ERDEN ERUÇ
🇺🇸 Turkey | USA • Rowing
World Record Ocean Rower
"People who don't know anything about adventures, ask the wrong questions. People who went on expeditions themselves, ask the right questions"
Erden is a leading ocean rower in the world today. He is the recipient of the 2013 Citation of Merit from the prestigious Explorers Club, one of the 2013 Adventurers of the Year – “nine individuals changing the face of global adventure” by Outside Magazine, and one of the 50 Most Adventurous Men by Men’s Journal.
Most Days spend Alone at Sea (1084)
🏆 18 Guinness World Records and counting
🌍 First solo circumnavigation by human power
🥇 5x Historic Firsts
🚣♀️ First person to row across the three major oceans: Pacific, Atlantic and Indian
Rowing California to the Philippines
Philippines 🇵🇭
Jun. 2021 - Mar. 2022
Erden recently rowed across the Pacific Ocean from California shores to the Philippines. His goal was to reach the foothills of Everest. Erden wanted to continue his journey on the South China Sea in the spring of 2023.
His goal after reaching mainland Asia, was to continue overland by bicycle to Portugal. Myanmar declined to provide a visa citing security concerns, China pandemic restrictions. Therefore, Erden concluded his circumnavigation journey as of March 12, 2023.
He became the first person to row across the Pacific Ocean from North America to Asia and during that trip he also set the records for most days at sea (solo career total - 1084) and most miles at sea (solo career total - 26,705 nautical miles)
Ocean Ambassador at Ocean Recovery Alliance
USA 🇺🇸
Nov. 2018 - now
Ocean Recovery Alliance is focused on entrepreneuring programs to reduce plastic pollution, both on land and water
His goal after reaching mainland Asia, was to continue overland by bicycle to Portugal. Myanmar declined to provide a visa citing security concerns, China pandemic restrictions. Therefore, Erden concluded his circumnavigation journey as of March 12, 2023.
The Great Waikiki Race
USA 🇺🇸
Jun. 2016 - Jul. 2016
The route is from Monterey Bay to Diamond Head buoy by Waikiki. Louis Bird will be my partner on our two person classic rowboat. We are named the "Sons of the Pacific," and we hope to reach Waikiki by late July.
Erden and Louis arrived at Waikiki in a record time of 54 days and 3:45 hours on 28 July 2016, setting a new Guinness World Record in the Classic Pairs class of rowboats on that route.
Human-powered world circumnavigation
World 🌎
Jul. 2007 - Jul. 2012
Became the first person in history to complete a solo human-powered circumnavigation of the earth on 21 July 2012 in Bodega Bay, California, United States.
The journey had started from Bodega Bay a little more than five years earlier on 10 July 2007. The modes of transport included a rowboat to cross the oceans, a sea kayak for shorelines, a bicycle on the roads and hiking on trails, along with canoes for a few river crossings. The route he followed was 66,299 km (41,196 mi) long, crossed the equator twice and all lines of longitude, and passed over twelve pairs of antipodal points, meeting all the requirements for a true circumnavigation of the globe. This was recognized by Guinness World Records as the “first solo circumnavigation by human power.”
Summits climbed during the journey:
Kosciuszko in Australia (done 2010)
Kilimanjaro in Africa (done 2011)
Oceans crossed during the journey:
Pacific Ocean - North America to Australia by way of PNG (done 2007-2010)
Indian Ocean - Australia to mainland Africa by way of Madagascar (done 2010-2011)
Atlantic Ocean - Namibia to the Americas (done 2011-2012)
Summiting Denali (Mt. McKinley)
USA 🇺🇸
2003
Climbing Denali and reaching summit in 2003
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Media coverage
Articles
Podcasts
Film
Castaway With Purpose Documentary about the first solo circumnavigation by human power of the world. See
