WHO WE ARE

Aloha!

I'm Jess, owner of Water Wanderers, a full-service stand up paddleboarding (SUP) and kayak rental business based out of Charlestown, Rhode Island. Despite all the uncertainty in the world, I began this business in 2021 because I believe in the restorative power of nature and in helping others reconnect with themselves and Mother Earth. The sentiment that guides my personal and professional life is that of “aloha,” the Hawaiian term whose deeper meaning beyond “hello” and “goodbye” is “joyfully sharing life.” I believe that people are their truest selves in nature and that the world is a better place when we are all kinder to ourselves, one another, and our Earth. Water Wanderers’ mission is to share knowledge and passion for the culture of stand up paddle boarding in order to inspire all of us to live and love more freely.

Jess

ABOUT

JESS JALBERT

FOUNDER/DIR. OF OPERATIONS

Jess hails from Vernon, CT originally but has lived in South County for the last 27 years, having earned her BS at URI. In 2009, she co-founded Moku Nalu Paddle on Block Island and enjoyed many years learning the ropes of the SUP business + culture. More recently, Jess continues to worked in addiction recovery services, but decided to also shift her focus back to her passion for SUP during the pandemic. Jess is PaddleFit Certified, and holds certifications in both First Aid and CPR.

Anyone who’s met Jess even once knows her as a gentle, kind, and generous soul with an adventurous spirit and a killer smile. She believes in transparency and authenticity, and leads with grace, passion, and a desire to learn as much as she can in order to grow both personally and professionally. When she’s not paddle boarding, you can find her hanging with her son, Coyle and dancing to Reggae music.

SHARE THE STOKE

It's better together.

Even if you've never stepped foot on a board before, you've probably heard the term "stoked" at one point or another. Popularized by California surfers in the 1950s, stoked means to reach a state of happiness that borders on euphoria, a feeling of blissed-out nirvana. Like so many in the surfing community, we believe deeply in the concept of sharing the stoke. Basically, that the feeling of pure joy and elation is much better when it's shared with others. In fact, we've found this to be true of many who rent with us: once they've gotten a taste of the SUP culture, they can't wait to introduce the lifestyle to those they love. Our goal, both as business owners and members of the surfing community, is to share our knowledge and passion for SUP culture with others so we can all enjoy the stoke together.

OUR VALUES

SERVICE

We believe in the concept of being in service to one another as often as possible. This means going the extra mile for our customers and giving back to the community that allows us to do and share the work we love.

RESPECT

We believe that the Earth deserves the utmost respect and care. This includes respecting local wildlife habitats, cleaning up any trash we see, and aiming to leave the spaces we occupy better than we found them.

GROWTH

We believe that it's essential for each one of us to keep growing throughout our lives. Whether on or off the board, we should always be challenging ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

GRACE

We believe that, at the end of the day, we're all doing the best we can. With this in mind, we try our best to let this concept lead the way in both our personal and professional lives. We all deserve a little grace.

FUN

Fun is a big part of why we do what we do. Being out on the water brings us a ton of joy and we want you to feel the same way every time you you rent with us, take a class, or join an event.