The Film!

I was a certainly apprehensive (at best) when Greg Dennis told me he'd made the best short film of his career to date. This was purely because the footage was taken by your's truly, Nick Healey!

It turns out that our No.1 SUP exploring bear warrior did an amazing job of capturing the essence of his pioneering passage across Alaska. The result is a beautiful little film that we hope inspires you to reach out and come explore with us.

Jeff Alan has quoted that the Cornish Coastline is amongst the best and most interesting in the world. He's seen every inch of the world so i'm feeling pretty stoked with the opportunity to take ESUP where no SUP explorer has been! Make sure you like and follow our Facebook page HERE so that you can keep in the loop and join us on our ESUP trips.

WATCH THE FILM NOW!! https://vimeo.com/70593898 

Nicks and Jeff's Journal

Nick said he was going to keep a day-day journal of his experiences during this trip and here it is! Jeff (expedition Leader) has also added his perspective and is noted in Orange. Its incredible to read the 3rd persons perspective on the days events. It seems that being a guide offers a great deal of satisfaction as he watches his novice explorers flourish in the wilderness. I find that notion massively compelling.

I think anyone who knows Nick, and this is meant in the nicest possible way, will know that gushing emotions are not exactly Nicks cup of tea. But reading this, I get the feeling that the connection with the Alaskan wilderness has softened the paddling bear up a little... Yeah I just called Nick Healey a little soft! Hahaha!!

Joking a side, the apprehension is clear in his early text but as the experience grips him and as days go on, his scribbles clearly highlight a huge affection for Alaska and the Wild. The boy within seems blown away by the experience and the man coming home on Saturday I think will be all the richer for his ESUP experience... I can't wait to start extracting the stories from the horses mouth. I'm already wanting to get on a plane and get out there!

(Jeff) Went with Nick down to the sea to trial the SUP with load attached, bit late for trial and error but truth be known we were both happy to commit to this project regardless of trials, all went well

Day 4, 

>Today is the day: we get picked up at 8 and dropped off at Whittier Fjord. I am feeling quite Anxious, hence it's now 3.30am and I cannot sleep. We're as ready as we're going to be. I've got this real feeling that you can't just wonder into this situation and just think everything will work itself out. I'm ready, we just need Mother Nature to be a little bit kind to us.. And let us be on our way. I feel confident having Jeff as a fellow paddler. He brings a massive amount of experience. This is what he does.

> It's 330, here in Anchorage. There's very little wind and its warm.

Day 5.    

>It's morning of the expedition and there is no need for me to be up this early, but the adrenalin will not let me sleep any more.

> We drive an hour to Whittier and load up, To arrive to snow capped mountains and not too much wind.. That was a relief... Awesome day paddling and setting up camp near trebenkof glacier surprise cove black stone point.
> Camp fires, awesome food, much needed and bear bags up trees. Great night sleep. But cold..

(Jeff) So its all a bit of a question mark really, is the weather going to be kind, the SUP board up to the task, is Nick too fast, to slow, too cold? What is his equipment like, how’s it going to hold up, how’s this going to go? Things I do know, Nick’s fitness, enthusiasm, skill and dedication won’t let us down, but he isn’t really fat enough and he eats way-way too much, he’s going to be food dependent and he also runs much faster than me, so if there is a bear encounter I’m going to have to find some way to nobble him so I can sneak out the back door before the bear tucks in to British Beef cake, only joking, we are setting the agenda, there’s not too many open crossings and we have four days of extra food with us And then there’s the Salmon, we’ve been told they’re about to run...

 Day 6 

>woke up, saw a bald headed eagle. excited about making a camp fire, coffee and breakfast. 

> Epic epic day. Paddled up to Beloit Glacier, it was calving off big sections sounds like a cannon going off. I paddled towards the glacier getting a little closer, it calved off a good section, I turned and paddled away sharpish. Defiantly scared myself when that one carved off.. The glaciers are beasts. And very unpredictable. Then onto Blackstone glacier, even bigger. Paddling through blocks of ice, with some seals also floating by. Quite interesting on an inflatable paddle board... Now set up camp. Camp fire on the beach. With a view of both glaciers, Beloit and Blackstone. Oh and pitched the tent next to some Bear pooh... 

(Jeff) So today we made the Glaciers, always a thrill, always a gamble, you never really know when they’re going to calve, thrusting upwards, or allowing gravity to add impetus to their incredible weight and mass and descend downwards or explode outwards, but you still get drawn in ever closer, the electric blue becomes a magnet, I watch Nick paddle forwards, I call to Kathy to come back a bit, I’ve never gone this close, we are 150 meters off and the left hand face calves into the sea, hundreds of tonnes drop into the sea, not enough volume in the shallow water to kick up to much wave action as the tide is out, but I haven’t mentioned this to the guys, allowing the tension to hold, Nick puts in two quick sweep strokes and does a rapid 180, is he lining up for a surf, or is this nerves? Either way it’s the right reaction, we heed the glaciers warning and move further back.

Day 7

>We slept 1 mile from Blackstone glacier with Beloit alongside. At regular intervals you hear loud, thunder like claps where the ice is calving off the Glaciers.. 

> Camp breakfast . Another beautiful day. We paddled right up to within 150 Meters of the glacier. Bit too close really. But got away with it.. It draws you in.

> After lunch we headed off for the next camp site. Stopping at a waterfall to replenish our thirst, mid way through enjoying some mountain water my paddle board. Bumped a rock and pierced a hole In the mid length rail. The noise of rushing air was loud. "I'm going down I thought ! Anyway managed to plug the hole with my thumb and Jeff hooked up a tow line. We need a beach fast. We then beached some 15 mins away & now we are sat in the sun, having tried one failed patch. This better work, we are in the middle of the wilderness, no phone signal, on an island, that most likely has Grizzlies on it. 

> I think I have a good repair but we'll see in the morning.

(Jeff) I’ve just filled my water bags and suddenly I hear ‘whooooosh’ Oh no, Jeff, I’ve got a hole, Nick’s on it in a flash, his finger fits squarely over the small rip in the side of his SUP, I tell him he’s like the small Dutchman with his finger in a dyke, the joke isn’t really heard amidst the worry of a dip into the freezing cold glacier fed waters of the bay, a short paddle down the beach and Nick is onto the repair, the rest of us now have time to sun bathe on the beach, what the hell is happening with this weather, it’s got to be 30 degrees ish? 

Lucas and Tom decide to go exploring, an hour or so passes and the the sound of a blow hole erupting, ‘WHALE’ Kathy calls, we are off, pursuing the whale down the bay, zig sagging after it, playing my flute to try and communicate our good intent, Kathy gets close enough to make out its curved back and raised blow hole, it’s a hump back in all it’s glory, what a day!!!

Day 8, 

>Board is still inflated !! Headed off, and was thinking that all all the amazing things we have seen and done in the last few days. Have we done the expedition ? What else could we possibly see.. It was quite a long paddle from our camp site near Willard island up to Blackstone point. We had lunch, then heard the whales. I was up on my paddle board looking down onto the whales back & tale fin. Watching him propel his way through the water. Tale flips some 10 feet away... We followed him for a couple of miles down the coast and he went on his way. We then headed to the north of Culross island. To set up camp. It's so hot it's like being in the Caribbean. Extremely hungry & Jeff had managed to negotiate two whopping Red Eye Alaskan Salmon. And we feasted. Wondering how many sets of Bears eyes are watching. Considering we were told that a strong smell of toothpaste on our breath whilst in out tents could attract the Bears. Being smothered in honey roasted Salmon does tend to make you remember ya pepper spray. !! Another awesome day. 

(Jeff) We set off, it’s a down wind run out of Blackstone, the guys can not keep up with Nick as he runs ahead, the board repair is holding, we are several hundred meters ahead of the others when Nick shouts ‘Whale’ three humpbacks are passing us, going in the opposite direction, we follow them, meeting up with Tom, Kathy and Lucas, our paths criss cross, we meet them here, then they’re off then they’re back, so in control of their environment it seems, sometimes just meters from the shoreline. Suddenly one of the whales surfaces just in front of Nick, he could almost surf the wash from its tail fin as it propels itself through the water, incredible!

>The days are starting to fly by. I'm getting used to living in the wilderness. Camping fires. Banter & Exploring. Another day ahead..we paddled down the Colross passage. To Applegate island. Set up a tarp to sleep under and peeled moss from the trees to sleep on. It's a mossy invasion.. Not sure how this is going to pan out...!! Fresh Bear pooh around, it was as good as steaming when we arrived.. !! 

(Jeff) Nick’s gone feral, we are all getting nervous, his knife is to big to argue with, he wears a crazy smile, I divert his attention and keep him occupied by showing him how to make a bed au natural, while the others lock their food away in the hatches, pitch their tents and set the locks.

Day 10  

>Awoke after a good night sleep in the the tarp shelter. Probably the best yet. Mozzies went to bed about 1. so all peaceful after that. maybe the bear came and had a look, but no signs yet. Fire still going at my feet. And the sea is mirror calm. You can hear the salmon jumping. Snow caped mountains in the background. Perfect . 

> Paddling up the west side of Colross island. We passed and went down a tidal race between the island, I was the 1st to go in the water, Strange to be rolling around under water in freezing water with no wetsuit on. A 14ft paddle board with about 4 bags attached to it !!! Then Lucas rolled, it was great fun. We had no way back out between the islands due to the tide racing in. We had lunch and waited for the tide to stop running in and headed for our camp site for the night. Colross bay, Lucas caught two fish on the way. Fires on the beach. And saw two bear caves nearby !!! No signs of bears,, but thick woods behind the tents... There out there !!! One thing that has made landing great is the way we can turn a landing site into our home. Fire, shelter( tarps even if not raining), food, banter. 

(Jeff)I remember Tom Pogson telling me about a small tidal rapid that runs on the tide into Hidden Bay, let’s explore this I think, not knowing what to expect, its perfect, just what I wanted to push Lucas’s boundaries, he takes a swim on a sticky eddy line, failing to edge and then roll, but not before Nick took a fall, trying to apply an edge to ferry glide across the streaming tide, full points for commitment, we stop on a small beach, waiting for the tide to turn so that we can exit the lagoon.

Day 11  

> Paddled south to north of Colross island. We were given Salmon, by passing fisherman. And beer.. We were eating salmon for lunch and supper.. With 2 cans of beer.. It felt good.. Quite a long paddle.. But with big rewards at the end.

> The paddling has been quite challenging although the distances have not been big , just because we are exploring. These coves, glaciers ice glows. We have been spending around 6 a day on the water. The board is heavy and the kayakers fast even when they are not going for it. 

(Jeff) Nick is starting to look at the pro’s and con’s of the SUP and how it can be applied into this environment, whenever there is wind from ahead, he faces twice the windage and this must be having an affect though he’s not showing it, you can see that his position in the group format changes, no complaints, everyone is fully embracing the challenges of the trip and enjoying every minute, including the bear stories……

Lucas is a laugh, he admits that although he didn’t understand the meaning of the word fear, the constant accompaniment of Bear spray when he goes to the loo each day has had a whittling effect upon his nerves and now fear has become a distant relative.

Kath is taking everything in her stride, no complaints and always there attending to business, she loved the whale encounter and has been in heaven ever since, I thought I was going to have to follow her all the way back to Baja the other day. Tom is on a learning curve but is steadily working his way along it, his moral is good, whenever I look him in the eye he grins and smiles-good lad

> We discussed the 5 key elements needed in order to survive; preparation. Determination,
knowledge, discipline, luck. This is the adventure you dream of as a kid and a fully grown immature adult.

Morning of the last day and quite out of keeping we have woken up with our tents pitched at the end if a airport runway ! We were due into Whittier for the pick up on the morning of the 30th but the weather was favourable to get in last night. We had halibut, chips and beer. It was awesome.

31st was spent with Livi and Jessica who are Alaskan and have kindly put us up in their house. We went knife shopping again. That brings my total to 5 bought this trip... We have a pretty impressive arsenal between us.. What will customs think 

(Jeff) What a journey, great company in a wilderness setting, beautiful scenery, amazing weather conditions, wildlife encounters to die for, Whales, seals, Otters, Eagles, Sea Lions and a possible Salmon Shark- camp fires by night, winds to cool us and send us on our way back into Whittier where a fish and chip supper and an Alaskan Ale waited, what an adventure! Oh and then there were the knives of course… 

We have contact!!

Good morning world! It is with great pleasure that inform you of Nicks safe arrival back to normal(ish) civilisation! It is clear from his notes to me that he has lived the ultimate dream of a Boy Scout and over the coming days I look forward to relaying the words from his stories...

Nick writes, "Hey Sean, we made it mate! It was properly epic! We had everything but an actual bear attack... Thank God! Whales within 10ft, Bear poo by the tents, Glaciers, Ice-flow, A puncture in the iSUP...!! Got lots on film but so much happened its going to take some time to off load it all! I kept a basic day-day diary which i'll send over later along with some pictures. We head out on a trip with some locals early morning for a single night trip. Jeff is teaching some incident management. Then we'll be doing some Alaska 'past-time' stuff that will hopefully involve shooting hand cannons and riding dirt bikes... We have to arrange a trip back out here Sean..."

The Boody Shaker and Burt

I've had a lot of people ask how Nick is getting on. The truth is that I have not been privileged to any contact since he left the safety of the Gangster Bar!

Polly Baker (boody shaker) has this lovely item of Alaska Merchandise that she has worn in Nicks honour. On asking Polly if she'd like to pass comment to match her lavish jumper she came up with this statement, "you are my hero." Brilliantly said Polly.

Other important questions have been asked such as, "who's looking after Burt?

Well, as you can see from the image, Burt is doing just fine and getting all the attention that he has become so accustomed to. Nick's lovely Mum (Fran) has brought down her faithful pooch 'Fidgit' and the two of them tour Falmouth stopping in to all the hot spots (mostly nicks sponsors) where they enjoy being petted and fussed with maximum effect.

I would like to take this opportunity to ask that you share your best tribute to Nick and offer him your best regards by sending a picture to wepaddleboard@gmail.com or simply by leaving a comment here. I know he'll appreciate reading it when he reaches civilisation.

As soon as I hear from Nick, I promise you'll be fully updated.

Thanks for keeping tuned!

Into the wild he goes

Unfortunately, Nick has been Nick and forgotten to send us any picks of his fully loaded board as he set off today. However, he has written to me with what he thinks might be the last update for the next 8 days.

"So today is D-Day... We're off! I tested the board with 2/3rds of the kit on it last night. Its a lot, but the board performed to a 'doable' level. I'm praying on having no wind for the first day. I want to at least make it into the wilderness! I'll deal with the rest when I'm out there!

I woke at 3.30am with a million things running through my head and although im definately super excited, I can help but feel a little anxious. I guess that for once, this isnt a trip that i can 'just do'. This trip makes me feel 100% human which actually makes me a little vulnerable for a change. Not in a girl way though, obviously!

Depending on signal, this could well be the last update from me for the next 8 days. Of course I wil contact you as soon as I return to civilisation and with any luck I should be armed with some pretty good stories! Cheers for now!"

Nick is about to be the first documented ESUPer to brave the wilderness of Alaska. This is a pretty big deal and I am personally really excited to learn about the entire experience. It's massively inspiring! I will keep you up-dated as and when I hear from Nick, but until then, Check out the ESUP page over at http://www.wesup.co.uk/#!esup/c20kw and try to imagine your own exploration adventure!

Board tested and leaving come morning

Most of you by now are probably thinking that Nick has just gone to Alaska for the ultimate 'Man' shopping trip. Well, Nick wrote to me last night with his final thoughts before leaving dry land.

"Hey Sean! We have until tomorrow morning, then we leave. I have realised since being here what a big, big undertaking this really is and I'm thankful for the extra time here on dry land to get properly prepared. The jet lag has been really heavy which isn't helped by the fact that it never seems to get dark here.

My experiences even this far have given me loads of great ideas on our ESUPing plans back in the UK. Also, a much clearer idea on how the boards need to be loaded up so that to better distribute the weight so that the trim isn't effected so much when paddling. I tested out my theories this morning on a test run I organised and it's so important to get it right.

Weather is incredible. It's really warm but Jeff has said that it could kick-start a mosquito frenzy, meaning that we are more likely to be hassled by the mozzies than the bears! Personally, I will be holding the bears at the centre of my attention!"

Bar Brawl...

Well not quite but, this could have been a total classic!! So the T-shirt Nick is pictured wearing to the left, is apparently really similar to a Rival Californian Gangs T-Shirt, which nearly got Nick an Ass Whooopin in the local bar last night... Hilarious!!

Could you imagine how gutted he's be to think that he'd done all that preparation to fend of bears then ended up getting savaged by the native boozers! Phaha!! Only with Nick Healey!

You can all get your Kernowfornia Gang related apparel from Keith down at Freeriders, who for the record is genuinely the nicest guy ever and I honestly had no idea he was into the whole U.S gang scene. Its always the quite ones! -  Jokes of course ;)

The Magnum 44

Soooo.... Last night I get an email from Nick to say he went to 'Wallmart' on his final shopping trip. He describes it as Alaskas version of Asda. Now I dont know about you, but I cant stand Asda. It's only good for cheap booze and and an excuse to fall out with the missus so that you can escape for that surf she's not happy about you going on. But, having said that, If Asda Penryn considered selling Magnum 44's, I am fairly sure a lot more men would be happier to go shopping.

Good bless you Alaska and your cool 'Man Shops'.

Jet lag and man knives

You'd be forgiven for thinking I'd simply visited Manchester for this sneaky pic but this is one of Nicks best moments of his final day shopping. A whole store dedicated to 'Man Knives'. He writes to me this evening with what id imagine will be the penultimate update before he heads into the wild.

"Yesterday, I'd never done so much shopping in my whole life! The outdoor shops are awesome. We had spend nearly all day popping in and out of crazy shops and even after dinner, we still had just one more to attend... Northern Knives (insert menacing smile)

Jeff and I were absolutely exhausted driving back to the B&B. The jet lag has properly kicked in, most noticable as we near as damn it fell asleep at the traffic lights. I think we've been Roofied or something!! I'm really glad of these few days preparing, paddling on the jet lag would have been awful! We leave tomorrow morning. Looking forward to showing you all my kit!

Final note for the day. Forecast is up to 26 degrees until next Tuesday. Feels a bit weird!"

Nick Lands!

Just had the first contact from Nick since landing. Sounds like he's already having heaps of fun! Pig in shit is the English phrase that comes to mind!

"This is the great outdoors on steroids! The animals are big, the trucks are big and the environment looks pretty full on. Its 5am in the morning now but I cant sleep! I just want to pump my inflatable up and check it out but it'll wake everyone. Not sure about doing it outside either... the B&B owner said that they get regular bear sightings in the town!! Also not sure about sleeping with the window open but Jeff said I'd better get used to it seeing as I am about to spend the next 10 days in a tent!! Also, I just made made my first few purchases;

• Bear Spray - Im aiming to bring it home fully charged or totally empty with a fucking scary story!!
• Mosquito net and repellent that has a warning on it 'WILL BURN THROUGH PVC'.
• A knife but a bigger one will be bought later
• And a Pocket Rocket...

I think Nick has set the tone nicely for the coming posts and I for one am banking on that Bear spray coming home empty!! Hahaha!!

The Interview: Why and what does it take…

“It’s about the experiences that we have living in the wilderness with big animals around us… animals that are tooled up” - Nick Healey

How was the idea to paddle Alaska conceived and what was your motivation?
I heard about the trip from Jeff (Jeff Alan of Sea Kayak Cornwall). I didn't really need to think too hard about the opportunity because Jeff is a properly mental explorer with a massive amount of experience and knowledge. He’s been there a few times and he’s got loads of stories that your friends haven’t got. I'd paddled across Scotland with WeSUP and it’s been hard to come up with something to top that experience so this is a follow up to that really.

During the early discussions, did you even consider whether a 10 day, un-supported wilderness adventure was doable on a paddleboard?

Well, when you are doing things that no one else is doing and the book hasn't been written for you yet, you never really know if it’s doable. I know it is doable but I don’t know what the complications will be yet. I just want to get there as prepared as possible and work it all out. This is really, really spontaneous. I do have lots of experience paddleboarding great distances and I know it can be tough, but it’s the camp craft and survival side of that I'm least experienced with. This trip isn't about covering huge distances each day, it’s about the experiences that we have living in the wilderness with big animals around us… Animals that are tooled up.

What are the new elements of this trip over say, Scotland?
The main one is that this is a completely unsupported exploration. I am going to be taking everything I need with me on my board. I am going with a group of Sea Kayakers who will help me out with some of kit but I have to be prepared. It’s their summer time but conditions can change dramatically so I still need to be fully prepared for all weathers. Temperatures will range from -10 degrees to 14 degrees. I got a photo from a friend 3 weeks ago out in Anchorage (Alaska) of his house under 3 metres of snow which was mental!

What physical training have you done to deal with the cold, especially the cold water?
The only SUP training and experience I have of in cold water is Scotland. The Lochs were 4 Degrees but I have a life time of experience in the ocean and cold seas that include sailing the Atlantic where one minute you can be all comfortable and the next its all change and you can be suffering from Hypothermia. So those experiences have taught me that this trip is serious and that I do have to be prepared and have the right equipment.  My cross sport training and flat water paddling training is what will have to carry me through this trip as with my other hobbies (surfboat rowing, Kitesurfing etc…) and work, there just isn't the time to add more stuff in. I do quite a lot of fitness stuff every day.

Have you undergone any additional professional training specific to this trip?
The only additional qualification I took was a Level 5 remote access first aid course which teaches you about first aid in seriously remote situations, perhaps 8 hours from help. Things that don’t kill you on Falmouth high street, will kill you in the wilderness and you have to know how to try and survive out there. What you do will save your life and your buddies or you will die.

What situations might you come up against in Alaska where this training will be most useful?
Well, we did talk about Bears and Animals. The guy who led the course had been to Alaska the previous year but the main things are like a run of the mill cut, dehydration or a small broken bone that might not cause you a problem on Falmouth High Street, but 8 hours from help will cause you a major problem if you don’t know how to deal with it. We’re grown grown men but you know, were also boys. We’ll have fires and big knifes and half a chance to buy a bow & arrow and we’re gonna have it! (Insert boy like laughter)

Are the other 4 members of your team as prolific watermen as you?
Well I only know one of them, Jeff and he is extremely knowledgeable and far more experienced  in this kind of thing than me. This trip is all about the experience opposed to being a brilliant paddler. It’s about living in the wilderness, learning about campcraft and seeing amazing scenery with animals that probably most have never seen before.

How far are you hoping to paddle?
It’ll be about 10-15 miles per day over 10 days, but its conditions dependant. We’ll be leaving from Whittier and paddling out of the Fjord with aim of paddling out through a group of Islands to circumnavigate Night Island and then paddle back. But this is all dependent on the wind conditions and we can change the route at any time. We don’t want to be paddling into the wind for 10 days!

What board and paddle will you use to undertake this trip?
Again, slightly experimental… I’ll be taking a 14ft inflatable Fanatic Fly Race. It’s got a great waterline, not as fast as a Sea Kayak but to the best of my knowledge and anyone else’s, it’s going to do the job! I also have a 3 piece Quickblade Paddle which is an incredible bit of kit for the purpose of this trip. Keeping everything portable and compact makes it much cheaper and easier to do a trip like this. The new inflatable boards are just amazing and definitely the future of SUP.

What’s going to be on the menu?
Well we've got no space to take Pizza’s and Asda spit roast chickens so we’ll be enjoying 10 days of freeze dried food. Ill be buying as much fresh veg as we can take and obviously whatever we can fish for and food that we can forage for, mussels and berries etc…  I'm really worried about being hungry (pause and deep breath) I get pretty grumpy when I'm hungry (Face of great concern).

Do you think that this is the kind of trip that anyone can just do?
I don’t really know because I haven’t done it yet, but I think it is going to very accessible to a wide range of athletes to have a go at. I'm going out there really to check it out and although not everyone is a watermen, I think it will be doable for most with a guide and I am going out to learn these skills so that we can take others out there, without it being an experiment.

Would you say you have the ESUP bug?
Yeah definitely! I mean, Alaska is quite an extreme exploration in relation to our local waters but I'm looking forward to coming back and sharing my new skills with others in the UK who are coming to WeSUP looking for guided ESUP tours of our own coast line and the rest of the world eventually. It’s a comfortable way to explore and I’d really like to open it up to others who want to come along and do it.

Who’s been key in lending the inspiration to do this trip?
To kick the idea of exploration paddleboarding off for me, id say that Club WeSUP has been a massive inspiration to that concept. Going across Scotland was the platform that made me realise that this was the future of the sport for me. It was the most interesting and offered the best opportunity for a great story. I have been massively helped out by my sponsors to making this all possible and my friends and family have been incredible support. Everyone has just been right behind me, you can’t do this thing on your own.

Has anyone told you that you’re mental to take this trip on?
Well, I get the feeling that everyone is mentioning quite a lot about bears… (Laughs) and the Cold. Its not exactly your average summer holiday is it. Most people are thinking about packing up and going on a camping holiday to France, I might think that was a more sensible option when I'm there… I'm sure I will at some point.

Will you be touching down after your 18 hours of travelling and getting right to the paddling?
No. We will have two days to get organised before the paddling starts. I've still got quite a lot of kit to buy because I couldn't fly with it all. I've got to get 2 summer sleeping bags, my roll matt, all of my food and most importantly, some outdoors stuff like big knives and just other cool stuff I was allowed to buy as a kid or travel with (smiles). You have to live in Alaska for 3 months though before you are allowed to buy a gun. Shame really. The reason I'm buying most of it out there is because it will be designed for the environment we are going to be living in. I'm going to be wearing lots of Layers, all lightweight stuff. I reckon its going to cost about £1000 for the out doors equipment I need. Its not about taking lots of stuff, its about taking the right stuff.

What are your top 5 bits of Kit?
My inflatable paddleboard, my 3 piece inflatable paddle, my dry suit, warm clothing and enough food to survive on, in case my fishing fails! I’ll be taking lots of other kit though. I will have my emergency distress signal, I’ll be taking my phone but there is no way of knowing if I’ll get any signal. I will be taking a camera to try and capture as much of the experience as possible and a solar charger to keep it all working.

Finally, can you paddle faster than a bear?
No way. No Chance! I can’t run, climb swim or paddle faster than any bear. I’ll be keeping my pepper spray to close hand and praying I don’t have to use it!

Nick would like to take the opportunity to sincerely thank everyone who has helped him on a personal level and with his kit sponsorship. K-66, Fanatic, ION, Quickblade, WeSUP, Freeriders, FCS. 

Packed... Sort of!

So nick called me last night... "I'm packed and Rambo aint got shit on me!" he exclaimed.

He then went on to explain his allowance is 26 Kilos so he's had to put the other 20 Kilos of stuff on his person and in his jacket pockets... you all know the one right?! The black one he can only wear with dark shades and the collar up. The one that makes him look like a East End mobster! Well anyway, based on his description, he's sounding like a prime terrorist candidate so we'll look forward to seeing if he even makes it through security this afternoon or if he gets stung for his 46 Kilos of luggage.

Id also like to note that I made a point of how simple and Lo-Fi  ESUP (exploration SUP) can be and now it appears that was all bollox! But trust me, Nick is going properly feral for while and is well informed to prepare for the unexpected so dont worry, not every ESUP trip requires such an arsenal of stuff!

Drysuits & Portable paddleboarding

The wind has been crazy lately, but it's finally blowing in a direction that we can make use of. Nick decided it would be a great opportunity to test the new ION Drysuit and paddles from Porthallow to Gylly beach in the 35mph southerly. We took his 14ft Inflatable and 3 piece paddle in my ridiculously impracticable Honda S2000. Point proven, SUP is now highly accessible regardless of the size of your mode of transport. Inflatable SUP's are changing the things we can do... Its awesome!


This trip is only 10 miles but the wind is serious. The main objective is to see how warm and dry he can stay in crazy conditions. The suit is an absolute breeze to get into, but it does need a wingman to zip up the rear. It's made from Neoprene so its light and as it turns out, ridiculously warm! A couple of cool features include a huge pocket on the leg for storage and a crutch zip for sprinkling the garden!

I didnt mention it but I will now... The road to the drop off point is a winding network of Cornish A-roads. It's an 50 minute drive and that's not going slowly! It's about 25 miles by road but 10 miles back by sea as the crow fly's. Nick beat me home!! I couldnt believe it!! He'd worked bloody hard and commented that he wont be paddling that hard in Alaska but wanted to push his limits in the suit.

A critical lesson was learned on this trip. Get all the air out of the suit before you take a plunge! As the confused, wavy sea forces him to take a dip in the ocean, the air rushed up through the neck seal and all the water flooded in! On this occasion he was pleased as he was absolutely boiling in the suit, but you would want that to happen in 2 degrees of iceberg infested waters! Not if he values his crown jewels anyway!

Pre Alaska Training

Nick Healey is an inspiration to many people for his ocean sports antics. WeSUP has been following his training and preparations pre-Alaska with the hope that what we learn will continue to inspire all who are interested.

I called Nick to see if he'd be happy for me to join him on a training run. He agreed so we followed his 10 mile over nighter to Durgen beach. Even this training trip was enough to inspire the camera crew. God only knows what impact the Alaska story will have!

As he ponders around his house swigging from a carton of Coconut Water, im taking in the simplicity of his home set up and the references that nod to his lifestyle. Most obvious his his ever faithful companion 'Burt'. He's the docile Golden Retriever who totally knows the score and wastes no time being as cute as possible to ensure his place on the adventure. Its all very calm and offers up a cool level of quietness which I guess reflects Nicks confidence and certainty that he is prepared and has everything he needs for this trip.

Nick packs his ION water proof bag with a Phone inside of a waterproof bag, a lightweight jacket by Finisterre, a summer sleeping bag a tiny tent, a ration pack, some modest snacks and of course, that Coconut water. He slings a hydration pack over his shoulder, collects the pieces of his 3 piece Quick Blade and heads out the door. It all seems too simple for a camping trip but knowing the journey he is about to undergo, I guess that the beauty is in its simplicity.



Nick's training ground is right outside of his front door in the Greenbank Harbour. Often a sheltered ocean location, its a stunning location which on this day was no exception. Its glassy flat and the sun is warm. Its a perfect day for such an excursion. Nicks a man who seems to have a friend for everything and as we head down the road to where nick stores his boards we come to a shed that couldn't be any closer to the water if it tried. Within there is every single board in Nicks quiver and im thinking - This man has his game sorted because we all know 14ft race boards are a nightmare to store. Well he's got 3 of them in there! He picks out the Fanatic backpack and carries it to the steps at the waters edge.

No one has seen the board within the bag as yet. It's brand new and not actually released in this country but its a 3rd Generation 14ft Inflatable Race Board by Fanatic. He pumps the beast up in about 5 minutes using a combination of the stock pump that reaches a 15psi limit before finishing off the 25psi capacity with an after-market pump by Red Paddle. It's not been easy, he's puffing a little but the board is solid as a rock! He assembles his paddle and its now time to go. We wave him off and head to Durgen beach some 10 miles by sea and car to meet him.

 Nick Arrives having barely broken a sweat and as we are looking through the lens at the back drop, it occurs to us that the location he's paddling into is absolutely breath taking in its beauty.

We'd all been to Durgen before, many times, but to be liberated by the concept of an over night stay in a tent, with a camp fire and marshmallows was properly inspiring. We had this massive discussion about why we don't just do stuff like this all the time... The weather is one reason for sure but the lack of understanding that something like this 10 mile overnight trip is so simple and accessible is the main reason. We all knew what we were capturing through the lens but we didn't all expect to share the satisfaction that Nick was feeling. He'd equipped himself with some very basic essentials and just gone camping... on his SUP! It's brilliant and is inspiring and its so, so simple! You dont even need to be particularly fit, just prepared and aware of the weather.

Bear Food

When Nick told me he was heading to Alaska on an unsupported wilderness adventure to one of the most remote locations on the planet, Nick posing as Bear Food was the first thing that popped into my mind.

We've laughed about it on so many occasions now and I've questioned his survival tactics but to this day, just one day before he leaves, his very limited knowledge on the administration of pepper spray is his how he sleeps at night


I personally think that there is a striking resemblance to the bear pictured above to the man in question, only Nick is slightly better looking (arguably). So, my advice is this... don't worry about being eaten my friend, worry about being mated with! Hahaha!!