'I want to make getting a water safety lesson the norm'
Devon's paddleboarding superstar says he hopes to normalise taking a safety lesson before heading out on a board
The Devon man - who broke three world records paddleboarding around mainland Britain - hopes to offer more safety courses in future and change attitudes.
Brendon Prince from Torquay is currently offering free group sessions - which look at water safety and planning trips - aimed at women.
Across the UK he's already had 1,200 applications for one of the initial 144 spaces and Brendon hopes to secure more funding to expand the scheme.
Paddleboarding is the UK's fastest-growing sport, and last year Greatest Hits Radio revealed the RNLI's having to rescue increasing numbers of people getting into trouble while on one.
Brendon founded his Above Water charity after being unable to save three people from drowning while off-duty as a lifeguard - and last year completed his Long Paddle challenge to raise awareness of water safety.
On the SUP water-safety courses, he said: "It's very hard to go to any organisation like Sport England and say can you give us funding for 1,000 women because they'll laugh at you and say well prove to us (the demand).
"Now I can prove to them that actually we need 1,144 so we're going to go back to Sport England and some commercial organisations and say can you put some money in to help.
"There's me but there's hundreds of instructors up and down the country that actually could benefit from a little bit of funding to then do these sessions.
"We're not taking business away from people trying to make their living from Stand Up Paddleboarding because evidence shows if one lady has a free session - she enjoys it, she's bursting with confidence - that rubs off on the other ladies who think well actually I'll have a lesson.
"We're working on a one-two-three-four scenario where one lady goes out there and has the benefit of these free sessions and three to four think let's go and pay and have a session together."
To request to join a group session email brendon@thelongpaddle.co.uk and he will reply with a form.
Brendon has also backed a Greatest Hits Radio campaign in Simon Flynn's name, to improve awareness of leash safety and introduce changes at the point of sale which was recently discussed in Parliament