Evolution of a seafarer: In conversation with Olly Hicks, adventurer and Arksen Foundation executive director – Oceanographic – Oceanographic Magazine

A passion for minimalistic, human-powered expeditions has taken endurance athlete and ocean rower Olly Hicks to every continent and to every ocean. A world record-breaking adventurer, his brutal ocean crossings have taught him a little bit about solitude and survival. We sit down to find outa little more about the man behind the adventures.

Oceanographic Magazine (OM): How did you first connect with the ocean?

Olly Hicks (OH):My grandparents had a huge lake near their house in Derbyshire.We were always in that lake, swimming or messing around in old canoes. That was where I first connectedwith the water. I also grew up on the Suffolk coast, with the North Sea on my doorstep: brown, muddy water, stone shingle beaches and waves that would just dump on you, but when you dont know any better We also had a river nearby, so we had the best of both worlds.

OM: What captivated you about ocean rowing?

OH: Im not very introspective, but I think it does all stem from childhood in a way, growing up on the coast and messing around in boats. I didnt like any of the racing, but I loved exploring the creeks and going as far as I could on the river. When I was 13 my dad cut an article out of a newspaper about a man called Peter Bird, who died rowing across the Atlantic. That was really the start of it all. Id never heard of ocean rowing before that and I was just captivated by the concept; the beautiful simplicity of getting into a teeny boat on one continent, and with no technical expertise, just rowing until you get to the other side.

OM:What is it about man-powered minimalistic journeys that appeals to you?

OH: The essence of all these projects is the ocean its not really about the mode of transport. What appeals is being at sea. Solitude is a massive factor. Sailing is expensive and a bit more technical there are so many bits of kit, so much clobber, and its not novel. Budget-wise, it was partly born out of practicality but, that simplicity of concept hasnt changed much. Fundamentally its one person or two or four at the oars, and if they dont row, they aint going anywhere. I think thats the beauty of the challenge. When sailing you might make 200 miles while youre asleep in your bunk, whereas in a rowing boat you might make miles, you might go backwards, you might go south, you might go north, and its that jeopardy of the unknown and the simplicity of challenge. Youve got everything you need in your boat and youve just got to row. It just strips back all the complexity that we have to deal with in our daily lives.

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Evolution of a seafarer: In conversation with Olly Hicks, adventurer and Arksen Foundation executive director - Oceanographic - Oceanographic Magazine