What happens when a 500 km challenge ends at 192 km? For Brendon Prince, the lessons - and the mission - are only just beginning.

Brendon Prince knows what it takes to keep moving forward. A multiple record-holding endurance paddler and adventurer, water-safety advocate, and long-time Blackfish paddler, Brendon has built a career around pushing the limits on the water - and using those experiences to make a difference beyond it.

His latest challenge, SUP500, set out to do exactly that: 500km, non-stop, on a stand-up paddleboard, without touching land. But this was never just about the distance. Brendon’s goal was to raise funds for Above Water and help educate thousands of children about water safety and drowning prevention.

The attempt may have been cut short, but the mission hasn’t. As Brendon turns his attention to what comes next, the lessons from SUP500 will continue to shape his work both on and off the water.

We caught up with Brendon to explore those lessons, hear about his plans for the coming months, and discover how he’ll use his experience to support his charity work and champion water safety.

“I set out to paddle 500 km continuously without touching land, carrying all my food, clothing, safety equipment and sleeping kit on the board. I completed 192 km in 36 hours 30 minutes of almost continuous paddling before a shoulder injury forced me to stop at Babbacombe.

Of course, I am disappointed not to have completed the full challenge, but those 36 hours taught me an enormous amount about attitude, technique and decision-making in a constantly changing coastal environment.”

Rather than viewing the experience simply in terms of distance covered, Brendon came away with a series of lessons about how to read the water, manage effort and adapt when conditions change.

“One of the biggest lessons was to trust my own reading of the water and local environment. National forecasts provide useful guidance, but they do not always reflect what is happening within a particular bay or around an exposed headland. Warm September sunshine was creating local winds, spring tides were producing powerful back eddies and wind against tide made some stretches particularly challenging. These localised conditions affected my expedition plans.

I also went too hard during the first 24 hours. The conditions were difficult and, too often, I worked against them when I knew I should have been working with them. Long-distance paddling is not simply about determination. It requires patience, efficiency and the discipline to rest at the right time. Sometimes the decision that feels like slowing down is the one that ultimately takes you further.”

Trusting the equipment

On an expedition where everything carried on the board has to earn its place, equipment becomes more than kit - it becomes part of the equation.

For Brendon, that trust was particularly important when it came to his paddles. He used the Blackfish Andaman 520, the model that has since evolved into the Yukon 520. With a heavily loaded board, changing conditions and long hours on the water, consistency was essential. 

“The Blackfish paddles were outstanding throughout. At sea, day or night, trust in your equipment is paramount for every single kilometre. The forces going through the shaft when turning and controlling a 35 kg board carrying 60 kg of kit, plus a 95 kg paddler, are immense.

Whether I was battling confused water around a headland, catching small runners or maintaining an efficient rhythm through the night, the paddles performed faultlessly. My trust in them was never in doubt.”

Endurance is also about knowing how to manage the body. Brendon has developed his own approach to spreading the load across different muscle groups, constantly changing how he generates each stroke.

“To manage fatigue, I rotate between six different ways of generating each stroke: wrists only, arms only, shoulders only, core only, legs only and full body. Changing the emphasis allows different muscle groups to rest while I continue moving. Over this distance, however, poor conditions and the constant effort required to control such a heavily loaded board eventually placed too much strain on my right shoulder.”

Lessons from the night

For all the physical and technical demands of SUP500, some of Brendon’s strongest memories come from the quieter moments - particularly the hours spent paddling through the night.

“Night paddling remains one of the most joyous experiences I know. Being alone at 3 am under a full moon, with unexplained creatures swimming around the board, will not appeal to everyone! For me, it strips everything back. Every worry, concern and burden seems to lift from your shoulders. You reach a clarity and focus that can be difficult to find through the daily noise of society.”

A bigger purpose

SUP500 also had a purpose beyond the challenge itself. Brendon undertook the expedition to raise funds for Above Water, supporting its ambition to bring water-safety and drowning-prevention education to communities across the UK.

“The challenge was also about raising funds for Above Water. Our aim is to take 10 water-safety and drowning-prevention hubs to communities across the UK. Teaching children these essential skills is paramount on an island nation. It helps them stay safe while giving them the confidence to enjoy our blue spaces. Often, those children return home knowing more about water safety and essential sea safety than their parents.”

For Brendon, that is ultimately where the significance of SUP500 lies. The 500 km may not have been completed, but the experience has added another set of lessons to a much bigger mission - one that continues far beyond the water covered during those 36 hours.

And with more projects and challenges ahead, the journey is far from over.

To support Brendon’s mission and help bring vital water-safety and drowning-prevention education to more children across the UK, please consider donating via the fundraising link. 

To find out more about Brendon and his challenge, visit brendonprince.com

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