‘The Five Capes Paddle Adventure’ follows the Mocke’s incredible expedition and is available for viewing at the bottom of the page.
THE STREAM PREMIERE: PADDLING ‘THE FIVE CAPES’ WITH THE MOCKE BROTHERS
Dawid and Jasper Mocke have paddled all over the globe, but there’s always been one expedition that’s captivated their imaginations more than any other.
South Africa is home to some of the most treacherous waters in the world, exemplified by the five Great Capes that dot its southern coast.
– The Cape of Good Hope
– Cape Aghulas
– Cape Seal
– Cape St Francis
– Cape Recife
Paddling just one of these destinations would leave memories for life.
But to take on all five in the one trip?
It’s a proposition that the Mocke’s were determined to make reality.
“If you look at a map, they just stand out,” Dawid says.
“For me, they were begging to be explored and be paddled.
“I got the idea of a paddling expedition after seeing what Dean Gardiner did on his ‘Trip of a Lifetime’ and thought, ‘Gee, that’s really adding something really different to the world of surfski.’
“The Five Capes, I’ve gotta tell you, it’s not the done thing… you can’t just rock up to these five Capes and paddle them.
“There’s a real element of uncertainty around being able to paddle these areas on the day.
“So, to be able to fit all five of these Capes into one trip really is quite a unique experience.”
The Mocke’s dream came to life and now the rest of the paddling community can experience it too.
Their new film “The Five Capes Paddle Adventure” follows their 10-day quest to tick off the once-unthinkable, documenting their trip while also revealing the unique feeling of adventure that it holds.
“It’s really special… it borders on being spiritual, I guess,” Dawid explains.
“Jasper puts so nicely when he says that, for seafarers, Capes have a notoriety with them for being wild and stormy… conquering a Cape is a big achievement.
“To be able to do five of them in one trip… I’d be really surprised if there’s more than 100 people that have actually paddled all five of them.
“It’s an achievement and a unique one at that.”
The expedition was the culmination of years of planning.
“The biggest thing is picking the right time of year when the swell is the smallest… and on that section of the South African coast, it doesn’t happen too often.”
Something that is certainly made obvious in the film.
“One of the Capes has a beachbreak and one of the guys unfortunately snapped his ski,” Dawid says.
“He snapped his paddle first, went for a swim, then the ski got hammered.
“That was a bummer, but fortunately we had spare skis.”
The highlights of the adventure undoubtedly outweighed those more challenging ones.
“Two things that stood out for me was that we got to paddle the Knysna Heads, which was an added bonus,” Mocke says.
“Then at Cape Seal we managed to get around to an island that has a massive sandbar that connects it to the Cape.
“Because it’s usually so wild there, we had never been able to get there before.”
It was an expedition that tapped right into the heart of what makes our community so special.
“Surfski paddling is a unique blend of fitness, competition and adventure.
“That’s why downwinds are so popular… there’s a super high adventure appeal, and that adventure is at the forefront of the Five Capes.”
