The threat of sharks, wild winds and huge waves is not deterring two Australians from an ambitious plan to become the first in the world to paddle board across Bass Strait.
The 240 kilometre-wide stretch between Tasmania and mainland Australia is one of the most notorious in the world, with its exposure to the Southern Ocean and shallow depth routinely causing problems for sailors on even the largest vessels.
Yet Australian champion paddle boarders Zeb Walsh and Brad Gaul, along with US athlete Jack Bark, plan to cross the water in March using just their hands and arms to power small fibreglass paddle boards.
The trio say they will camp each night on barren outcrop islands that dot Bass Strait, where six sailors lost their lives during the notorious, storm-affected 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
And in a video posted to YouTube announcing the challenge, Walsh admitted their record attempt could easily go wrong.
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"No-one's ever done it before and I feel like because it's in my backyard it's one of those things I want to do," he said (sic).
"There's plenty of dangers - mother nature can throw anything at you.
"There's the marine life out there, there's a few big fish in that area."
The trip, which has been dubbed "The Date with the Strait", has been inspired by the Moloka'i to Oahu challenge, a relatively short but tricky paddle between the Hawaiian islands.
Walsh, Gaul and Bark have all won the Moloka'i Ocean Challenge in previous years.
Another Australian, Jamie Mitchell, won the event 10 times in a row between 2002 and 2011.
