Spanish man paddles across Pacific Ocean from California to Hawaii

Honolulu: Antonio de la Rosa doesn’t take it easy on his vacations. The Spaniard spent his summer paddling his way from California across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii. It took de la Rosa, who is from Valladolid, Spain, 76 days to paddle 2,500 miles (4,023 kilometres) while standing on a submarine-shaped craft he described as a paddleboat. The 21-foot-long (6.4-meter-long) vessel endured rough weather, including when Hurricane Flossie passed within 60 miles (200 kilometres).

He ate dehydrated food, using heated water, and sometimes fished. He paddled eight-to-ten hours daily and slept every night. But he was always tired because he woke up hourly to check on his gear. It’s the kind of adventure, he loves. “I like it because it’s hard,” he said in Spanish on Monday from Honolulu.

His past adventure-vacations have included circumnavigating the 2,175 miles (3,500 kilometres) of the Iberian Peninsula coastline by paddle-surfing for 141 days and crossing Alaska’s Iditarod route for eight days on a bicycle with oversized tires made for snow and ice, according to his website.

He celebrated his 50th birthday at sea, his sister Vanesa de la Rosa explained from Spain. The siblings run an adventure tourism business in Madrid and a small hotel for athletes. He said he was disappointed to see fishing gear refuse every day of his voyage — including nets and line.

He used a tracking device to record every minute of his journey and called it a record because he believes no one has ever done what he accomplished. It’s a record because “I certify it,” he said with a laugh.