About Brendon
A life shaped by the water.
World-record adventurer. Water-safety campaigner. Coastal regeneration consultant. Founder of Above Water.
Based on Devon’s English Riviera, Brendon Prince brings together a lifetime on the coast and a belief that adventure can change lives. His work connects extraordinary journeys with education, community and a safer relationship with the water.
Whether he is paddling an entire coastline, speaking to an audience or helping a destination realise its potential, the purpose is the same: inspire people to explore blue spaces with confidence, understanding and respect.
The purpose behind the paddle
Education that could save a life.
Before the world records came decades of teaching and lifeguarding. Brendon spent 23 years at Torquay Boys’ Grammar School and more than 25 years as a lifeguard, developing an understanding of how people learn, how confidence grows and how quickly conditions can change.
As founder and CEO of Above Water, he channels that experience into drowning prevention. The charity helps children become water smart, recognise danger and make better decisions around coastal and inland water.
Through its Young Leader Ambassador Programme and the Blue Cross Code, STOP, LOOK, LISTEN, FLOAT, Above Water turns knowledge into messages young people can understand and share.
Discover Above Water →Awards and recognition
Adventure with a lasting purpose.
Brendon’s achievements have been recognised across adventure, lifesaving and charitable work. These awards reflect both his commitment to pushing the boundaries of stand-up paddleboarding and his determination to help people enjoy the water safely.
- SUPconnect Man of the Year 2022, recognising his achievements in stand-up paddleboarding and his advocacy for water safety.
- Prime Minister’s Points of Light Award for services to water safety through Above Water.
- SLSGB Gold Bravery Award.
- Amplifon Brave Britons Charity Champion 2022.
- The Wave Project Fundraiser of the Year 2021.
He was also featured on the World Top Explorers List 2024. His world-record expeditions provide a platform to share practical lessons in preparation, resilience and respect for the water.
The Long Paddle · 2021
3,907.7 km.
A bigger reason to keep going.
In 2021, Brendon became the first person to stand-up paddleboard around the entire mainland coast of Great Britain. The 141-day journey demanded endurance, preparation and countless decisions, while creating a national platform for water-safety education.
Further adventures followed along Northern Ireland’s coast and across Lough Neagh. In 2023, he lived continuously on a paddleboard for eight days and four minutes, carrying his equipment, food and water on board. In 2026, he paddled 192.2 km continuously on open ocean without touching land.
See the adventures and records →Preparation · Resilience · Judgement
Lessons lived at sea.
Long expeditions make preparation visible. Every piece of equipment has a purpose, every decision has a consequence and perseverance depends on knowing when to continue, adapt or stop.
Brendon brings those experiences into his speaking, guided SUP adventures and work with organisations. His approach combines the ambition to take on a challenge with the judgement to manage it responsibly.
Explore blue-space experiences →
Beyond the breakers
Turning experience into impact.
Through his keynote, Beyond the Breakers, Brendon shares practical lessons in resilience, leadership, purpose and decision-making. His stories connect the pressure of an expedition with the challenges people face in their own lives and work.
He also works on coastal strategy and destination marketing, helping places turn their identity, events and blue-space opportunities into stronger visitor appeal and memorable experiences.
As Event Director of the ICF SUP World Cup on the English Riviera in 2026, he successfully bid for, planned, commercially financed and delivered the event. His work with SUPTwelve and SUPERFestival continues to bring paddlers together, showcase the coast and support Above Water.
Coastal regeneration · Blue space engagement
Connecting people, places and the water.
For more than five years, Brendon has worked with councils, major developers and coastal partners to help destinations make more of their relationship with the sea. He brings together experience in education, watersports, visitor engagement and event delivery to shape projects with commercial potential and lasting community value.
His consultancy work with THAT Group focuses on destination strategy and place positioning for coastal regeneration. He contributes visitor-economy, storytelling and operational insight to immersive experience concepts, helping connect a development’s identity with the experiences people can enjoy there.
Brendon also works with Christopher Kerr at Davitt Jones Bould on coastal development, regeneration and the long-term stewardship of coastal communities. His contribution centres on how people engage with a place, how its blue spaces can support activity and wellbeing, and how regeneration can strengthen the connection between local communities, visitors and the coast.
Through Torbay Council’s On and In the Water work, he brings together council teams, harbour teams, Paddle UK, clubs, accommodation providers, sponsors and local operators. The aim is to build the English Riviera’s watersports identity through year-round experiences, events and participation, supporting local businesses and giving people more reasons to visit and return.
Blue space engagement means helping people take an active part in the places around them. Brendon uses coastal walking, stand-up paddleboarding and sea swimming, alongside education and community activity, to help people build confidence in, on and around the water. Water safety and drowning prevention run through that work, from a first experience at the coast to the development of a wider destination offer.
Explore coastal consultancy →Rooted in the English Riviera
Adventure starts with connection.
From the Above Water hub at Meadfoot to school visits, community clubs and international events, Brendon’s work connects people to the coast and to one another. The ambition is to help more people enjoy the water and give them the understanding to do so safely.