among the key figures who helped spread the word and build its popularity in the Hamptons. Today, her company has moved from a trailer of boards on the beach in 2009, to a full-fledged operation offering multiple sports, an array of lessons, excursions and experiences on the water, as well as a successful children’s program, outposts in Florida and Puerto Rico and more.

After a few years at the Shagwong Marina in Springs, Paddle Diva is now settled in a retrofitted storage container at the new Swan’s Marina, also in Springs (10 Boat Yard Road), formerly Vandevere Marina, and it’s turned out to be an excellent move.

“It’s an incredible space. It’s totally secluded now. It’s way more protected than where I used to be at the Shagwong, which allows for rentals a lot easier. Kayaking rentals are a lot easier. The lessons are a lot better and easier to do because the water is so flat and it’s so protected, so we can accommodate any wind direction paddling,” Bradley says. “Paddle Diva is sort of tried and true in the Hamptons, so we’ve become a very dependable brand where people know what they’re going to get — you know you’re going to have very friendly, enthusiastic, non-rushed environment,” she continues, pointing out that they offer lots of ways to get out on the water, and a variety of reasonably priced packages and deals for individual lessons and tours, private and open groups and more tailored experiences, such as paddles that explore other areas of the East End.

Paddle Diva also has various rentals available for those who simply want to go out on their own without a guide or instructor. And whether people rent or book a lesson, they have boards to fit all sizes — even for very large, heavier men. “There’s very little I don’t know about paddleboarding. So I have now perfected the whole lesson format, or the whole idea of a tour. And now I have really big boards. I have really small boards,” Bradley says. “We have lots of cute little kid boards, because more and more adults are teaching their kids how to paddle, and so we have these cute little lightweight paddles and lightweight boards that are perfect for kids.”

Of course Paddle Diva also has a terrific program for kids ages 8–14 from July 11–September 8, Monday–Thursday, 11 a.m.–2 p.m., though she hesitates to call it a “camp” experience. “It’s less structured than a camp format. We take them out paddling. We take them to different spots and do scavenger hunts on the beach, looking for different sea life. We take them to the Town of East Hampton Shellfish Hatchery, teach them about clams and oysters… and all of this is started from paddleboarding, which makes it really fun. We have a lot of arts and crafts that we do with them, using things that we collect from from the bay. So, you know, it’s a beautiful program, and we’re really proud of it.”

Bradley’s husband Scott Bradley also offers Lift eFoiling, which consists of riding an electric hydrofoil surfboard that floats above the water, and they will sometimes take clients out tubing on days when it’s possible. “We’re kind of (offering) everything that you might want in order to have fun in Three Mile Harbor,” she says.

Perhaps the most special offering in Paddle Diva’s vast array of adventures is their monthly full moon paddles that begin as the sun sets and continue while the moon rises over Three Mile Harbor. The paddles begin with a brief lesson and go for 45-60 minutes before paddlers return to land for refreshments. All participants are given a glow stick and they stay safely together as a group.

Bradley notes that dogs are also always welcome. “We love people to bring their dogs to try to get them on the board, either through a lesson or a wrestle. We obviously are inclusive of everyone,” Bradley says, including men, despite the “diva” title. “I know. I named the business Paddle Diva long ago, and it’s become such a brand, I hate to ever have to change it.”

Visit paddlediva.com for bookings and info, including a full rundown of Paddle Diva’s offerings, prices, merch and more.