The Great Big Paddle Parade 2023 – Supporting the RNLI

Last month, one of our colleagues took part in The Great Big Paddle Parade.

The Great Big Paddle Parade is a charity fundraiser and sea safety awareness campaign in support of the Torbay Lifeboat (RNLI). They attempted to break a world record for the most Stand-Up Paddle Boarders on parade.

Participants paddled from three different locations along the coast, Abbey Sands Beach, Goodrington Beach and finally Broadsands Beach moving west along the coast to the final location of Fishcombe Cove. At Fishcombe Cove, they had an official count and 696 paddleboarders were recorded, unfortunately not enough to break the record, however, a very good effort.

The RNLI saved the lives of 59 paddleboarders in the last 10 years. Whilst this number may seem small in comparison to the large volume of paddlers across the UK getting on the water every day, a huge 75% (44) of those rescues have happened since 2020. This shows that the sport is growing, and with an increase in uptake, sadly an increase in rescues is required.

The event is organised by Soak Lifestyle and will take place again in 2024!

Aerial Shot – Paul Cousins Photography