David Haze: Prison to paddleboarding and breaking world records

– Live from the Big Retreat festival

David Haze: Prison to paddleboarding and breaking world records – Live from the Big Retreat festival

David Haze’s story is one of the most extraordinary that I have ever come across on this podcast.

He’s a nine-time world record breaking paddleboarder and ocean activist. But five years ago, he was in prison for burglary and handling stolen goods.

In the years since his release, he’s grabbed his second chance at life and undertaken some extraordinary paddleboarding adventures, breaking records in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Iceland.

Just last month, he paddleboarded across the English Channel in tandem with his adventure partner Joe Cartwright, something that he’d already broken the record for solo.

David’s also made a name for himself in zero-carbon, environmentally-friendly adventures, and he was recognised for this in 2023 when he was named Ocean Activist of the Year by the campaigning charity Surfers Against Sewage.

I spoke to David at the Big Retreat festival in Pembrokeshire in front of a live audience and I heard more about why he feels paddleboarding has helped his rehabilitation after prison, how he got into the sport, and why he’s passionate about encouraging others to have more adventure in their lives.

This episode of The Outdoors Fix was kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell.

Merrell have kindly offered listeners of The Outdoors Fix a 20% off discount on their shoes at Merrell.co.uk So just use the code FIX20 which is valid on all full price items on their website.