Why keeping Nookie manufacturing in the UK still matters after more than 30 years.
In a world where so much manufacturing has moved overseas, people often ask why we continue to design and manufacture so much of our equipment here in Cornwall.
The simple answer?
Because we believe it’s the best way to build paddlesports equipment.
Since 1991, we’ve remained proudly independent, proudly British and proudly rooted in the South West. We’ve never tried to become the biggest brand on the market. Instead, we’ve focused on becoming the best we can be by doing things our own way.
We’re still very much a cottage industry, and we’re proud of that.
Every product that leaves our factory represents decades of experience, thousands of hours on the water and a team of people who genuinely care about every detail.
Because for us…
It’s personal.
More Than Manufacturing
People often think manufacturing is simply about cutting fabric and sewing products together.
It isn’t.
It’s about solving problems.
It’s about asking questions.
It’s about never accepting that a product can’t be made better.
Walk around our factory and you’ll hear conversations about moving a seam by 5mm, changing a reinforcement panel, altering a stitch pattern or improving the way a product fits.
These aren’t changes driven by accountants or marketing departments.
They’re driven by people who genuinely want to build better products.
When you’re making equipment under your own roof, those improvements can happen immediately.
There’s no waiting for the next production run.
No waiting for another container.
No waiting for another factory to understand what you’re trying to achieve.
If something can be improved…
We improve it.
We Take It Personally
Every Nookie product carries our name.
That’s something we never forget.
When somebody buys one of our spraydecks, drysuit or jackets, they’re trusting it to perform when it matters most.
Whether that’s a quiet paddle on the estuary or dropping into a committing rapid, we know that equipment has to work.
That’s why quality control isn’t just another process.
It’s a mindset.
Because we’re manufacturing in Cornwall, every stage remains under our control. Materials, construction, finishing and final inspection all happen close to home.
If something isn’t good enough, it simply doesn’t leave the factory.
Real Feedback from Real Paddlers
One of the biggest advantages of remaining a relatively small UK manufacturer is that the people giving us feedback aren’t anonymous names buried in spreadsheets.
They’re people we know.
People we paddle with.
People we speak to every week.
They’re ambassadors, coaches, expedition paddlers and recreational paddlers who use our products day in, day out in some of the world’s most demanding environments.
That relationship is priceless.
Instead of waiting months for feedback, we often receive ideas over the phone, by email or after a day on the river.
Sometimes it’s a tiny suggestion.
Sometimes it’s the spark behind an entirely new product.
Either way, it all feeds back into making Nookie equipment better.
From Cornwall to the Four Corners of the Globe
Although everything begins here in Cornwall, our products are constantly being used, tested and refined through feedback from paddlers across the world.
Veteran expedition paddler Mark Potts is preparing for another journey through British Columbia's legendary Stikine River, using one of the latest refinements we’ve made to our Kevlar Pro spraydeck.
In Switzerland, James Weir spends countless days coaching and delivering rescue training through Kanuschule Versam, relying on his equipment every single day and providing invaluable feedback from a professional instructor’s perspective.
Meanwhile, recreational paddlers Daniel Klotzner and Alex Rodegro are enjoying some of Europe’s most spectacular rivers, from Austria’s Ötztaler Ache (Oetz) to Slovenia’s crystal-clear Soča, reminding us that paddlesports isn’t always about chasing the biggest rapids—it’s about enjoying incredible places in equipment you can trust.
Then there’s Harry Beardsmore, charging rivers from Slovenia to New Zealand, constantly pushing both himself and our products in challenging conditions.
Closer to home, we’re incredibly fortunate to have some exceptional talent right here in the UK.
People like Tom Westaway, widely regarded as one of Britain’s most accomplished whitewater paddleboarders.
Ollie Footitt, whose commitment on the river is matched only by his willingness to throw himself into lines most people wouldn’t even consider.
And respected coach Ian Dovey, whose knowledge and experience have helped countless paddlers progress over many years.
Each paddler uses our equipment differently.
Each notices different things.
Each conversation helps shape the next improvement.
Sometimes Less Really Is More
One thing we’ve learned over more than thirty years is that great design isn’t about adding features for the sake of it.
It’s about understanding what genuinely improves performance.
Many products today are covered in extra panels, straps, buckles and components that look fantastic in a brochure but add very little once you’re actually on the water.
At Nookie, we’ve often gone the other way.
Over the years we’ve deliberately engineered unnecessary components out of our products.
Not because it saves money.
Because if something doesn’t genuinely improve performance, durability or usability, it simply doesn’t deserve to be there.
Simple is often smarter.
Reliable is always better.
The Smallest Details Often Make the Biggest Difference
The best improvements are rarely dramatic.
They’re often almost invisible.
A seam moved slightly.
A reinforcement panel reshaped.
A cuff redesigned.
A different webbing.
A stronger bartack.
A more comfortable fit.
Individually they may seem insignificant.
Collectively they make a product that performs better year after year.
Those are the kinds of improvements you can only make when your designers, machinists, customer service team and paddlers are all connected.
Still Proudly Cottage Industry
We’re proud of what we’ve built here.
We’re proud to employ skilled local people.
We’re proud that every product passes through the hands of people who genuinely care about what they’re making.
We may not be the biggest manufacturer in the industry.
But after more than 30 years, we’ve learned that size isn’t everything.
Passion matters.
Craftsmanship matters.
Experience matters.
And caring about every single product matters.
Built with Pride Since 1991
Every Nookie product begins with a simple goal:
Build the very best piece of equipment we possibly can.
Not the cheapest.
Not the flashiest.
Not the one with the longest list of unnecessary features.
Just the one we’d want to trust ourselves.
That’s why we continue to design and manufacture in Cornwall.
That’s why we continue to listen.
That’s why we continue to refine.
And that’s why, after more than three decades, we’re still as passionate about the next product leaving the factory as we were back in 1991.
Because at Nookie…
We don’t just make paddlesports equipment.
We live it.