April 7, 2025
#136 - Patrik Skovjasa - Adventures with the Danube Kayaker
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Join us for today's episode of Paddling the Blue as we journey with Patrik Skovjasa as he transforms from a novice stumbling in cold waters to an adventurer on the Danube River and beyond. With tales of lost wedding rings and solo trips spanning across Europe, discover the challenges and beauty of paddling all 10 countries the Danube touches, and what it's like having a dog as your kayaking companion.
00:09 - Introduction to Paddling the Blue
01:20 - Meeting Patrick Scoviasa
02:50 - Early Paddling Adventures
06:22 - The Journey on the Danube
10:25 - Crossing Borders and Challenges
13:11 - Memorable Encounters
17:17 - Camping and the Wild
23:21 - Preparing for New Adventures
26:34 - Exploring Exotic Waters
27:43 - Haida Gwaii Experience
33:22 - Tips for Paddlers
35:10 - Resources for Future Trips
36:29 - Future Guests and Farewell
WEBVTT
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Welcome to Paddling the Blue. With each episode, we talk with guests from the
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Great Lakes and around the globe who are doing cool things related to sea kayaking.
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I'm your host, my name is John Chase, and let's get started paddling the blue.
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Welcome to today's episode of Paddling the Blue.
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Today's guest is Patrick Scoviasa. Patrick has built quite an expedition resume,
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from his first mishap in a kayak on his first outing to a three-part solo of
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the Danube River and several trips since.
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And one of his trips even include a dog. So we're going to talk about his trips today.
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Before we get to our conversation with Patrick, James and Simon at OnlineSeaKayaking.com
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continue to produce great content to help you evolve as a paddler and as a coach.
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surfing, coaching, documentaries, expedition skills, and incident management, and more.
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Online Whitewater, and they're also offering the same discount to listeners.
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Again, use the coupon code PTBPODCAST to check out and explore and enjoy.
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Enjoy today's episode with Patrick Scoviasa.
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Hello, Patrick. Welcome to Paddling the Blue. Hello, Jim.
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Thank you for inviting me. You're welcome. I appreciate the opportunity.
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I've watched your videos for a while here, and you've done some amazing things.
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In just a few years, you've built quite the expedition list.
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So, what inspired you to start paddling?
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Actually, I got sea kayak as a gift from my wife.
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As i as i tried on early
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spring on lake near our
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house i capsized on your
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first trip yeah on my very own trip
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so it was funny but this
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was the reason why i find my friend who teach me pedaling so actually it was
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like good opportunity to find help and uh became paddler.
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Faster so that first experience of capsizing was your immediate awareness of
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i need to develop some skills.
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It was a little bit weird because I also lost my wedding ring.
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It was just really cold water.
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It was my start with pedaling. Yeah.
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Yeah. You learned a lot in that first day. Yeah.
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Then I started training on Daniel River and I set my goal to be able to,
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to pedal on the Danube River alone. Maybe it was not a big deal for somebody,
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but I was scared from the Danube River.
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It's the second biggest river in Europe.
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And I started in early spring. It was cold.
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But after a few months, I feel very cold. So how long from that first capsize
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to your trip on the Danube, your big trip?
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I think my first big trip was next season.
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I pedaled from Passau in Germany back to the Breitslava, our capital city.
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It was roughly 400 kilometers. It was like special moment because I realized
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that this is something what I want to repeat it. Okay.
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The sense of freedom on the river. That's pretty impressive.
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So in just a few months went from your first capsize on your first day to that
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400 kilometer solo. So how did you build your skills to become prepared for that first 400k solo?
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First of all, as I meant, I found Tomáš, my friend, who teached me pedaling.
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I joined a little group and we trained on Danube and later on in my first summer
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times on Adriatic Sea to become more familiar with pedaling on the sea.
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And I have a problem to find somebody who wants to join me for more days.
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So I start pedaling alone.
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I repeat it many times.
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Now, Slovakia, is that a landlocked country?
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Yeah. We don't have sea. Yeah. But we have a few big rivers,
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like the New River, and I really like to paddle on Adriatic Sea,
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which is just a few hours of driving.
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Okay. But you can't necessarily just go out your back door from your home and
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have a paddling destination very close by.
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Yeah, I live near the river.
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Okay. It's a branch of the Danube
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River, so I can pedal a few kilometers and I am on a big river. Okay.
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So when was that that you first got the kayak? What year? I think it was roughly 10 years ago. Okay.
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All right. So as we're recording this in 2025, so roughly 2015,
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you received that kayak and then you You went through the process of building
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your skills with that 400-kilometer solo, and then you set your sights on a much larger trip.
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So tell us about your big Danube trip.
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So I pedaled the whole Danube River, but it was not as one trip,
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but like three consequent summers. Okay.
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And last stretch was 800 kilometers.
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It was from border of Bulgaria to the Black Sea and how long was that trip?
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It was three and something weeks, so almost one month.
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But the entire trip was 2,500 kilometers?
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Yeah, something like that. Some part of the Danube I do more than once.
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I try to pedal on, you know, I try different ways, especially in Danube Delta.
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You can pedal there two, three weeks And still using another waves And you did
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that 2,500 kilometers over the course of three years So three successive summers, you said?
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Yeah, two summers So when most people think
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of the Danube They imagine Viking cruise
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ships and barges So tell us
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about the beauty that we don't see the river
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is like second largest
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river and how to
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say each part of the river is different in
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germany and in austria there is
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like a lot of buildings and
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a lot of human activities but
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from Slovakia down it's much nicer
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I mean more natural and
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everywhere is something nice in
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Slovakia and in Hungary I like the gravel beaches like never ending beaches
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many kilometers like very nice in Bulgaria you can find sandy beaches warm water
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warmer than in sea during in the summer,
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so very clean water.
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A lot of wildlife. I also like Danube inland delta.
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It's part of the Danube river between Slovakian and Hungary and border.
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It's looked similar to delta.
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A lot of wildlife. It actually is very close to my house.
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So I like it there, especially during the winter, because nobody is there.
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So it's not all cruise ships and barges. Yeah, there are some marine traffic,
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sorry, river traffic, but it's a wide river, so it's not a big deal. Okay.
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And on the lower part of the river, the Danube is so wide that you maybe didn't
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see the traffic. And where did that three-year trip start and end again?
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I started with Slovakian part.
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My first trip was from Vienna to Budapest, then Austrian part from Passau to Bratislava.
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Then, I think, German part from Ingolstadt to Passau.
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Then, Bratislava to Vidin. It's in Bulgaria.
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And last time, the last stretch from Vidin to Plexi.
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Now, how many countries did you cross through on that trip?
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Or for that whole length or the whole trip? I think it's 10 countries,
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10 different countries. Okay.
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So what are some of the challenges in passing through all those different countries?
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On the lower part, some countries weren't a part of the Schengen.
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Some border controls was difficult because you have to go to the mainland and
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find the police station and such a lot of not interesting work.
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Did you run into any challenges with those country entries?
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Yeah, especially Croatia and Serbian border.
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They don't like each other because of Balkany wars. And it's difficult because
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you are either in one country or in another.
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You can just go from one side of the river to another because it's illegal.
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And sometimes I have trouble with police, but nothing special happened.
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No almost trip-ending moments or anything like that.
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I noticed many of your videos show you with a flag on your boat.
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And there was one segment in one of your videos about the Danube with a large
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group of kayaks lined up on a beach, and they all had flags.
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And that doesn't seem to be common elsewhere. Is that common along the Danube?
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Yeah, it's interesting. Every year, there is...
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It's called Tour International Danubian. It's like regatta, which start in Ingolstadt,
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then pedal to the Black Sea, Iger.
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And I joined them on some parts.
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So regatta. Okay. On the pictures.
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Yeah. Is that common to carry a flag on your boat? I think it's necessary in Serbia.
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It's low you you you need to wear
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a serbian flag but when i paddle on on the danube river i also wear slovakian
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flag it's interesting that for example in serbia there are a lot of slovakian communities.
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People go to me and ask me, in my language, a thousand kilometers from Slovakia, so it was nice.
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Some people invite me to the home to have dinner or sleep in their house, so it was nice.
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So speaking of people, tell us about some of the most memorable people experiences
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that you encountered along that trip.
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Usually, I join somebody.
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For example, I joined a couple of Czech couple.
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They peddle on canoe.
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And I peddle one stretch of this big trip with my dog.
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And they help me. Because for my dog, it was much better in canoe than in kayak.
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So you put the dog in the canoe and paddled along with them?
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Yeah. Okay. And we met at the evening on some beach, and it was nice to have.
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Interesting. So one of those trips, and how long was that trip with your dog, that portion?
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I think around 500 kilometers. It was Serbian part. Okay.
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All right. So let's talk a little bit about that. But so you've got a dog for
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500 kilometers and a kayak. Where'd you put the dog?
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When it was not windy, he was like on the top of the kayak behind me. Really?
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He liked it. He very soon learned to jump.
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And during the bad weather, he was inside the kayak between my legs.
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And i removed the day
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hatch okay so he was able to put head outside from the kayak okay i i've not
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i've not interviewed somebody who who carried a dog with them on their kayak
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on a long expedition that's very unique.
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Yeah, but it was not a good idea, to be honest. Okay. Because they have a lot of...
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So I have a lot of troubles with wild dogs.
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They were very aggressive, not to people, but to my dog.
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I have a lot of incidents, so it was not a good idea.
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Well, I will make that note to myself, not to bring a dog on my next trip.
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Oh it's dependent countries in
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these countries i mean on balkan people catch
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catch dog give them vaccines and release them
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back so you you
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you can find room of uh 50 dogs and it can be a little dangerous if you have
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dog because the they want to eat your dog okay yeah there are a couple that
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helped you out with the dog and they had a canoe and give the dog a little bit more room.
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Tell us about some of the other memorable people experiences that you came across.
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I met a lot of good people in Serbia.
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It was the part when I joined this regatta and the organizer of the Serbian
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part of this regatta was from Vojvodina.
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It's part of Serbia, but a lot of people still talk in the Slovak language,
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so it was a good chance to speak to the people.
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It was sometimes hard to talk to people because they don't speak English.
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In Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, it's like nobody speaks English,
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so it was sometimes really hard to speak.
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To talk to some complicated topics.
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And these people speak Slovak and a little bit German, so we can talk a lot.
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So they showed me Serbia, invited me to many events, like areas in some local family.
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So it was nice. What challenges did you face along the trip or series of trips?
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On the lower part, I think lower the Belgrade, they have wind, Koshawa.
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It's wind blowing from Black Sea.
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And sometimes it's too strong and it's still blowing so you have to start every
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morning and pedal if it's possible and later waiting for.
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Wind becomes slower Now did you camp most of the way on the trip?
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Yes, almost all the time I camped on the shore.
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With exception of those times that people invited you to stay and that sort of thing.
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Does the Danube, at large points, does it feel wild?
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Only a few cities lying on the shore.
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And from Slovakia, it's really wild.
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Okay. And under the Iron Gate, the last dam, it's like really wild.
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There is almost nothing.
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Yeah. Again, vastly different from what we normally think of when we think of the Danube.
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Only German and Austrian part is, there's a lot of urbans, a lot of cities,
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sometimes roads along the river.
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But then it's really nice. And
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so you passed through a lot of farmland and such then from then on. Yeah.
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How about wildlife experiences along the trip?
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A lot of birds from Serbia.
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Also, I'm sorry, I forgot the name of the bird.
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The big white. Sorry, I don't remember the English name. Okay. Okay.
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I think I saw some pelicans in some of your pictures. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Pelicans. Okay.
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So I saw big groups of pelicans.
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And in the Danube Delta, there are like millions of birds.
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Nothing completely out of the ordinary.
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I know. Mosquitoes. Okay. And on the lower part, it's like mosquito hell.
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So it's worse than, I don't know, I peddle on many places on Earth,
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but I never ever see so many mosquitoes like on Daniel River.
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Well, that's the unfortunate burden, I guess.
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Yeah. Sometimes, also during the day, it was like dark because so many mosquitoes.
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How did you plan that series of trips?
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Hmm not i think nothing special i
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just uh make time plan and
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just just go okay so you didn't try and pre-plan anything like this is where
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i might stay or any kind of research that you need to do ahead of time or it's
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just get in the boat and head down river and see where it takes you yeah on
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on the daniel river it's not difficult planning because you just go in one direction,
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If it's too bad weather, you just land and camp and wait until it became better.
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So it's easy when you compare it to sea.
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Okay, good. And so from 2015, when you got your first boat, when did you start this trip?
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Next year. Oh, the next year, okay. Okay. So you did successive over the next
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three years from there to complete that one and ending up in the Black Sea.
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Now, how did that feel, ending in the Black Sea? Mm-hmm.
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So it was a good feeling, of course, but it happened to me on the end of each
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trip that I start thinking to the next trip.
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But that I think to the sea, that definitely I will continue on sea.
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Okay. So you were planning along the way what your next trip was going to be. Yeah.
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All right. And we'll talk about that in just a moment.
00:22:01.179 --> 00:22:04.879
What else did you kind of think about? How did you occupy yourself in addition
00:22:04.879 --> 00:22:06.599
to the paddling as a soloist?
00:22:06.599 --> 00:22:09.539
I i read a lot
00:22:09.539 --> 00:22:12.459
during the free times
00:22:12.459 --> 00:22:16.119
i mean when i don't pedal i hike
00:22:16.119 --> 00:22:19.539
a lot every day i walked maybe
00:22:19.539 --> 00:22:22.639
20 kilometers explore the
00:22:22.639 --> 00:22:25.699
country the last stretch i
00:22:25.699 --> 00:22:28.679
have to to work so i have computer with
00:22:28.679 --> 00:22:32.339
myself with solar panel and sometimes i
00:22:32.339 --> 00:22:35.839
have to make stop and do something
00:22:35.839 --> 00:22:38.979
okay because not not
00:22:38.979 --> 00:22:46.839
every time it was so easy to ask in my job to go somewhere to one month yeah
00:22:46.839 --> 00:22:50.879
that's a lot of time to to get off now you mentioned that you would hike for
00:22:50.879 --> 00:22:54.999
quite a way up to 20 kilometers a day which is quite a hike considering you're
00:22:54.999 --> 00:22:58.019
also paddling How many hours would you average paddle?
00:22:58.479 --> 00:23:04.319
I tried to paddle at least 50 kilometers every day.
00:23:05.319 --> 00:23:14.359
It was not so hard because the Danube part, sometimes I pedal more than 100 kilometers.
00:23:15.819 --> 00:23:19.939
It was good conditions and then I make day off.
00:23:21.043 --> 00:23:25.103
Wander around like when
00:23:25.103 --> 00:23:29.143
i pedal next to some nice
00:23:29.143 --> 00:23:32.063
cities so i i make a
00:23:32.063 --> 00:23:35.943
day off and explore the city even uh
00:23:35.943 --> 00:23:42.683
you know only a only a year into into paddling and to be doing a trip that's
00:23:42.683 --> 00:23:48.203
a month long and continuous paddling throughout the day even up to 100 kilometers
00:23:48.203 --> 00:23:53.043
a day that's that's a big trip that's a that's a lot to ask of yourself how
00:23:53.043 --> 00:23:54.823
did you physically prepare yourself for it,
00:23:55.683 --> 00:23:58.783
just just pedal do you do any training outside
00:23:58.783 --> 00:24:01.803
of paddling in that time i i
00:24:01.803 --> 00:24:09.523
think that's i i pedaled so uh so so much that i i don't have time to do nothing
00:24:09.523 --> 00:24:13.663
else so you mentioned that you were you're thinking about your next trip as
00:24:13.663 --> 00:24:19.823
you're completing that trip so where was the next trip But I think that I pedal Adriatic Sea.
00:24:20.663 --> 00:24:28.463
I want to try to pedal some bigger tribon on the sea, and I try Adriatic Sea
00:24:28.463 --> 00:24:31.643
because I was familiar with this sea.
00:24:32.648 --> 00:24:37.188
I paddled from Reka to Dubrovnik, to the outer island.
00:24:37.888 --> 00:24:44.428
And it was, you know, like at the moment when I realized that this is something
00:24:44.428 --> 00:24:46.888
what I want to continue with.
00:24:47.428 --> 00:24:50.988
And how was that trip different from the Danube?
00:24:51.468 --> 00:24:58.368
Oh, it was a sea trip, so it was much more difficult from a planning point of
00:24:58.368 --> 00:25:03.828
view. because it was, I think, 700 kilometers.
00:25:04.428 --> 00:25:10.008
Also, weather on Adriatic Sea can be challenging and can change weather,
00:25:10.308 --> 00:25:17.048
can change very fast there because from each side are mountains.
00:25:18.048 --> 00:25:21.348
There's a lot of katabatic wind almost every day.
00:25:22.588 --> 00:25:27.848
So probably the wind was biggest challenge.
00:25:27.848 --> 00:25:30.828
Okay but we we we peddle
00:25:30.828 --> 00:25:33.868
every day and that one you did with
00:25:33.868 --> 00:25:37.748
others yeah on this trip i was
00:25:37.748 --> 00:25:41.328
with one friend didn't know
00:25:41.328 --> 00:25:45.348
each other i just asked community on
00:25:45.348 --> 00:25:52.488
facebook and one guy joined join me because not nobody wants to join me for
00:25:52.488 --> 00:25:59.508
20 days i think okay so you're 20 days yeah that's That's a long time to spend
00:25:59.508 --> 00:26:03.468
with somebody that you'd met for the first time on the trip. So how did you get along?
00:26:04.348 --> 00:26:13.108
We paddled together, but this guy don't talk with me too much. He was very quiet.
00:26:13.468 --> 00:26:17.348
Okay. So he was just a good companion.
00:26:17.788 --> 00:26:19.968
Do you still paddle together on other trips?
00:26:20.828 --> 00:26:28.128
No. I think we didn't meet again. So you paddled the Danube,
00:26:28.488 --> 00:26:34.148
you paddled the Adriatic Sea, and then you went to Lofoten Islands?
00:26:34.868 --> 00:26:44.068
Yeah, but before the Lofoten Islands, I have a period of my paddling when I
00:26:44.068 --> 00:26:47.208
went to the tropics each year.
00:26:47.608 --> 00:26:51.168
First year, I went in Thailand.
00:26:52.108 --> 00:26:58.368
Okay. It was like my first exotic expedition.
00:27:00.384 --> 00:27:07.704
I was here with two other guys from Slovakia, and it was absolutely amazing.
00:27:08.164 --> 00:27:18.124
I really liked the wildlife in Thailand, on the sea and also on the rivers, rainforest.
00:27:19.324 --> 00:27:29.484
A year after I pedaled on the Philippines on folding kayaks.
00:27:29.684 --> 00:27:39.024
I bought two folding kayaks, a single and double kayak, find people on Slovakia
00:27:39.024 --> 00:27:42.624
and we pedaled on the Philippines.
00:27:43.084 --> 00:27:46.284
How long were those trips? originally it
00:27:46.284 --> 00:27:49.744
was planned for six weeks but it
00:27:49.744 --> 00:27:57.924
was during the COVID and a lot of things changed first time they rejected me
00:27:57.924 --> 00:28:07.684
to cross the border and I had to go home but two weeks later I tried,
00:28:08.324 --> 00:28:12.144
again and finally go
00:28:12.144 --> 00:28:16.504
to the to the philippines but other
00:28:16.504 --> 00:28:19.324
guys don't want to join me anymore
00:28:19.324 --> 00:28:22.684
because they're scared that something can can
00:28:22.684 --> 00:28:30.504
happen so we we left only three guys and then your most recent trip was completely
00:28:30.504 --> 00:28:39.524
different than the others Haida Gwaii in Canada yeah Haida Haida Gwaii was like I think my best trip.
00:28:40.464 --> 00:28:49.204
Mega adventure we were lucky to have excellent conditions wildlife was amazing
00:28:49.204 --> 00:28:52.384
like a lot of whales bears,
00:28:52.624 --> 00:28:58.464
sharks I'll bet yeah that's a completely different experience altogether and
00:28:58.464 --> 00:28:59.504
how did you plan that trip.
00:29:00.879 --> 00:29:09.879
Like these big trips, I go through a lot of previous expeditions.
00:29:10.759 --> 00:29:14.659
Make a really good map with campings.
00:29:15.119 --> 00:29:23.719
I read a lot of books about Haida, create WhatsApp group and talk together.
00:29:23.719 --> 00:29:29.439
Because one guy was from Canada and two others from Slovakia,
00:29:29.659 --> 00:29:31.159
but from different cities.
00:29:31.599 --> 00:29:37.019
And how did you assemble that group? One guy was my friend.
00:29:37.199 --> 00:29:47.319
So initially because he was scared from this place because it's so remote, so wild and, you know.
00:29:47.979 --> 00:29:53.179
And the Canadian guy, he's originally from Slovakia.
00:29:53.719 --> 00:30:06.759
And one guy from Slovakia introduced him to me, and the other Slovakian guy was his friend.
00:30:07.339 --> 00:30:13.519
So tell us a little bit about that experience. Actually, it looks very easy.
00:30:13.999 --> 00:30:23.119
If I compare it with expedition British Columbia coast, we had XA and Radar.
00:30:23.719 --> 00:30:33.279
So we even don't use a dry suit, maybe twice, on the west side because of big waves.
00:30:33.539 --> 00:30:39.739
But it was sunny almost all the time without rain in the rainforest.
00:30:41.119 --> 00:30:47.139
We have a lot of animals around.
00:30:47.699 --> 00:30:54.819
We have a lot of time, so we go through all the... watchman sites.
00:30:55.799 --> 00:31:04.179
So we like to meet the First Nation people and talk to them.
00:31:04.539 --> 00:31:10.459
And they teach us about the country around.
00:31:10.819 --> 00:31:13.959
So it was really nice.
00:31:14.399 --> 00:31:22.379
So share one of those experiences with us. On Haida Gwaii, sometime in the past,
00:31:22.759 --> 00:31:29.199
it was a site with people who guard the island.
00:31:30.339 --> 00:31:34.899
And now it's like places for visitors.
00:31:35.479 --> 00:31:45.279
It's usually just one house somewhere in the wild with at least two people who
00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:46.919
lives there during the summer.
00:31:48.195 --> 00:31:53.595
And you can call them with radio and ask to land.
00:31:53.815 --> 00:31:59.415
And if they have time, you can land and talk to them.
00:31:59.815 --> 00:32:07.955
They will show you the place, some historical things, pictures.
00:32:08.595 --> 00:32:11.835
And these watchman houses are located all throughout the islands?
00:32:12.315 --> 00:32:17.675
Yeah, through the World National Park. And how do you find out about that?
00:32:18.195 --> 00:32:26.315
There are a lot of guidebooks about Heidegger, so it's not so hard. Okay.
00:32:27.015 --> 00:32:37.395
And it was really nice because some of these people were isolated many weeks
00:32:37.395 --> 00:32:38.995
because it already changed.
00:32:39.835 --> 00:32:45.655
And we were the first people who they meet after a long period of time.
00:32:45.655 --> 00:32:53.655
So it was like special because it was really light that they see somebody after
00:32:53.655 --> 00:32:59.775
a few weeks because it's really hard to go there also with a motorboat. Okay.
00:32:59.995 --> 00:33:02.555
It's more than 200 kilometers.
00:33:03.015 --> 00:33:06.615
You mentioned guidebooks. Do you have a favorite that you'd recommend?
00:33:07.395 --> 00:33:14.575
Yeah. On the British Columbia, there are Wild West Coast books And these are
00:33:14.575 --> 00:33:16.175
really, really good guidebooks.
00:33:17.075 --> 00:33:21.775
Okay. But there is no Haida Gwaii section, only the main coast.
00:33:22.255 --> 00:33:27.215
What do you want people to know about paddling your part of the world?
00:33:27.595 --> 00:33:32.855
I think important is choose the best season.
00:33:33.815 --> 00:33:41.055
I don't like to paddle here during the summer because it's too warm and too hot.
00:33:41.055 --> 00:33:47.275
So maybe choose autumn I like September,
00:33:47.455 --> 00:33:51.115
October here just write you
00:33:51.115 --> 00:33:59.715
can camp everywhere except Germany and Austria camping there is not so easy
00:33:59.715 --> 00:34:10.835
because everything is private land and you can camp everywhere it can look good for camping I think.
00:34:12.196 --> 00:34:17.916
It can be private land. Okay. So what resources might be available to paddlers
00:34:17.916 --> 00:34:22.316
that you could point people to that they could use to understand the area more
00:34:22.316 --> 00:34:25.556
and think about their own trips? They can try my blog.
00:34:26.156 --> 00:34:29.576
A lot of information about paddling on the Danube River.
00:34:29.816 --> 00:34:40.216
Then choose the part of the Danube River because it's 2,500 kilometers long.
00:34:41.196 --> 00:34:48.916
My part of the Danube River, I can recommend Danube Inland Delta is the part
00:34:48.916 --> 00:34:52.916
between Slovakian and Hungarian border, which I meant before.
00:34:53.396 --> 00:34:55.696
Are there other resources in addition to your blog?
00:34:56.796 --> 00:35:02.376
Just the map. On the Danube River, I use just the map.
00:35:02.696 --> 00:35:09.856
I think there is nothing special, like guidebook or something like that.
00:35:10.876 --> 00:35:16.876
So what is your blog address? Where can people find you? www.danubekayaker.com,
00:35:17.336 --> 00:35:19.216
Well, that's simple. People can find that.
00:35:19.836 --> 00:35:25.176
Where else can listeners contact with you? They can write me on WhatsApp or
00:35:25.176 --> 00:35:27.656
Signal to my Facebook page.
00:35:28.176 --> 00:35:32.076
Well, make sure we put links to those in the show notes so people can reach
00:35:32.076 --> 00:35:37.336
out to you and definitely a link to Danube Kayaker so people can learn about
00:35:37.336 --> 00:35:39.316
the trips that you've had. What's next for you?
00:35:40.661 --> 00:35:47.421
I planned to peddle the Alaska, the part from Prince Rupert,
00:35:47.601 --> 00:35:49.441
when I finished two years ago.
00:35:49.781 --> 00:35:56.141
And I want to continue to Glacier Bay on Alaska. When is that one planned?
00:35:56.861 --> 00:36:01.301
So next summer. Next summer. All right. So we're recording in 2025.
00:36:01.301 --> 00:36:04.461
So summer of 25 or summer of 2026?
00:36:05.201 --> 00:36:08.501
26. 26. Fantastic. All right.
00:36:09.161 --> 00:36:13.421
So like I said, we'll make sure we get links to your website and other contact
00:36:13.421 --> 00:36:15.381
points that people can reach out to you.
00:36:15.481 --> 00:36:20.081
And I appreciate the opportunity to talk to you and learn about your trip down
00:36:20.081 --> 00:36:23.581
the Danube, your multi-year trip down the Danube, as well as some of the other
00:36:23.581 --> 00:36:25.141
experiences that have come along the way.
00:36:25.441 --> 00:36:29.221
You've really built quite a resume over the last few years. So congratulations on that.
00:36:29.561 --> 00:36:33.581
I do have one final question for you. And that is, who else would you like to
00:36:33.581 --> 00:36:39.441
hear as a future guest on Paddling the Blue? I can recommend to talk to Tomáš
00:36:39.441 --> 00:36:43.041
Novotny, who joined me last summer.
00:36:43.421 --> 00:36:52.901
He was able to pedal high-dug wire after just a few months of preparation with me, and it was amazing.
00:36:53.741 --> 00:36:59.201
That's a pretty committing remote atmosphere in order to develop skills in that
00:36:59.201 --> 00:37:07.721
short period of time. Yeah, he trained very hard because I tried to make it hard for him.
00:37:07.901 --> 00:37:13.861
I tried to convince him to don't do this because I think that it's not possible
00:37:13.861 --> 00:37:18.861
without at least a few years of training.
00:37:20.321 --> 00:37:23.641
I would agree. Thank you for the opportunity. I appreciate the chance to talk
00:37:23.641 --> 00:37:28.821
to you and learn about your trips and wish you the absolute best on future trips, including Alaska.
00:37:29.261 --> 00:37:31.261
Thank you, John, for inviting me.
00:37:32.874 --> 00:37:36.194
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00:38:18.434 --> 00:38:21.514
Thank you to Patrick for joining us and sharing his experiences.
00:38:21.754 --> 00:38:24.814
Patrick's done a nice job of documenting some of his trips through video.
00:38:24.814 --> 00:38:29.454
And I will add a link to the YouTube videos as well as a link to his blog in the show notes.
00:38:29.834 --> 00:38:33.874
Thanks again, as always, to our partners at Online Sea Kayaking and now Online
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Until next time, thanks again for listening and I look forward to bringing you
00:38:49.414 --> 00:38:51.714
the next episode of Paddling the Blue.
00:38:52.694 --> 00:38:56.234
Thank you for listening to Paddling the Blue. You can subscribe to Paddling
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the Blue on Apple Music, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
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And you can find the show notes for this episode and other episodes,
00:39:10.294 --> 00:39:15.734
along with replays of past episodes, contact information, and more at paddlingtheblue.com.
00:39:15.914 --> 00:39:19.034
Until next time, I hope you get out and paddle the blue.
00:00:01.877 --> 00:00:05.897
Welcome to Paddling the Blue. With each episode, we talk with guests from the
00:00:05.897 --> 00:00:09.557
Great Lakes and around the globe who are doing cool things related to sea kayaking.
00:00:09.757 --> 00:00:14.337
I'm your host, my name is John Chase, and let's get started paddling the blue.
00:00:14.537 --> 00:00:16.717
Welcome to today's episode of Paddling the Blue.
00:00:17.057 --> 00:00:21.597
Today's guest is Patrick Scoviasa. Patrick has built quite an expedition resume,
00:00:21.797 --> 00:00:25.597
from his first mishap in a kayak on his first outing to a three-part solo of
00:00:25.597 --> 00:00:27.897
the Danube River and several trips since.
00:00:28.097 --> 00:00:31.697
And one of his trips even include a dog. So we're going to talk about his trips today.
00:00:32.037 --> 00:00:36.857
Before we get to our conversation with Patrick, James and Simon at OnlineSeaKayaking.com
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Enjoy today's episode with Patrick Scoviasa.
00:01:23.677 --> 00:01:27.437
Hello, Patrick. Welcome to Paddling the Blue. Hello, Jim.
00:01:27.957 --> 00:01:31.077
Thank you for inviting me. You're welcome. I appreciate the opportunity.
00:01:31.337 --> 00:01:36.017
I've watched your videos for a while here, and you've done some amazing things.
00:01:36.237 --> 00:01:39.657
In just a few years, you've built quite the expedition list.
00:01:39.877 --> 00:01:42.537
So, what inspired you to start paddling?
00:01:43.317 --> 00:01:47.697
Actually, I got sea kayak as a gift from my wife.
00:01:47.697 --> 00:01:50.717
As i as i tried on early
00:01:50.717 --> 00:01:53.637
spring on lake near our
00:01:53.637 --> 00:01:56.937
house i capsized on your
00:01:56.937 --> 00:02:00.197
first trip yeah on my very own trip
00:02:00.197 --> 00:02:04.577
so it was funny but this
00:02:04.577 --> 00:02:13.617
was the reason why i find my friend who teach me pedaling so actually it was
00:02:13.617 --> 00:02:22.777
like good opportunity to find help and uh became paddler.
00:02:24.217 --> 00:02:30.617
Faster so that first experience of capsizing was your immediate awareness of
00:02:30.617 --> 00:02:31.977
i need to develop some skills.
00:02:32.457 --> 00:02:37.417
It was a little bit weird because I also lost my wedding ring.
00:02:38.337 --> 00:02:42.577
It was just really cold water.
00:02:43.057 --> 00:02:46.797
It was my start with pedaling. Yeah.
00:02:47.377 --> 00:02:50.457
Yeah. You learned a lot in that first day. Yeah.
00:02:50.657 --> 00:02:59.697
Then I started training on Daniel River and I set my goal to be able to,
00:03:00.471 --> 00:03:07.971
to pedal on the Danube River alone. Maybe it was not a big deal for somebody,
00:03:08.291 --> 00:03:12.891
but I was scared from the Danube River.
00:03:13.191 --> 00:03:17.371
It's the second biggest river in Europe.
00:03:17.891 --> 00:03:21.951
And I started in early spring. It was cold.
00:03:22.771 --> 00:03:30.871
But after a few months, I feel very cold. So how long from that first capsize
00:03:30.871 --> 00:03:35.311
to your trip on the Danube, your big trip?
00:03:36.331 --> 00:03:42.511
I think my first big trip was next season.
00:03:43.611 --> 00:03:51.971
I pedaled from Passau in Germany back to the Breitslava, our capital city.
00:03:52.271 --> 00:03:58.591
It was roughly 400 kilometers. It was like special moment because I realized
00:03:58.591 --> 00:04:03.151
that this is something what I want to repeat it. Okay.
00:04:04.411 --> 00:04:11.891
The sense of freedom on the river. That's pretty impressive.
00:04:12.451 --> 00:04:18.811
So in just a few months went from your first capsize on your first day to that
00:04:18.811 --> 00:04:25.431
400 kilometer solo. So how did you build your skills to become prepared for that first 400k solo?
00:04:26.091 --> 00:04:36.871
First of all, as I meant, I found Tomáš, my friend, who teached me pedaling.
00:04:36.871 --> 00:04:45.651
I joined a little group and we trained on Danube and later on in my first summer
00:04:45.651 --> 00:04:53.491
times on Adriatic Sea to become more familiar with pedaling on the sea.
00:04:54.647 --> 00:05:05.147
And I have a problem to find somebody who wants to join me for more days.
00:05:05.247 --> 00:05:07.427
So I start pedaling alone.
00:05:07.767 --> 00:05:11.007
I repeat it many times.
00:05:11.487 --> 00:05:14.267
Now, Slovakia, is that a landlocked country?
00:05:14.707 --> 00:05:23.527
Yeah. We don't have sea. Yeah. But we have a few big rivers,
00:05:24.047 --> 00:05:29.807
like the New River, and I really like to paddle on Adriatic Sea,
00:05:29.827 --> 00:05:32.507
which is just a few hours of driving.
00:05:33.087 --> 00:05:37.407
Okay. But you can't necessarily just go out your back door from your home and
00:05:37.407 --> 00:05:40.447
have a paddling destination very close by.
00:05:40.927 --> 00:05:45.947
Yeah, I live near the river.
00:05:46.247 --> 00:05:49.387
Okay. It's a branch of the Danube
00:05:49.387 --> 00:05:57.507
River, so I can pedal a few kilometers and I am on a big river. Okay.
00:05:58.147 --> 00:06:07.047
So when was that that you first got the kayak? What year? I think it was roughly 10 years ago. Okay.
00:06:07.647 --> 00:06:12.127
All right. So as we're recording this in 2025, so roughly 2015,
00:06:12.127 --> 00:06:16.027
you received that kayak and then you You went through the process of building
00:06:16.027 --> 00:06:22.307
your skills with that 400-kilometer solo, and then you set your sights on a much larger trip.
00:06:22.427 --> 00:06:24.767
So tell us about your big Danube trip.
00:06:25.387 --> 00:06:33.727
So I pedaled the whole Danube River, but it was not as one trip,
00:06:33.967 --> 00:06:38.207
but like three consequent summers. Okay.
00:06:38.567 --> 00:06:41.927
And last stretch was 800 kilometers.
00:06:42.827 --> 00:06:51.347
It was from border of Bulgaria to the Black Sea and how long was that trip?
00:06:52.297 --> 00:06:57.057
It was three and something weeks, so almost one month.
00:06:57.837 --> 00:07:02.157
But the entire trip was 2,500 kilometers?
00:07:03.077 --> 00:07:11.557
Yeah, something like that. Some part of the Danube I do more than once.
00:07:11.957 --> 00:07:19.777
I try to pedal on, you know, I try different ways, especially in Danube Delta.
00:07:19.777 --> 00:07:28.517
You can pedal there two, three weeks And still using another waves And you did
00:07:28.517 --> 00:07:33.017
that 2,500 kilometers over the course of three years So three successive summers, you said?
00:07:33.837 --> 00:07:36.637
Yeah, two summers So when most people think
00:07:36.637 --> 00:07:39.497
of the Danube They imagine Viking cruise
00:07:39.497 --> 00:07:42.237
ships and barges So tell us
00:07:42.237 --> 00:07:45.777
about the beauty that we don't see the river
00:07:45.777 --> 00:07:49.177
is like second largest
00:07:49.177 --> 00:07:51.917
river and how to
00:07:51.917 --> 00:07:55.957
say each part of the river is different in
00:07:55.957 --> 00:07:59.297
germany and in austria there is
00:07:59.297 --> 00:08:02.697
like a lot of buildings and
00:08:02.697 --> 00:08:06.817
a lot of human activities but
00:08:06.817 --> 00:08:10.517
from Slovakia down it's much nicer
00:08:10.517 --> 00:08:14.137
I mean more natural and
00:08:14.137 --> 00:08:18.397
everywhere is something nice in
00:08:18.397 --> 00:08:24.597
Slovakia and in Hungary I like the gravel beaches like never ending beaches
00:08:24.597 --> 00:08:32.577
many kilometers like very nice in Bulgaria you can find sandy beaches warm water
00:08:32.577 --> 00:08:35.857
warmer than in sea during in the summer,
00:08:36.877 --> 00:08:38.317
so very clean water.
00:08:39.739 --> 00:08:45.219
A lot of wildlife. I also like Danube inland delta.
00:08:45.779 --> 00:08:51.059
It's part of the Danube river between Slovakian and Hungary and border.
00:08:51.799 --> 00:08:56.799
It's looked similar to delta.
00:08:57.419 --> 00:09:00.899
A lot of wildlife. It actually is very close to my house.
00:09:01.079 --> 00:09:08.059
So I like it there, especially during the winter, because nobody is there.
00:09:08.779 --> 00:09:14.699
So it's not all cruise ships and barges. Yeah, there are some marine traffic,
00:09:14.959 --> 00:09:23.679
sorry, river traffic, but it's a wide river, so it's not a big deal. Okay.
00:09:23.979 --> 00:09:33.039
And on the lower part of the river, the Danube is so wide that you maybe didn't
00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:38.179
see the traffic. And where did that three-year trip start and end again?
00:09:38.739 --> 00:09:41.679
I started with Slovakian part.
00:09:42.139 --> 00:09:53.179
My first trip was from Vienna to Budapest, then Austrian part from Passau to Bratislava.
00:09:54.269 --> 00:10:01.709
Then, I think, German part from Ingolstadt to Passau.
00:10:02.269 --> 00:10:08.609
Then, Bratislava to Vidin. It's in Bulgaria.
00:10:09.329 --> 00:10:14.729
And last time, the last stretch from Vidin to Plexi.
00:10:15.029 --> 00:10:18.729
Now, how many countries did you cross through on that trip?
00:10:18.869 --> 00:10:23.329
Or for that whole length or the whole trip? I think it's 10 countries,
00:10:23.689 --> 00:10:25.149
10 different countries. Okay.
00:10:25.449 --> 00:10:29.249
So what are some of the challenges in passing through all those different countries?
00:10:30.529 --> 00:10:37.309
On the lower part, some countries weren't a part of the Schengen.
00:10:38.249 --> 00:10:46.349
Some border controls was difficult because you have to go to the mainland and
00:10:46.349 --> 00:10:55.849
find the police station and such a lot of not interesting work.
00:10:57.129 --> 00:11:01.589
Did you run into any challenges with those country entries?
00:11:02.509 --> 00:11:07.029
Yeah, especially Croatia and Serbian border.
00:11:07.369 --> 00:11:16.529
They don't like each other because of Balkany wars. And it's difficult because
00:11:16.529 --> 00:11:20.689
you are either in one country or in another.
00:11:20.949 --> 00:11:28.709
You can just go from one side of the river to another because it's illegal.
00:11:29.169 --> 00:11:35.189
And sometimes I have trouble with police, but nothing special happened.
00:11:35.449 --> 00:11:38.129
No almost trip-ending moments or anything like that.
00:11:38.469 --> 00:11:42.429
I noticed many of your videos show you with a flag on your boat.
00:11:42.429 --> 00:11:46.689
And there was one segment in one of your videos about the Danube with a large
00:11:46.689 --> 00:11:49.189
group of kayaks lined up on a beach, and they all had flags.
00:11:49.289 --> 00:11:53.029
And that doesn't seem to be common elsewhere. Is that common along the Danube?
00:11:54.289 --> 00:11:57.689
Yeah, it's interesting. Every year, there is...
00:11:58.978 --> 00:12:05.958
It's called Tour International Danubian. It's like regatta, which start in Ingolstadt,
00:12:06.078 --> 00:12:08.458
then pedal to the Black Sea, Iger.
00:12:09.058 --> 00:12:13.518
And I joined them on some parts.
00:12:14.498 --> 00:12:19.338
So regatta. Okay. On the pictures.
00:12:20.058 --> 00:12:28.038
Yeah. Is that common to carry a flag on your boat? I think it's necessary in Serbia.
00:12:28.978 --> 00:12:31.878
It's low you you you need to wear
00:12:31.878 --> 00:12:40.998
a serbian flag but when i paddle on on the danube river i also wear slovakian
00:12:40.998 --> 00:12:49.758
flag it's interesting that for example in serbia there are a lot of slovakian communities.
00:12:50.538 --> 00:13:01.178
People go to me and ask me, in my language, a thousand kilometers from Slovakia, so it was nice.
00:13:01.878 --> 00:13:11.358
Some people invite me to the home to have dinner or sleep in their house, so it was nice.
00:13:11.798 --> 00:13:16.198
So speaking of people, tell us about some of the most memorable people experiences
00:13:16.198 --> 00:13:17.938
that you encountered along that trip.
00:13:18.945 --> 00:13:22.605
Usually, I join somebody.
00:13:23.525 --> 00:13:29.225
For example, I joined a couple of Czech couple.
00:13:29.505 --> 00:13:32.185
They peddle on canoe.
00:13:32.645 --> 00:13:38.245
And I peddle one stretch of this big trip with my dog.
00:13:38.645 --> 00:13:46.425
And they help me. Because for my dog, it was much better in canoe than in kayak.
00:13:46.425 --> 00:13:50.185
So you put the dog in the canoe and paddled along with them?
00:13:51.005 --> 00:13:59.785
Yeah. Okay. And we met at the evening on some beach, and it was nice to have.
00:14:00.605 --> 00:14:05.285
Interesting. So one of those trips, and how long was that trip with your dog, that portion?
00:14:05.965 --> 00:14:11.445
I think around 500 kilometers. It was Serbian part. Okay.
00:14:12.105 --> 00:14:15.965
All right. So let's talk a little bit about that. But so you've got a dog for
00:14:15.965 --> 00:14:18.705
500 kilometers and a kayak. Where'd you put the dog?
00:14:19.325 --> 00:14:27.685
When it was not windy, he was like on the top of the kayak behind me. Really?
00:14:28.265 --> 00:14:33.465
He liked it. He very soon learned to jump.
00:14:33.785 --> 00:14:40.765
And during the bad weather, he was inside the kayak between my legs.
00:14:40.765 --> 00:14:45.225
And i removed the day
00:14:45.225 --> 00:14:54.985
hatch okay so he was able to put head outside from the kayak okay i i've not
00:14:54.985 --> 00:14:59.765
i've not interviewed somebody who who carried a dog with them on their kayak
00:14:59.765 --> 00:15:01.705
on a long expedition that's very unique.
00:15:02.876 --> 00:15:10.456
Yeah, but it was not a good idea, to be honest. Okay. Because they have a lot of...
00:15:11.476 --> 00:15:14.196
So I have a lot of troubles with wild dogs.
00:15:15.256 --> 00:15:19.616
They were very aggressive, not to people, but to my dog.
00:15:19.976 --> 00:15:26.436
I have a lot of incidents, so it was not a good idea.
00:15:26.776 --> 00:15:29.996
Well, I will make that note to myself, not to bring a dog on my next trip.
00:15:29.996 --> 00:15:33.636
Oh it's dependent countries in
00:15:33.636 --> 00:15:37.856
these countries i mean on balkan people catch
00:15:37.856 --> 00:15:40.816
catch dog give them vaccines and release them
00:15:40.816 --> 00:15:44.236
back so you you
00:15:44.236 --> 00:15:52.956
you can find room of uh 50 dogs and it can be a little dangerous if you have
00:15:52.956 --> 00:15:59.476
dog because the they want to eat your dog okay yeah there are a couple that
00:15:59.476 --> 00:16:03.816
helped you out with the dog and they had a canoe and give the dog a little bit more room.
00:16:03.976 --> 00:16:08.116
Tell us about some of the other memorable people experiences that you came across.
00:16:08.656 --> 00:16:11.936
I met a lot of good people in Serbia.
00:16:12.456 --> 00:16:20.596
It was the part when I joined this regatta and the organizer of the Serbian
00:16:20.596 --> 00:16:24.096
part of this regatta was from Vojvodina.
00:16:24.336 --> 00:16:31.076
It's part of Serbia, but a lot of people still talk in the Slovak language,
00:16:31.336 --> 00:16:35.096
so it was a good chance to speak to the people.
00:16:35.436 --> 00:16:40.936
It was sometimes hard to talk to people because they don't speak English.
00:16:41.596 --> 00:16:46.736
In Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, it's like nobody speaks English,
00:16:46.756 --> 00:16:50.156
so it was sometimes really hard to speak.
00:16:50.885 --> 00:16:55.285
To talk to some complicated topics.
00:16:56.265 --> 00:17:03.285
And these people speak Slovak and a little bit German, so we can talk a lot.
00:17:04.105 --> 00:17:16.925
So they showed me Serbia, invited me to many events, like areas in some local family.
00:17:17.885 --> 00:17:24.805
So it was nice. What challenges did you face along the trip or series of trips?
00:17:26.565 --> 00:17:37.045
On the lower part, I think lower the Belgrade, they have wind, Koshawa.
00:17:37.525 --> 00:17:41.805
It's wind blowing from Black Sea.
00:17:43.085 --> 00:17:51.925
And sometimes it's too strong and it's still blowing so you have to start every
00:17:51.925 --> 00:17:57.345
morning and pedal if it's possible and later waiting for.
00:17:58.925 --> 00:18:05.705
Wind becomes slower Now did you camp most of the way on the trip?
00:18:06.065 --> 00:18:11.725
Yes, almost all the time I camped on the shore.
00:18:11.985 --> 00:18:15.905
With exception of those times that people invited you to stay and that sort of thing.
00:18:16.265 --> 00:18:20.485
Does the Danube, at large points, does it feel wild?
00:18:21.305 --> 00:18:27.045
Only a few cities lying on the shore.
00:18:28.285 --> 00:18:33.285
And from Slovakia, it's really wild.
00:18:33.645 --> 00:18:41.565
Okay. And under the Iron Gate, the last dam, it's like really wild.
00:18:41.905 --> 00:18:43.805
There is almost nothing.
00:18:44.905 --> 00:18:50.585
Yeah. Again, vastly different from what we normally think of when we think of the Danube.
00:18:51.345 --> 00:18:57.285
Only German and Austrian part is, there's a lot of urbans, a lot of cities,
00:18:57.905 --> 00:19:00.985
sometimes roads along the river.
00:19:01.345 --> 00:19:04.525
But then it's really nice. And
00:19:04.525 --> 00:19:08.785
so you passed through a lot of farmland and such then from then on. Yeah.
00:19:09.345 --> 00:19:11.325
How about wildlife experiences along the trip?
00:19:12.145 --> 00:19:15.705
A lot of birds from Serbia.
00:19:16.425 --> 00:19:21.165
Also, I'm sorry, I forgot the name of the bird.
00:19:22.805 --> 00:19:29.125
The big white. Sorry, I don't remember the English name. Okay. Okay.
00:19:29.838 --> 00:19:34.398
I think I saw some pelicans in some of your pictures. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Pelicans. Okay.
00:19:35.798 --> 00:19:40.918
So I saw big groups of pelicans.
00:19:41.458 --> 00:19:47.538
And in the Danube Delta, there are like millions of birds.
00:19:48.038 --> 00:19:49.738
Nothing completely out of the ordinary.
00:19:50.558 --> 00:19:56.838
I know. Mosquitoes. Okay. And on the lower part, it's like mosquito hell.
00:19:56.838 --> 00:20:04.298
So it's worse than, I don't know, I peddle on many places on Earth,
00:20:04.458 --> 00:20:10.038
but I never ever see so many mosquitoes like on Daniel River.
00:20:10.298 --> 00:20:12.558
Well, that's the unfortunate burden, I guess.
00:20:13.678 --> 00:20:20.058
Yeah. Sometimes, also during the day, it was like dark because so many mosquitoes.
00:20:20.818 --> 00:20:23.698
How did you plan that series of trips?
00:20:24.758 --> 00:20:28.178
Hmm not i think nothing special i
00:20:28.178 --> 00:20:31.778
just uh make time plan and
00:20:31.778 --> 00:20:37.218
just just go okay so you didn't try and pre-plan anything like this is where
00:20:37.218 --> 00:20:41.178
i might stay or any kind of research that you need to do ahead of time or it's
00:20:41.178 --> 00:20:46.438
just get in the boat and head down river and see where it takes you yeah on
00:20:46.438 --> 00:20:51.678
on the daniel river it's not difficult planning because you just go in one direction,
00:20:52.338 --> 00:21:01.458
If it's too bad weather, you just land and camp and wait until it became better.
00:21:02.698 --> 00:21:05.958
So it's easy when you compare it to sea.
00:21:06.638 --> 00:21:13.278
Okay, good. And so from 2015, when you got your first boat, when did you start this trip?
00:21:14.498 --> 00:21:19.338
Next year. Oh, the next year, okay. Okay. So you did successive over the next
00:21:19.338 --> 00:21:23.838
three years from there to complete that one and ending up in the Black Sea.
00:21:23.938 --> 00:21:28.038
Now, how did that feel, ending in the Black Sea? Mm-hmm.
00:21:29.019 --> 00:21:39.159
So it was a good feeling, of course, but it happened to me on the end of each
00:21:39.159 --> 00:21:42.819
trip that I start thinking to the next trip.
00:21:43.619 --> 00:21:52.019
But that I think to the sea, that definitely I will continue on sea.
00:21:52.499 --> 00:21:58.459
Okay. So you were planning along the way what your next trip was going to be. Yeah.
00:21:58.939 --> 00:22:00.639
All right. And we'll talk about that in just a moment.
00:22:01.179 --> 00:22:04.879
What else did you kind of think about? How did you occupy yourself in addition
00:22:04.879 --> 00:22:06.599
to the paddling as a soloist?
00:22:06.599 --> 00:22:09.539
I i read a lot
00:22:09.539 --> 00:22:12.459
during the free times
00:22:12.459 --> 00:22:16.119
i mean when i don't pedal i hike
00:22:16.119 --> 00:22:19.539
a lot every day i walked maybe
00:22:19.539 --> 00:22:22.639
20 kilometers explore the
00:22:22.639 --> 00:22:25.699
country the last stretch i
00:22:25.699 --> 00:22:28.679
have to to work so i have computer with
00:22:28.679 --> 00:22:32.339
myself with solar panel and sometimes i
00:22:32.339 --> 00:22:35.839
have to make stop and do something
00:22:35.839 --> 00:22:38.979
okay because not not
00:22:38.979 --> 00:22:46.839
every time it was so easy to ask in my job to go somewhere to one month yeah
00:22:46.839 --> 00:22:50.879
that's a lot of time to to get off now you mentioned that you would hike for
00:22:50.879 --> 00:22:54.999
quite a way up to 20 kilometers a day which is quite a hike considering you're
00:22:54.999 --> 00:22:58.019
also paddling How many hours would you average paddle?
00:22:58.479 --> 00:23:04.319
I tried to paddle at least 50 kilometers every day.
00:23:05.319 --> 00:23:14.359
It was not so hard because the Danube part, sometimes I pedal more than 100 kilometers.
00:23:15.819 --> 00:23:19.939
It was good conditions and then I make day off.
00:23:21.043 --> 00:23:25.103
Wander around like when
00:23:25.103 --> 00:23:29.143
i pedal next to some nice
00:23:29.143 --> 00:23:32.063
cities so i i make a
00:23:32.063 --> 00:23:35.943
day off and explore the city even uh
00:23:35.943 --> 00:23:42.683
you know only a only a year into into paddling and to be doing a trip that's
00:23:42.683 --> 00:23:48.203
a month long and continuous paddling throughout the day even up to 100 kilometers
00:23:48.203 --> 00:23:53.043
a day that's that's a big trip that's a that's a lot to ask of yourself how
00:23:53.043 --> 00:23:54.823
did you physically prepare yourself for it,
00:23:55.683 --> 00:23:58.783
just just pedal do you do any training outside
00:23:58.783 --> 00:24:01.803
of paddling in that time i i
00:24:01.803 --> 00:24:09.523
think that's i i pedaled so uh so so much that i i don't have time to do nothing
00:24:09.523 --> 00:24:13.663
else so you mentioned that you were you're thinking about your next trip as
00:24:13.663 --> 00:24:19.823
you're completing that trip so where was the next trip But I think that I pedal Adriatic Sea.
00:24:20.663 --> 00:24:28.463
I want to try to pedal some bigger tribon on the sea, and I try Adriatic Sea
00:24:28.463 --> 00:24:31.643
because I was familiar with this sea.
00:24:32.648 --> 00:24:37.188
I paddled from Reka to Dubrovnik, to the outer island.
00:24:37.888 --> 00:24:44.428
And it was, you know, like at the moment when I realized that this is something
00:24:44.428 --> 00:24:46.888
what I want to continue with.
00:24:47.428 --> 00:24:50.988
And how was that trip different from the Danube?
00:24:51.468 --> 00:24:58.368
Oh, it was a sea trip, so it was much more difficult from a planning point of
00:24:58.368 --> 00:25:03.828
view. because it was, I think, 700 kilometers.
00:25:04.428 --> 00:25:10.008
Also, weather on Adriatic Sea can be challenging and can change weather,
00:25:10.308 --> 00:25:17.048
can change very fast there because from each side are mountains.
00:25:18.048 --> 00:25:21.348
There's a lot of katabatic wind almost every day.
00:25:22.588 --> 00:25:27.848
So probably the wind was biggest challenge.
00:25:27.848 --> 00:25:30.828
Okay but we we we peddle
00:25:30.828 --> 00:25:33.868
every day and that one you did with
00:25:33.868 --> 00:25:37.748
others yeah on this trip i was
00:25:37.748 --> 00:25:41.328
with one friend didn't know
00:25:41.328 --> 00:25:45.348
each other i just asked community on
00:25:45.348 --> 00:25:52.488
facebook and one guy joined join me because not nobody wants to join me for
00:25:52.488 --> 00:25:59.508
20 days i think okay so you're 20 days yeah that's That's a long time to spend
00:25:59.508 --> 00:26:03.468
with somebody that you'd met for the first time on the trip. So how did you get along?
00:26:04.348 --> 00:26:13.108
We paddled together, but this guy don't talk with me too much. He was very quiet.
00:26:13.468 --> 00:26:17.348
Okay. So he was just a good companion.
00:26:17.788 --> 00:26:19.968
Do you still paddle together on other trips?
00:26:20.828 --> 00:26:28.128
No. I think we didn't meet again. So you paddled the Danube,
00:26:28.488 --> 00:26:34.148
you paddled the Adriatic Sea, and then you went to Lofoten Islands?
00:26:34.868 --> 00:26:44.068
Yeah, but before the Lofoten Islands, I have a period of my paddling when I
00:26:44.068 --> 00:26:47.208
went to the tropics each year.
00:26:47.608 --> 00:26:51.168
First year, I went in Thailand.
00:26:52.108 --> 00:26:58.368
Okay. It was like my first exotic expedition.
00:27:00.384 --> 00:27:07.704
I was here with two other guys from Slovakia, and it was absolutely amazing.
00:27:08.164 --> 00:27:18.124
I really liked the wildlife in Thailand, on the sea and also on the rivers, rainforest.
00:27:19.324 --> 00:27:29.484
A year after I pedaled on the Philippines on folding kayaks.
00:27:29.684 --> 00:27:39.024
I bought two folding kayaks, a single and double kayak, find people on Slovakia
00:27:39.024 --> 00:27:42.624
and we pedaled on the Philippines.
00:27:43.084 --> 00:27:46.284
How long were those trips? originally it
00:27:46.284 --> 00:27:49.744
was planned for six weeks but it
00:27:49.744 --> 00:27:57.924
was during the COVID and a lot of things changed first time they rejected me
00:27:57.924 --> 00:28:07.684
to cross the border and I had to go home but two weeks later I tried,
00:28:08.324 --> 00:28:12.144
again and finally go
00:28:12.144 --> 00:28:16.504
to the to the philippines but other
00:28:16.504 --> 00:28:19.324
guys don't want to join me anymore
00:28:19.324 --> 00:28:22.684
because they're scared that something can can
00:28:22.684 --> 00:28:30.504
happen so we we left only three guys and then your most recent trip was completely
00:28:30.504 --> 00:28:39.524
different than the others Haida Gwaii in Canada yeah Haida Haida Gwaii was like I think my best trip.
00:28:40.464 --> 00:28:49.204
Mega adventure we were lucky to have excellent conditions wildlife was amazing
00:28:49.204 --> 00:28:52.384
like a lot of whales bears,
00:28:52.624 --> 00:28:58.464
sharks I'll bet yeah that's a completely different experience altogether and
00:28:58.464 --> 00:28:59.504
how did you plan that trip.
00:29:00.879 --> 00:29:09.879
Like these big trips, I go through a lot of previous expeditions.
00:29:10.759 --> 00:29:14.659
Make a really good map with campings.
00:29:15.119 --> 00:29:23.719
I read a lot of books about Haida, create WhatsApp group and talk together.
00:29:23.719 --> 00:29:29.439
Because one guy was from Canada and two others from Slovakia,
00:29:29.659 --> 00:29:31.159
but from different cities.
00:29:31.599 --> 00:29:37.019
And how did you assemble that group? One guy was my friend.
00:29:37.199 --> 00:29:47.319
So initially because he was scared from this place because it's so remote, so wild and, you know.
00:29:47.979 --> 00:29:53.179
And the Canadian guy, he's originally from Slovakia.
00:29:53.719 --> 00:30:06.759
And one guy from Slovakia introduced him to me, and the other Slovakian guy was his friend.
00:30:07.339 --> 00:30:13.519
So tell us a little bit about that experience. Actually, it looks very easy.
00:30:13.999 --> 00:30:23.119
If I compare it with expedition British Columbia coast, we had XA and Radar.
00:30:23.719 --> 00:30:33.279
So we even don't use a dry suit, maybe twice, on the west side because of big waves.
00:30:33.539 --> 00:30:39.739
But it was sunny almost all the time without rain in the rainforest.
00:30:41.119 --> 00:30:47.139
We have a lot of animals around.
00:30:47.699 --> 00:30:54.819
We have a lot of time, so we go through all the... watchman sites.
00:30:55.799 --> 00:31:04.179
So we like to meet the First Nation people and talk to them.
00:31:04.539 --> 00:31:10.459
And they teach us about the country around.
00:31:10.819 --> 00:31:13.959
So it was really nice.
00:31:14.399 --> 00:31:22.379
So share one of those experiences with us. On Haida Gwaii, sometime in the past,
00:31:22.759 --> 00:31:29.199
it was a site with people who guard the island.
00:31:30.339 --> 00:31:34.899
And now it's like places for visitors.
00:31:35.479 --> 00:31:45.279
It's usually just one house somewhere in the wild with at least two people who
00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:46.919
lives there during the summer.
00:31:48.195 --> 00:31:53.595
And you can call them with radio and ask to land.
00:31:53.815 --> 00:31:59.415
And if they have time, you can land and talk to them.
00:31:59.815 --> 00:32:07.955
They will show you the place, some historical things, pictures.
00:32:08.595 --> 00:32:11.835
And these watchman houses are located all throughout the islands?
00:32:12.315 --> 00:32:17.675
Yeah, through the World National Park. And how do you find out about that?
00:32:18.195 --> 00:32:26.315
There are a lot of guidebooks about Heidegger, so it's not so hard. Okay.
00:32:27.015 --> 00:32:37.395
And it was really nice because some of these people were isolated many weeks
00:32:37.395 --> 00:32:38.995
because it already changed.
00:32:39.835 --> 00:32:45.655
And we were the first people who they meet after a long period of time.
00:32:45.655 --> 00:32:53.655
So it was like special because it was really light that they see somebody after
00:32:53.655 --> 00:32:59.775
a few weeks because it's really hard to go there also with a motorboat. Okay.
00:32:59.995 --> 00:33:02.555
It's more than 200 kilometers.
00:33:03.015 --> 00:33:06.615
You mentioned guidebooks. Do you have a favorite that you'd recommend?
00:33:07.395 --> 00:33:14.575
Yeah. On the British Columbia, there are Wild West Coast books And these are
00:33:14.575 --> 00:33:16.175
really, really good guidebooks.
00:33:17.075 --> 00:33:21.775
Okay. But there is no Haida Gwaii section, only the main coast.
00:33:22.255 --> 00:33:27.215
What do you want people to know about paddling your part of the world?
00:33:27.595 --> 00:33:32.855
I think important is choose the best season.
00:33:33.815 --> 00:33:41.055
I don't like to paddle here during the summer because it's too warm and too hot.
00:33:41.055 --> 00:33:47.275
So maybe choose autumn I like September,
00:33:47.455 --> 00:33:51.115
October here just write you
00:33:51.115 --> 00:33:59.715
can camp everywhere except Germany and Austria camping there is not so easy
00:33:59.715 --> 00:34:10.835
because everything is private land and you can camp everywhere it can look good for camping I think.
00:34:12.196 --> 00:34:17.916
It can be private land. Okay. So what resources might be available to paddlers
00:34:17.916 --> 00:34:22.316
that you could point people to that they could use to understand the area more
00:34:22.316 --> 00:34:25.556
and think about their own trips? They can try my blog.
00:34:26.156 --> 00:34:29.576
A lot of information about paddling on the Danube River.
00:34:29.816 --> 00:34:40.216
Then choose the part of the Danube River because it's 2,500 kilometers long.
00:34:41.196 --> 00:34:48.916
My part of the Danube River, I can recommend Danube Inland Delta is the part
00:34:48.916 --> 00:34:52.916
between Slovakian and Hungarian border, which I meant before.
00:34:53.396 --> 00:34:55.696
Are there other resources in addition to your blog?
00:34:56.796 --> 00:35:02.376
Just the map. On the Danube River, I use just the map.
00:35:02.696 --> 00:35:09.856
I think there is nothing special, like guidebook or something like that.
00:35:10.876 --> 00:35:16.876
So what is your blog address? Where can people find you? www.danubekayaker.com,
00:35:17.336 --> 00:35:19.216
Well, that's simple. People can find that.
00:35:19.836 --> 00:35:25.176
Where else can listeners contact with you? They can write me on WhatsApp or
00:35:25.176 --> 00:35:27.656
Signal to my Facebook page.
00:35:28.176 --> 00:35:32.076
Well, make sure we put links to those in the show notes so people can reach
00:35:32.076 --> 00:35:37.336
out to you and definitely a link to Danube Kayaker so people can learn about
00:35:37.336 --> 00:35:39.316
the trips that you've had. What's next for you?
00:35:40.661 --> 00:35:47.421
I planned to peddle the Alaska, the part from Prince Rupert,
00:35:47.601 --> 00:35:49.441
when I finished two years ago.
00:35:49.781 --> 00:35:56.141
And I want to continue to Glacier Bay on Alaska. When is that one planned?
00:35:56.861 --> 00:36:01.301
So next summer. Next summer. All right. So we're recording in 2025.
00:36:01.301 --> 00:36:04.461
So summer of 25 or summer of 2026?
00:36:05.201 --> 00:36:08.501
26. 26. Fantastic. All right.
00:36:09.161 --> 00:36:13.421
So like I said, we'll make sure we get links to your website and other contact
00:36:13.421 --> 00:36:15.381
points that people can reach out to you.
00:36:15.481 --> 00:36:20.081
And I appreciate the opportunity to talk to you and learn about your trip down
00:36:20.081 --> 00:36:23.581
the Danube, your multi-year trip down the Danube, as well as some of the other
00:36:23.581 --> 00:36:25.141
experiences that have come along the way.
00:36:25.441 --> 00:36:29.221
You've really built quite a resume over the last few years. So congratulations on that.
00:36:29.561 --> 00:36:33.581
I do have one final question for you. And that is, who else would you like to
00:36:33.581 --> 00:36:39.441
hear as a future guest on Paddling the Blue? I can recommend to talk to Tomáš
00:36:39.441 --> 00:36:43.041
Novotny, who joined me last summer.
00:36:43.421 --> 00:36:52.901
He was able to pedal high-dug wire after just a few months of preparation with me, and it was amazing.
00:36:53.741 --> 00:36:59.201
That's a pretty committing remote atmosphere in order to develop skills in that
00:36:59.201 --> 00:37:07.721
short period of time. Yeah, he trained very hard because I tried to make it hard for him.
00:37:07.901 --> 00:37:13.861
I tried to convince him to don't do this because I think that it's not possible
00:37:13.861 --> 00:37:18.861
without at least a few years of training.
00:37:20.321 --> 00:37:23.641
I would agree. Thank you for the opportunity. I appreciate the chance to talk
00:37:23.641 --> 00:37:28.821
to you and learn about your trips and wish you the absolute best on future trips, including Alaska.
00:37:29.261 --> 00:37:31.261
Thank you, John, for inviting me.
00:37:32.874 --> 00:37:36.194
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00:38:18.434 --> 00:38:21.514
Thank you to Patrick for joining us and sharing his experiences.
00:38:21.754 --> 00:38:24.814
Patrick's done a nice job of documenting some of his trips through video.
00:38:24.814 --> 00:38:29.454
And I will add a link to the YouTube videos as well as a link to his blog in the show notes.
00:38:29.834 --> 00:38:33.874
Thanks again, as always, to our partners at Online Sea Kayaking and now Online
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Until next time, thanks again for listening and I look forward to bringing you
00:38:49.414 --> 00:38:51.714
the next episode of Paddling the Blue.
00:38:52.694 --> 00:38:56.234
Thank you for listening to Paddling the Blue. You can subscribe to Paddling
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00:39:01.754 --> 00:39:04.674
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00:39:04.854 --> 00:39:06.534
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00:39:06.734 --> 00:39:09.974
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00:39:10.294 --> 00:39:15.734
along with replays of past episodes, contact information, and more at paddlingtheblue.com.
00:39:15.914 --> 00:39:19.034
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