In the heart of Key Biscayne, Florida at PADL Headquarters is the PADL Board Room.

In other companies, a boardroom is where executives gather to discuss issues. At PADL it’s something else. It’s where the magic happens: paddle boards are turned into smart boards here. It’s where we manage the operations and logistics behind our 22 rental stations. 

Here is some of the innovation that has come out (and is due to come out) of the PADL Board Room.

GPS

Miniaturized GPS technology is installed in the nose of each PADL smart board.  This GPS technology communicates back to PADL headquarters to let us know where all of the currently 88 deployed PADL paddle boards are at a given time, who is riding them and for how long they have been rented. These GPS units contribute to the safety of our riders allowing us to track their location in case of an emergency and share information with our rescue partners at Sea Tow.  

Induction Chargers

The GPS units and other electronics technology installed in PADL paddle boards recharge via an induction charger.  Induction chargers work when touching the device that they are recharging without the use of wires or connecting cables.  The PADL induction chargers recharge our smart boards when they are locked back into the station. 

Solar Panels

PADL stations use eco-friendly renewable energy from the sun with 95% of our stations equipped with solar panels.  Solar panels at the top of our stations gather solar energy all day long to provide our induction chargers with the energy they need to keep our smart boards functioning as they are intended.  Using solar powers significantly reduces our carbon footprint and saves money for our municipal, county and state partners who would otherwise need to provide each station with electricity from the local power grid.

Water Quality Sensors

On the bottom of PADL smartboards deployed at participating stations is a device that captures data on water quality through a series of sensors. The device capabilities include logging GPS location and measuring water temperature, salinity and oxygenation levels. Our goal is to provide key information on the fresh, coastal and intracoastal waters where we operate to our municipal partners and institutions to better manage and improve aquatic ecosystems.

Our riders act as citizen scientists as they enjoy their paddle board sessions providing our local government partners with the information they need to care for our lakes, waterways and oceans through clean, powerful technology.

Weather Beacons

Devices that provide information on wind speed, wind direction, barometric pressure and humidity will soon be mounted on PADL stations across the State of Florida. These weather beacons will gather information that can be fed to our headquarters where decisions can be made as to whether a given station should remain open or not.  Later, that information can also be provided via the PADL app so that our riders can plan ahead before they head out to a location. 

Board Locks

PADL has patented remote locking technology to secure paddles and boards to each of our stations when they are not in use by one of our riders.  Many of the components for these locking devices are currently manufactured by our engineering staff in the PADL Board Room. 

Visit the The PADL Board Room

The PADL Board Room is home to the innovation that makes us a pioneering company in the paddle sports industry. So, while you won’t find any staff members in suits in the PADL Board Room, you’ll find us hard at work making it all come together into the quality self-service paddle board rental platform we provide to our riders all across Florida. 

Live in or are visiting the Miami area for a day? Come drop in and say hi at PADL headquarters.

PADL is a water sport industry pioneer that provides self-service stations where you can rent paddle boards throughout the State of Florida.  Download the app today and visit one of our 20+ locations including Miami Beach, North Miami, Deering Point/Deering Estate, Pass-a-Grille on St Pete Beach, Boynton Beach and more. We also offer tours and lessons to local and visiting riders who are looking for paddle instruction and guidance on the water.  Join one of PADL’s local Meetup groups and RSVP for a complimentary tour or lesson in your area.