OCEAN paddlers from around the world will gather at Rottnest Island this weekend to take part in the annual The Doctor race.
The paddle race, which started in 2002, is a 26km open water paddle from Thompson Bay to Sorrento Beach.
Founder of the race and ocean paddle boarder Dean Gardiner said the event had gone from strength-to-strength.
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READ NOW“The event has grown to become the biggest event of its type,” he said.
“We started with just a couple of my friends taking the craft out to the Island on cray boats, now we need to use the Rotto Barge and various other craft to get all the equipment to the Island .”
The event is named after WA’s famous afternoon sea breeze, the Fremantle Doctor.
Gardiner said participants would use surf skis, SUP boards, prone paddleboards and outrigger canoes to cross the ocean.
“What is fantastic about this sport is that the weekend warrior gets to start on the same line as the world’s best, not many sports offer that,” he said.
The Doctor starts at 12.30pm November 26.