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. Don’t miss David’s tips for getting started with paddleboarding and how we can have more environmentally friendly outdoors adventures at the end of the episode, as well as a minute of the sounds of nature from one of my morning walks for a little bit of escapism in your busy day. David’s episode of The Outdoors Fix is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts. It’s also embedded below. I hope you enjoy it! Liv x The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk You’ll find David Haze on Instagram @nomadicpaddler The Big Retreat Festival is @thebigretreatfestival You can find photos and videos from our recording on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix The Outdoors Fix book is now available: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc Audio from The Big Retreat Festival produced by Pete Crouch at Liquid Studios: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petecrouch/

Om Podcasten

Making adventures outdoors a bigger part of your life. Do you ever sit at your desk wishing you were hiking, wild camping, rock climbing, paddleboarding or wild swimming? If you’re nodding your head, The Outdoors Fix is for you. It’s a podcast to to inspire YOU to get outside and make adventures outdoors a bigger part of your life! Hiker and journalist Liv Bolton speaks to fantastic women and men who have changed their lives to get outdoors more and their stories and tips can help listeners do the same. There’s also practical advice about hiking, cycling, wild swimming and landscape photography to get stuck into too. Recorded outside, the podcast also opens up the conversation about how the outdoors can be key to our wellbeing. You’ll hear how it’s helped some people with their mental health, connected people, brought purpose and a whole lot of fun to people’s lives. You can find the podcast and more information on The Outdoors Fix website or on Instagram @theoutdoorsfix If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe to make sure you get all the episodes when they come out and please rate and review it to help other people find us. Thanks! * The Outdoors Fix is a podcast hosted and produced by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk It is proudly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell.