Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

WaterEgo ("we", "our", "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website waterego.ie (the "Site") and use our services.

By using the Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this policy, please do not access the Site.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information

We may collect personally identifiable information that you voluntarily provide when you:

• Register for an account (name, email address, location)
• Submit a trip report or gear review
• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Contact us through our contact form
• Register a kayaking club or instructor profile

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you visit the Site, we automatically collect certain information about your device, including:

• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Pages visited and time spent on each page
• Referring website address

2.3 Location Data

With your consent, we may collect precise location data from your device to provide the "Find routes near me" feature. You can disable location services in your browser settings at any time.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, operate, and maintain our website and services
• Create and manage your user account
• Display your trip reports, reviews, and community contributions
• Send you our newsletter (with your consent)
• Respond to your enquiries and provide customer support
• Improve our website and develop new features
• Monitor and analyse usage patterns and trends
• Prevent fraudulent activity and ensure site security

4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

• Consent: When you subscribe to our newsletter or enable location services
• Contract: When processing is necessary to provide you with our services (e.g., user account management)
• Legitimate Interests: To improve our services, prevent fraud, and ensure site security

5. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information with:

• Service Providers: Third-party companies that help us operate our website (hosting, email services, analytics)
• Community Features: Information you voluntarily share in trip reports, reviews, and forum posts is visible to other users
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or governmental authority

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our services. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time by contacting us at privacy@waterego.ie.

7. Your Rights (GDPR)

As an EU/EEA resident, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data
• Right to Restrict Processing: Request that we limit how we use your data
• Right to Data Portability: Request your data in a machine-readable format
• Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@waterego.ie.

8. Cookies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve your experience on our Site. For detailed information about the cookies we use, please see our Cookie Policy.

9. Third-Party Services

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites and services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

We use the following third-party services:

• Google Analytics: Website analytics (anonymised IP)
• Cloudflare: Content delivery and security
• MailerLite: Newsletter management
• OpenStreetMap / Leaflet: Interactive maps

10. Children's Privacy

Our Site is not intended for children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us.

11. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure.

12. International Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA). We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for such transfers in accordance with GDPR requirements.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

• Email: privacy@waterego.ie
• Address: WaterEgo, Dublin, Ireland
• Contact Form: waterego.ie/contact

15. Supervisory Authority

If you are not satisfied with our response to your privacy concern, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission (DPC), Ireland's supervisory authority for data protection.

Data Protection Commission
21 Fitzwilliam Square South, Dublin 2, D02 RD28, Ireland
Website: www.dataprotection.ie