“Just send it!” They were the words that went through Jake Reid’s mind as he hit the white water at Bells Rapids on his stand-up paddleboard.
It was the “hardest” but also his “favourite” part of his remarkable feat to become the first person (that we know of) to SUP the entire 72km length of the mighty Swan River solo.
The 23-year-old jumped on his board where the Swan joins the Avon River at Walyunga National Park in the Perth Hills, flowing from near Wickepin, and paddled all the way to the Indian Ocean at Fremantle, completing the journey over two days on August 24 and 25.
Through his work as a content creator and adventurer, Reid, who grew up in Ellenbrook, said he loved going to parts of WA that “people don’t often explore” and one day about six months ago, he had the “wacko idea” to take on the Swan on his SUP.
“I scoured the globe to see if anyone else had paddled the entire Swan River … I couldn’t find anything saying anyone had,” he told PerthNow, adding “If someone else has, full respect to them!”
After a bit of planning, making sure he had the right equipment and a few practice rounds with his SUP on the rapids — Reid was ready.
“The distance was never really something I was too stressed about, as hard as that was, it was more just making sure I didn’t injure myself on the rapids,” Reid said, saying he was “nervous before he practised”.
He documents his adventure in a 15-minute 31-second YouTube video, showcasing the river’s incredible scenery and nature with stunning aerial drone shots along the way.
On day one, he takes on the challenging rapids, going under the Bells Rapids footbridge, hitting a few rocks and falling off his board at one point, before continuing his journey on the open water, travelling 35km to Ascot to spend the night at Perth Central Caravan Park.
“It’s crazy that I’m 20km in and it still seems remote,” he says, partway through the video.
On day two he travels 40km along the river, passing Optus Stadium, Elizabeth Quay and being treated to a visit by some friendly dolphins, before heading to Blackwall Reach for a jump off the cliffs and ending his paddle in Fremantle.
With wind a huge factor while on a SUP, Reid said he was lucky to only have a little breeze set him back and “perfect weather” the rest of the trip made it “pretty cruisy”.
“The only other challenge was finding places I could get coffee!” he said.
Despite the difficulty of the white water, Bells Rapids was still his most memorable part.
“I think going down the rapids probably was the most fun part about it in the end — just sending it and hoping for the best, that was probably my favourite part,” Reid said.
SUPWA committee member Derek Cross said he wasn’t aware of anyone who had paddled the entire Swan before, but two people had successfully paddled the Avon Descent on SUPs, “which is an outstanding achievement”.
“I think we can all agree that Jake’s adventure is an awesome achievement and a real testament to what someone can achieve when they put their mind to it,” Cross said.
“Whilst a SUP wouldn’t necessarily be a person’s first choice for paddling water around Bells rapid, it does show that it can be a wonderful and accessible way to explore the amazing Swan River.”
The longest journey by SUP is 2,677.34 km, achieved by Aussie Peter Charlesworth, from 4 March to 11 June this year, according to the Guinness World Records. Charlesworth rowed the length of the Murray River while also circumnavigating each of the three main bodies of water along the way and camping each night. He took on the challenge to advocate for heart health awareness.
Reid said he took on his epic adventure to give himself “some recognition of how cool this river is” and to encourage others to take notice.
“Obviously, completing this feat was crazy,” he said. “Especially knowing I was the first person to ever do it. But that wasn’t why I did this. The Swan River is why Perth exits. It’s why the city was settled. It brings life to all the plants and animals that live within it, just as it brought life to the city itself.
“So often I think it’s forgotten and mundane in our city. There’s so much beauty and life in this river and I was just so grateful that I got to come out here and experience it.”
He hopes that through his adventure others will “see the wonder of the Swan River, whether it’s the rapids, the birds, the dolphins, or everything”.
“I love showing people that there is more to Perth than it just being boring,” Reid said.
“I hope this inspires you to get out there and adventure in our city.”
See more of Reid’s adventures on Instagram: @indeedjakereid.