Cape Town to Brazil solo surfski expedition in aid of Operation Smile on pause

Eileen van der Schyff

In an unfortunate turn of events, on his seventh day into the first of its kind 7 000 km solo surfski expedition from Cape Town to Brazil, Adventurer, Solo Kayaker and Speaker, Richard Kohler had no choice but to make a hard right-hand turn to Walvis Bay after the main 470 Watts solar panels that are glued onto the redesigned back-deck of his custom designed eight meter surfski, named Osiyeza failed.

After speaking to several experts, and finding more problems with the surfski, Kohler had to make the call to get Osiyeza back to Cape Town where the marine industry will do a complete overhaul on the surfski. Kohler hopes to truck Osiyeza to Cape Town this weekend. A firm believer in never giving up, Kohler is determined to get Osiyeza back to Walvis Bay promptly to continue his crossing to Salvador, Brazil. Kohler is the first person to paddle a surfski solo and unsupported across the Southern Atlantic Ocean.
Kohler told the Namib Times earlier this week, the eight days it took to get to Walvis Bay from the middle of the ocean was the hardest eight days he has ever experienced on water as the change in route meant going more against the wind than with it. Kohler’s eccentric water sports adventure is motivated by raising funds for charity, Operation Smile. This charity gives smiles to children and adults born with cleft lip and palate. Operation Smile has been operating for 35 years in 34 countries.
The Cape to Brazil solo trans-Atlantic expedition dubbed Ocean X, started in Cape Town in December 2021.

To get involved or to sponsor Kohler’s Ocean X crossing contact: Treble Group at Kyle@ treglegroup.com, Tel: +27216853333, www.Treblegroup.com, Sponsorship opportunities. Anyone who would like to donate to Operation Smile, can find the “DONATE HERE” button on Kohler’s website at richardkohler.co.za. Kohler’s adventures can be followed on his Instagram account,
https://www.instagram.com/richardkohleradventures.