Isle of Wight endurance athlete Charlie Head is preparing to paddleboard solo from Shetland to Orkney in a world-first challenge.
Charlie is set to raise money for the marine conservation group Sea Shepherd by stand-up paddleboarding the 100-mile route, which he estimates could take up to 24 hours to complete.
The route, which will see him depart from Shetland and pass Fair Isle before reaching Kirkwall, is expected to test his endurance, navigation skills and resilience.
Charlie, who previously attempted a paddleboard trek to the Faroe Islands before calling it off due to poor weather, is now waiting for a favourable weather window to begin his journey – which could begin tonight (Monday).
He described the upcoming crossing as “about surviving, pushing yourself and seeing what you can achieve”.
Charlie has undertaken numerous endurance paddleboarding feats, including a circumnavigation of the UK and a solo overnight 104km crossing of the Moray Firth, completed in less than 24 hours.
He said stand-up paddleboarding “gives you such a great vantage point that it makes it a great expedition method”.
He’s equipped with supplies, military-style food, radio, AIS tracking and flares, and says the key is to manage the balance between paddling, eating and resting.
Charlie has said:
“The physical challenge comes down to maths.
“It is about keeping paddling, eating and resting in the right ratios and recognising any change in circumstances that jeopardises those ratios.
“Previous endurance challenges give me the experience to maintain a balance between fatigue, temperature and staying alert.”
A mental health advocate, Charlie uses his expeditions as a way to explore resilience and recovery.
His journey from Shetland to Orkney will be trackable online, with a live link expected later today.
