Chris Bertish has set a new 24-hour stand-up paddle (SUP) open ocean world record.
After paddling for more than 70 days, the 42-year-old athlete found the right weather conditions to crack the 60-nautical mile mark. Bertish paddled 62.55 nautical miles (115.82 kilometers) in 24 hours.
The South African waterman is halfway through his transatlantic unassisted SUP adventure. Bertish expects to complete the 4,500-mile (7,500 kilometers) journey around April 2017.
"I'm super happy with the new record. It just goes to show that if, at first, you don't succeed, try, try and try, persevere, never give up, and you will eventually succeed! I'm looking forward to taking a well-deserved couple hours break, before getting back out there and paddling again, till dark," wrote Chris Bertish in his travel log.
The big wave surfer-SUP enthusiast is crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a 20-foot, high-tech SUP craft equipped with all sorts of communications technologies.
Bertish, who is raising funds for Signature of Hope Trust, Lunchbox Fund, and Operation Smile, is paddling without a support team and boat, and he has already had a great white shark encounter.