Keeping head above water: Brendon Prince

Brendon, a teacher and lifeguard with over 25 years of experience, has championed water safety education ever since witnessing three souls drown on a North Cornwall beach.

Interview: Peter Tranter. Photos: Brendon Prince, Will Reddaway – WRPhotography & Harry Thompson

Brendon, a teacher and lifeguard with over 25 years of experience, has championed water safety education ever since witnessing three souls drown on a North Cornwall beach. He set up and became chairman of the Torbay Surf Life Saving Club and founded the charity Above Water to highlight the need to teach children water safety. In 2021, Brendon took on an incredible endurance challenge to SUP the entire coast of mainland Britain – The Long Paddle. In completing this world first, Brendon set five world records. Time for a catch up!

Tell us a bit about your background.
Saltwater mad Welsh Devonian with a fab beach-loving family and a massive education, lifeguarding and sports background.
 
What is your sporting/water sports background?
White water and surf kayaking were my original loves, along with open water swimming. This was when everything was fluorescent back in the 80s, and you could only wear budgie smugglers swimming because that was all there was! I paddled some big rivers in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, China, North America, and Europe through my late teens before the reality hit that I’d used up all my nine lives. Mountaineering, sailing and surfing took over the river stuff, which wasn’t much safer, but I felt that this reset the ‘lives’ thing. Surf Life Saving has played a big part, too; swimming, prone paddling, and ski distance paddling are still some of my most enjoyable activities on the water.  

How did you get into SUP? 
I have a somewhat smashed body from rugby and adventurous pursuits. It’s nothing to boast about, but life has certainly painted a scarred picture across my body. Traditional surfing was becoming more painful, whereas SUP, and especially SUP surfing, was pain-free. My first SUP was a Circle One 10’3 by 33 surf SUP (I still have it). I loved it, but the surfers around me weren’t keen. I think this was around 2007.

Tell us a little about Above Water and what the charity does.
It’s all about water safety and drowning prevention education, helping schools teach these essential life skills. For many reasons, we are finding that more than 50% of schools are not. The consequences of this are beyond scary!

Tell us about the inspiration behind starting the Above Water charity?
I’ll keep it brief and brutally honest: you see someone drowning, and you never forget; you see multiple people drowning, and it changes your life and life mission forever.

What motivated you to combine SUP with charitable efforts?
Everyone loves a challenge, and for most, SUP is a real challenge. So when people see what I do on a SUP and the places I do it, it can help generate funds for charity.

What specific initiatives is Above Water currently focusing on?
Above Water is over-subscribed for individual school visits, but we have a solution! We coordinate hub training sessions where up to 50 schools can attend one session. This creates hundreds of young leaders trained to become water safety ambassadors. They then have all the skills and resources to teach water safety and drowning prevention skills in their schools. With nine million school-age students in the UK, this is the largest practical solution to annual training for the children of the UK. Research shows that students who receive a minimum of 45 minutes of training each year in water safety knowledge and practical drowning prevention techniques have a greater chance of survival and taking these skills into a healthier and happier adulthood.

What role do partnerships and sponsorships play in supporting Above Water’s activities?
We can’t do it without them. A water safety training hub costs about £500, and all this money comes from partnerships and sponsors.

How do you think new paddlers are best reached about safety?
Firstly, water safety is not sexy; very few people want to talk about it, even though they understand its importance, so this is a million-dollar question. There are many angles to take on this, but demonstrating sound and safe practice will always be a fundamental way for new paddlers to emulate and learn. This is why social media plays a massive part in educating.

Have you had SUP industry support?
Yes, massive. The SUP industry and community understand the importance of water safety education, so they have made the last five years of growth with the charity and my paddling a much easier journey.

How can we support Above Water?
Can you help set up a young leader training session at your local school? Like and share the water safety messages from Above Water on social media. Be an ambassador for water safety every time you hit the water; you never know who is watching and learning from you.

What further work will you be doing to educate and inform paddlers? 
The work will never stop. I’m working extensively with Paddle UK as part of their SUP Technical Group and with many other working parties on topical and relevant concerns and issues.

Does your teaching background give you an advantage when discussing safety with youngsters?
Twenty-five years of teaching experience is my biggest asset to being in front of students or adults to share stories of adventure and fun on the water with water safety messaging hidden in all I do.

So, how many races and SUP events are you organising this year?
Two events: SUPTwelve and the TorBay SUP Championships. SUPTwelve is a 12-hour endurance race that will test your paddling and resolve whilst making lifelong friends who are going through the pain with you. SOLD OUT!

The TorBay SUP Championships are planned to be a new era of SUP racing for the UK. Working with Paddle UK and other organisations, they are the start of a four-year plan to bring international-level competition to the UK. They will bring together significant sponsorship to put on a show of SUP. 2024 is just the start, but there are big plans. More info is coming soon.

What makes these SUP races unique as compared to other similar events?
We have some fantastic events in the UK, with awesome people organising them. The best ones are created with a love of the sport and a passion to do it in the area the organisers love and understand. I’ve organised over 100 races on the sea, from open water swims to triathlons and SUP racing; understanding how to share the love of the sea through an event is magic.

How do you ensure inclusivity and accessibility within your SUP races?
SUP is an incredibly young sport so this is a big challenge. I will visit schools in parts of the UK where students or even teachers don’t know what a stand up paddle board is, let alone think about racing it! This is where events play a large part in magnifying the narrative. If we have the best version of racing in the UK, media is attracted, publicity gained, sponsors engaged and people start to SEE our sport. If you can see it, you can be it! This is the journey to ensure the sport, its races and activities, are inclusive to all and accessible to anyone.

How do you plan to leverage these races to further the cause supported by Above Water?
As I mentioned before, we should demonstrate sound and safe practice, alongside highlighting the charity to many more paddlers, and hopefully engage with a few to help the children of this island nation become water smart.

How do you measure the success of Above Water?
No one ever finds out about the child who didn’t drown or need rescuing because they made the right choice when in, on, or around water. By training our children in water safety, we are helping them to make the right choice. The more we train, the more children will make the right choice! 
 
Are there opportunities for volunteers to get involved with Above Water or the SUP races?
Yes, contact the charity and let’s talk more.

Do you have any particular favourite SUP locations (home or abroad), and why?
The best locations are found by stimulating emotions, so South Devon would be a good choice for relaxed paddling. Or, it would be paddling under the 750m cliffs around Faroe Island. There is also a wonder of wildlife: 10,000 seals on the beaches of Norfolk or Orca in Scotland. The best place to wear boardies (of course, with an inflatable PFD) is the Florida Keys

What’s your view on the wider world of SUP as it stands?
Crickey, the big questions are coming thick and fast. I think SUP in the UK is at a fork in the road. Does it become a proper sport, growing and developing for the next decade, or stay a recreational activity that could potentially die out if a new activity comes along? This is a big motivator for me to stage events and promote activities.

2023 was a big year concerning the governance of SUP – what were your thoughts at the time?
It needed a governing body – FACT. It was a slightly wobbly way to get here, but thankfully, we are here, so let’s all look forward and support wherever we can.

You recently met a group of people from what used to be British Canoeing, now Paddler UK. What lasting impression did they leave? 
Paddle UK is doing a great job. I am enthused about the future of SUP with them at the helm.

Any plans for more long-distance paddles such as your circumnavigation of Great Britain, or was once enough?
Ha ha, in 2022, I finished the whole of the UK coastline by completing Northern Ireland in seven days… Northern Ireland offers some proper engaging paddling. In 2023, I lived on a SUP for eight days and four minutes. This year will see some big open ocean paddling. Check out my website and socials to find out more. The challenges will never stop because they drive my support and, more importantly, the water safety message.

How do you think SUP has benefitted your personal life?
It promotes health and happiness – nothing better.
 
Any final shout outs?
There are many, many people, brands, organisations, and magazines doing great work for SUP in the UK; we all need to play a part @togetherwearestronger.

Finally, where can people find more information about Above Water and how to get involved in your SUP races?
www.abovewater.org on socials as @abovewateruk
www.brendonprince.com 
on socials as @brendonprincesup