Expedition · 2020

BREEDE NON-STOP

A solo, source-to-sea kayak descent of the Breede River, paddled non-stop, day into night into day again, 310 km without a single break to sleep.

310 km
Source to sea
38 hrs
Non‑stop paddling
National First
Only person ever

In July 2020, as part of his preparations for a solo Ocean X crossing of the Southern Atlantic, Richard Kohler set out to paddle the Breede River from source to sea in a single, unbroken push, no stops to camp, no stops to sleep, from the confluence of the Dwas and Whittle rivers all the way down to the river mouth at Malgas.

It became his own virtual version of the Berg River Ultra Paddle, a fundraiser for Canoeing SA’s #canoeing4covid food relief fund. What followed was 38 hours on the water and 47 hours without sleep: narrow, tree-choked channels in the dark, a hull holed on a low-level bridge and patched with duct tape using the fish-scale technique, a near-miss in a whirlpool that pinned his kayak against a log, and hallucinations in the final stretch that had him talking to elephants and monkeys made of moonlit trees.

He crossed the finish line unable to stand, having completed the only known non-stop, source-to-sea descent of the Breede River on record.

THE FULL STORY

Written after the paddle · 23 July 2020

310 KM · 38 HRS23 Jul 2020
Breede River Source to Sea Kayak, Non‑Stop!
Rapids, duct tape, a whirlpool, and hallucinating elephants, one continuous 310 km paddle told in full, from launch to the finish line he could barely stand up for.
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FROM THE WATER

Photos from the paddle · 23 July 2020

On the fly wave deflector made from a plastic 2l coke bottle All I ate on the entire trip: 150g of mixed nuts and one boiled egg. A ketogenic, fat-adapted diet meant I only lost 1.7kg of body weight the whole way An easy-to-use rocker switch, wired in Home-made head torch (thanks Ralph Teulings) using two 9V batteries taped to the strap Cellphone and battery bank cradle, able to swing forward and back to adjust the viewing angle Rocker switch in a plastic bag under the side handle Battery terminals Flashlight taped to the front handle Wiring from the flashlight along the front deck to the cockpit and battery, then to a switch under the side handle, plus the cradle for battery bank and cellphone Low carb, high fat dehydrated meal from Outdoor Food Lab, just add boiling water The Carb Smart soup, off the shelf Nut butter energy sachets It's a challenge to paddle and drink coffee, so I had some of these. Only eight Feeling a bit shattered at Malgas, trying to get a cup of soup down Breede Non-Stop expedition photo Witsand, and the end of the river, and me The duct tape fish scales covering the gash in the hull The modified diving flashlight on the bow of the kayak The gash exposed

The Breede Non-Stop was training for the biggest challenge yet, a 6,403 km solo, unsupported crossing of the Southern Atlantic Ocean.

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