David Haze aka The Nomadic Paddler: From Prison to Paddleboarding World Records

It started with a quiet morning in Poole Harbour. The water was still, the horizon untouched. David Haze stood on his paddleboard, just out of prison, free in body but still navigating a storm inside. As the sun crept over the English coast, he felt it — not just the warmth, but something deeper. A return. A reclaiming. A new beginning.

David grew up on the south coast of England, a sailor, surfer, and with a bond to the sea. But in his twenties, he lost that rhythm — buried in the city’s speed, swallowed by addiction, pride, and a silence that led him to prison. Twice. It wasn’t until a yoga class behind bars — a single breath of freedom in captivity — that he began to see the outline of a different life.

Inside, he trained. Read. Dreamed. He made a vow: to live through adventure. And when he walked out of prison into a national lockdown, he didn’t rush. He rebuilt. Quietly. When the restrictions lifted, he paddled the four longest lakes in the UK — and broke four world records. He’s since crossed the English Channel, pioneered high-altitude paddleboarding, and become an advocate for prison reform through nature and challenge.

This isn’t just a story about paddleboarding. It’s about falling and getting up. About what happens when a man chooses to own his failures — and build something better from them. David Haze is now eight records deep, a full-time adventurer, and a force for environmental and social change.

Through adventure, he lives. And through his story, perhaps we all can.

Watch To The Episode With David Haze

Key Episode Takeaways

• Adventure can be redemptive – David found purpose, discipline, and healing through paddleboarding after prison.
• Prison reform lacks real rehabilitation – David’s insights highlight a broken system where true change must come from within.
• Nature is more than backdrop – It’s therapy, teacher, and stage for transformation.
• Failure doesn’t define you – Owning your past can unlock your future.
• There’s no “perfect” start – David trained with YouTube videos and built records from borrowed boards and lockdown limits.

Memorable Quotes

• “Through adventure we live.” – David’s life motto, born behind bars.
• “Yes, I failed. But I am not a failure.” – On redefining identity post-incarceration.
• “Even though my body was in prison, my mind was somewhere else.” – On the power of movement and mindset.
• “The most powerful rehabilitation wasn’t a programme — it was adventure.” – A call to rethink how we heal and grow.

Facts

• David holds eight confirmed world records, with more pending — including crossing the English Channel by paddleboard.
• His charity, Freedom Through Adventure, takes at-risk youth on weekend adventures to inspire change.
• He’s pioneered high-altitude paddleboarding across Europe and North Africa.
• His film “Nomadic Paddler” won multiple awards, telling the story of his prison-to-paddling transformation.

Ideas

• Green space behind bars – What if every prison had a small forest?
• Adventure as therapy – Could paddleboards and mountains do what programs can’t?
• Self-discipline over punishment – How physical challenge reshapes identity.

Call to Adventure

“Every day is one giant adventure. This Saturday — get outside. Even a 5K walk. Just do something you’ve never done. See how good it feels.”

Pay It Forward

Dorset Mind is a local mental health charity that David supports and serves as an ambassador. They’re doing crucial work in breaking the stigma, especially among men. Follow David’s upcoming Dorset coast paddle in their honour.

References & Recommendations

• David’s website – nomadicpaddler.co
• Instagram – @nomadicpaddler
• Film – Nomadic Paddler on YouTube
• Dorset Mind – dorsetmind.uk

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Listen To The Episode With David Haze

Before You Go

David’s journey reminds us that freedom isn’t just the absence of walls. It’s the presence of purpose. If his story moved you, please share this episode, leave a review, and take a step into your own wild.