Adventurer Cyril Derreumaux Completes Solo Atlantic Kayak Journey in 71 Days
18 Mar 2025
APB speaker Cyril Derreumaux has successfully completed his 3,000-mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean from the Canary Islands to Martinique in a 100% human-powered, solo and unsupported kayak. He completed the trip in 71 days, 14 hours and 57 minutes.
In 2022, he successfully kayaked across 2,800 miles of the Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii, becoming the first person to kayak alone across both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
The trip was not an easy one. Navigating the initial phase proved intensely challenging. Derreumaux battled persistent nausea, exhaustion and the physical strain of prolonged paddling, often for 10 hours or more daily. Further complicating matters were the unpredictable winds, which frequently negated his daytime advancements by pushing him backward overnight. On multiple occasions, he was forced to seek shelter within his kayak's confines, deploying a sea anchor to weather severe gusts and turbulent swells.
French born and now an American citizen, Derreumaux considers himself a citizen of the world. He is a fluent speaker of six languages (and counting!) and is attracted to learning and discovering new cultures and places all the time. This natural curiosity of people and places led Derreumaux to backpack around the world at 25 for one year. With $7,000 and a can-do attitude, Derreumaux embarked on this life-changing experience that permanently changed his outlook on life and how he wanted to live it.
A move to California following his profession in the wine business led Derreumaux to begin exploring the world of outrigger canoeing and kayaking and reignited a childhood passion for windsurfing and all things water related. He soon began pushing his limits further and further in ultra-endurance water events.
As a member of the famed Explorers Club, Derreumaux continues to dream big, thinking of his next big adventure and encouraging others to do the same. Advocating to “live life to the fullest,” Derreumaux hopes his adventures inspire others to find their own dream and go after it.