Crazy: it's Saturday, August 25th, I'm paddling in bright sunshine Airboard DISCOVERY on the Danube and see the port facilities of Silistra in Bulgaria. An 8-week trip on the Tour-International-Danubien (TID) is coming to an end. Since the start in Linz/Austria on July 3rd, 1758 km have been completed in 46 days of travel with a total of 229 hours on the board.

How does it work? Just get on the board and paddle…

But one after anonther. The foundation for this year's SUP Ultratour was laid in 2016. The entire TID route - from Ingolstadt to the Black Sea, 2500 km in 11 weeks - was covered in a kayak. Impressions for life, deceleration, friendships.

In 2018, the fascination of stand-up paddling was added: after learning the correct technique, a 4-day tour on the High Rhine from Konstanz to Basel in 2019 and in the summer participation in a section of the International Elbe Trip from the German Canoe Association from Dresden to Tangermünde 7 days (see Kanu-Sport 9/2019).

The advantages of SUP over fixed boats came to the fore more and more: simply drive away, use public transport, pump up the board, tie down your luggage and start paddling. Just stop somewhere, freedom (5-day eco-SUP tour on the Rhine, canoeing 10/2022).

In 2022 the board will be on the TID for the first time, with an 18" (5.40 m) board, fast like a kayak, but also challenging to paddle in waves. The tour ended in Erlau just outside Passau after 7 days of driving and valuable experiences were gained.

The “TID with the SUP” virus had already taken hold…

For the TID, however, a different board was needed to paddle with less effort in wind and waves, more stability without sacrificing too much in terms of speed.

Boards from airboard I already had (amongst a few others...): the ultra-light Hike and the fast Rocket. The Airboard DISCOVERY I had noticed it before because of the good lashing options for luggage. “Shape” very similar to the Rocket and only a little shorter: so it couldn’t be that much slower. In short, ordered the Discovery. All expectations were met: fast, maneuverable and stable, ideal for luggage transport. Waterproof duffle backpack at the stern, waterproof bag at the bow, backpack shouldered when carrying, luggage bag in one hand, board and paddle in the other hand, done. No boat cart.

Then the (66th) TID 2023
The start took place in Linz/Austria. Arrival by train, setting up the tent late in the evening, on July 4th. then the first day of tour for me. In 6 days we went to Vienna, rest day there. After Austria Entry into the Slovakia, beautiful Bratislava. On the first stage behind Bratislava, the last two barrages before the Iron Gate, finally the free-flowing Danube, speed with the board 9-10 km/h, sometimes even faster.
The Danube: constant change in landscape, from a “normal” stream to lake-like extensions, shipping traffic occasionally required attention, but nothing compared to shipping on the Rhine.
After 3 stages in the Slovakia, 50 km stages on consecutive days, followed in Hungary 7 stages with a total of 275 km, in the evenings there was often goulash… rest days in Budapest and Mohacs. Then entry after Serbia, passport control, i.e. handing over the ID cards. After 2 days leaving Serbia, entry Croatia (1 stage), then Serbia again, lots of ID checks…

The daily routine: Have breakfast, take down the tent, load the board, enjoy the silence of the morning on the water, paddle, cool your feet for the first time after about 20 km, sit on the board, drink enough, arrive, put up the tent, eat, sleep - repeat...

In Serbia, on the stage from Dobra to Donji Milanovac, the first real wind day: there was a tailwind, but with more than 20 km/h, and with gusts over 30 km/h, stand-up paddling was out of the question.

So the paddle (Siren P4) was shortened by one segment and paddled “knee-up” with a paddle. This paddling technique was used occasionally, ultimately crucial to the success of the tour.

Then one of the highlights of the tour: the Iron Gate: narrow, a lot of boat traffic (tourist boats), a lot of choppy water, so again the mutation from stand-up to knee-up paddler...

In Serbia A total of 11 tour days without a rest day in a row: eat, sleep, stand-up paddling, repeat…

Bulgaria: The flood wave from the storms in the Alps at the end of July had reached us, the otherwise numerous sandbanks that were ideal for swimming: they (almost) no longer exist.
Another 11 days of touring in Bulgaria, without a day off. Unforgettable landscape. Get up early to avoid the wind, which usually picks up in the morning, but also the high temperatures (up to over 36°C in the afternoon): sometimes on the water at dawn, gigantic beautiful sunrises.
On the eve of the last day of the tour in Vetren there was a wonderful long folklore performance, which is also what Bulgaria stands for. Then the last stage: view from the tent of a long row of boats on the beach, start of the last stage, “recreation tour”, 21 km.

The port facilities of Silistra come into view, group photos are taken: goal achieved.*
What about the benefits of SUP? Exactly: half an hour after arrival, the board was stowed away and the return journey could begin: after a day of rest, the TID bus took us back to Winzer an der Donau in 24 hours, where the collective parking lot for the other participants' vehicles is located. Last stage for me: train ride home.

1758 km - 229 h

Was that the last TID? Let's see.

* Note: due to the war in Ukraine, the Romanian route of the TID to the Danube Delta / Black Sea could not be paddled, so the tour ends in Silistra. With the discovery on the TID 2023 page of 3 3 detlef.wehle@web.de At the Iron Gate - stand-up… … and “knee-up”…