Gina Bradley is the face and the force behind Paddle Diva, a standup paddleboarding (SUP) company located in East Hampton. Once dubbed the Lara Croft of the water, since the start of her company in 2009, Bradley has empowered the East End community to take to the marina with physical confidence and environmental awareness.
We caught up with Bradley to learn what Empowered Movement means to her.
The name of your SUP company is Paddle Diva. But you are anything but a stereotypical “diva.” What does being a “paddle diva” mean?
We all think of an opera singer when we hear the word diva, which is a compliment, one reserved for only the greatest singers in the world. When I chose that title for my business, I was making a semantic change to the word. Being a Paddle Diva is a compliment, meant to uplift my students and empower them to feel like they are the best at this sport. I have made paddle boarding accessible to all, no matter your age, body type, gender, and physical abilities. Once you step on a board, and push off from the shore you are the greatest version of yourself. You are a diva and the world revolves around you while you are standing on the water.
What are some of the core benefits of paddle boarding?
SUP is a great workout! It is a head-to-toe workout. And when done properly SUP works not only your body, but your mind. When you paddle away from the shore, you leave behind all the stresses and pressures of the day. While paddling, things like balance, strength, and conditioning are all critical, making it one of the best workouts when done consistently. It builds a strong core and defines your arm muscles. It’s a great lengthening workout, similar to Pilates or Barre.
Describe how exercising on the water is more challenging (and rewarding), through the various movements you incorporate into the exercise.
If you can walk, you can paddle. It’s that simple. If you spend an hour on a paddleboard you will feel muscles are sore that you have never felt before, because it is such a different modality. When you paddle, the smallest muscles must clear through to your larger core muscles. Paddling requires you to hold yourself in an upright position and pull the board through the water using a paddle that is taller than you, allowing you to place it deep in the water. This alone is a phenomenal workout that also uses your mind in a way that is so different from land-based workouts. You are calling on balance, coordination, and confidence when you paddle.
Paddle Diva is equal parts workout, community, and environmental awareness. How do you tie these elements together?
When you come to Paddle Diva it is a unique experience. We have created a place where people can just come and leave the hustle and bustle of the Hamptons summer for a moment, take a paddle, and afterward relax in our headquarters in the lovely Vanderveer Marina. All of Paddle Diva’s instructors and staff are passionate about being outside, on the water, and we love sharing that with our students. When you paddle, you are immersed in nature, deepening your environmental awareness when you intimately interact with nature. If you come to Paddle Diva and get on the water with us, you will see the love of paddling is contagious, then it becomes addictive!
In what ways do these elements contribute to the mental strength needed, both on and off the water?
Paddling requires you to have the willingness to try something new. That requires mental strength to step outside your comfort zone and do something physically active in the aquamarine environment. Paddle Diva offers a safe setting, surrounded by a community of paddling enthusiasts to help clients take the leap of faith and try this amazing sport! I see students take this mental strength from paddling and bring it back to shore and apply it to their lives. I had one student who now excels in sports she never dreamed she could do, based on the mindset she has developed from her daily paddling.
How do you hope to inspire others through movement?
Movement is life. When you are paddling you are moving through the water. I hope to get as many people on the water feeling the wind on their faces and the tightening of their muscles as they paddle along our pristine waterways. I have always said, “Do what you love and fitness will follow.” If you fall in love with paddling, as we all have at Paddle Diva, you will have another way to move your body and mind.
What does the phrase “empowered movement” mean to you?
It means taking control of your life and using physicality as a way to feel powerful and strong. When someone is empowered through movement it is an unrivaled feeling. I feel empowered when I am moving, I feel like nothing can stop me. I am empowered by my strength.
Learn more about Gina Bradley and Paddle Diva at paddlediva.com.