Endurance Athlete Antonio De La Rosa Paddles From Californian Coast To Hawaii, Sets Record

It took Spanish endurance athlete, Antonio de la Rosa, seventy-six days, five hours, and twenty-two minutes to paddle across the Pacific from San Francisco to Hawaii. He set a record by completing an epic 2,900-mile solo voyage.

The 42-year-old athlete was aided only by his 24-foot long paddleboard, 'The Ocean Defender.' It is a submarine shaped craft that endured rough seas including Hurricane Flossie which passed within 60 miles of his location.

During his arduous voyage, the endurance athlete ate dehydrated food and used heated water. Sometimes he resorted to fishing and paddled eight to ten hours a day then slept every night. He was always tired, though, considering he had to wake up on an hourly basis to check on the gear.

When asked, he said it was the kind of challenge he enjoyed because of its seemingly extreme nature. The other objective of the voyage was to raise awareness concerning the protection of the oceans from manmade pollution.

The side of his boat aptly read, ‘Save the Ocean,’ ‘NO Plastics, NO nets, RECYCLE.’ It fits then that one of the rewards of his voyage was close encounters with whales and other marine life, which he described as incredible.

He used the front hatch on the craft as the sleeping quarters, and there was an ample storage space for his provisions and needed tools. He did have to clear barnacles from the hull at least three times during the journey.

The hardest part of the journey, according to de la Rosa was the last day. He claimed the last 24 hours were riddled with uncertainty and concern. As De la Rosa navigated between the islands of Oahu and Molokai, he was surprised by a strong wind which pushed him very close to a rocky coast.

The endurance athlete was not able to sleep that night because he was trying to keep on course. He even celebrated his 50th birthday at sea. According to ABC News, His sister Vanesa de la Rosa explained. The two siblings run an adventure tourism business from Madrid and a small hotel.

During his journey, de la Rosa was disappointed to see fishing gear waste every day of the journey, including abandoned nets and lining. He also used a tracking device to record each minute of the voyage to certify the accomplishment.

Despite the hardships of the journey, he says it was worth it when he reached the shore on Saturday and was greeted by a pink and orange Hawaiian sunrise. He was also met by Galen Licht, the first person he had seen in almost three months.

Licht had traveled to help organize the logistics for the landing at Waikiki. De la Rosa also got support from sponsors at the Waikiki Yacht Club.