The great green
PADDLE
Words & pics : David Haze As I walk to the end of my road in Bournemouth these days and look across the rolling waters of the Solent to the Isle of Wight , there is a tingling deep within me , knowing that I left part of myself over on that diamond-shaped island .
When I look at the ‘ polar bear ’ standing proud and tall over the needles , it ’ s a view that will never feel the same as a few weeks earlier . I embarked on a five-day solo circumference of the island , which saw me attempt the world ’ s first carbon-neutral , environmentally friendly expedition by SUP board .
The mission was to attempt this world first by having all my equipment through to my food be ethically sourced , carbon neutral , environmentally friendly , preferably 100 % recycled , recyclable or leaves no footprint .
The Iceberg
‘ The Iceberg ’ ( ironically named ), my paddle board was 100 % recycled ; every bit of material that ‘ Conrad Manning Racing ’ used to create this piece of genius engineering was found in a skip destined for landfill . The spine of the board was made from a scaffolding plank . To help keep the board buoyant , house insulation was placed around the board , and wood from voting ballots was inserted between the insulation to keep them secure . All of this was wrapped in a discarded plastic sheet used to transport yachts off the water . To keep my equipment attached to my board , anchoring points were placed using melteddown milk cartons .
I wanted to work with brands that shared the same vision as myself and are dedicated to protecting our oceans , waves , beaches and wildlife , as , without any of these elements , we would not have a place to call home . With that in mind , I couldn ’ t think of a better charity to support than ‘ Surfers Against Sewage ’.
1st August 2022 , Cowes week , I commenced ‘ The Great Green Paddle ’, a journey of 100km on a board made of rubbish ! Despite the long hours of training and all the preparation I put in place , a wave of doubt hit me after stroke one , had I taken on too much ? Paddling the Isle of Wight is no easy feat at the best of times , but what I was trying to achieve was a whole different
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