A home by the flowing river and paddle the sea
DAVE CHO, expedition kayaker (1969 - 2016)
A home by the flowing river and paddle the sea
Today, we sent off Dave Cho.
My first paddle with Dave and Soo was to Sibu Islands in Malaysia. For a simple 12km crossing, we arrived at our accommodations on Sibu Island close to midnight! We were again in Laos together that year of 2008, being the first kayak team to explore Xe Bang Fai, one of the largest river caves in the world. Every day when we landed, Dave wandered around assembling a huge pile of wood and "boomed" we would have a fantastic campfire. It was shitty cold in Laos that year so no one complained. Bear Grllys was his first seasons on Discovery Channel, and Dave was hooked!
In the Laos trip we already knew Dave was very health-conscious. Defying the austere packing list for such self-supporting expeditions, he brought bags of 'organic' canned food, nuts, PLUS an entire year worth's of Men's Health magazines. Such magazines were replaced with 500-page thick heavy volumes in later expeditions.
On Day 1 of the Laos expedition, we stopped for lunch during our 8-hour road trip from Vientiane to Khammouane. Since we all had meat meals, he had no hesitation in munching down our table's allocation of fresh salad, PLUS our neighbouring table's unfinished plate of fresh salad!
During EOR1: Batanes in 2010, Dave was part of the Advance Team (AT) on that dramatic day of crossing from Sabtang Island to Batan Island. That was a long story shared many times...
The birth of Rach in 2009 did not dampen his adventurous spirit, Rach was another raison d'être for more adventures, and he made every effort for Rach to earn her life experiences early.
During the Samui expedition in 2011, he asked me to customise it in such a way that Rach, at that time 2 years old old, was able to join. He did not mind the extra costs of flying in his Filipino nanny, PLUS hiring a Thai nanny to take care of the Filipino nanny. It was a hard expedition with long technical crossings and we had daily night kayaking and landings. On the shortest day of paddle, he asked Soo to join the paddle since the chances of night landing was low. But the currents were so strong that day they landed last among the group around 10pm in Bo Phut, Samui Island...
The next year in 2012, he took Rach for her first 2D/1N kayak camping trip, revisiting Sibu Islands. Not wanting a repeat of a midnight arrival, Dave thought he should go up to Tanjong Leman on Friday night so that he had time to set up his Feathercraft K1 for Saturday morning launch. When we all arrived on Saturday morning, and after we had set up our Feathercrafts, Dave was still in his chalet instructing Soo how to assemble his K1.
Anyway we did arrive on Pulau Lima (one of the Sibu Islands) early around 5pm, despite a big storm. Then, Soo asked: "huey, so where's my baby girl?"
"I dont know..., they landed an hour ago."
Rach was missing. In true expedition Murphy's tradition, the kayakers landed on the right island with the wrong name, and Rachel landed on the wrong island with the right name.
At 4 years old, Rach became "the youngest girl" to paddle Endau River and Krabi Islands in 2013. She would not remember much of Endau River as she was sleeping often, even when we carried her to walk around the bigger rapids! In Krabi she was still learning to swim, and Dave would often throw her into the sea a few meters away and cajoled her to crawl towards him. Dave was always encouraging and never reprimanding with Rach, and she is now such a confident swimmer!
2014 was my last sea kayaking trip with Dave, in Raja Ampat (North). And Dave had this to say about my idea of Leave No Trace that time: "I cant imagine we cannot bury our crap....gross!! then everyone crap into plastic bags and we keep that for days and bring that to Gam ah ?? no way man..... we WILL bury our crap. i cannot imagine why we cannot bury.... its a MARINE reserve, not a CRAP reserve.....!"
November 2015 was the last time we paddled together and the last time I saw Dave. We spent 8 days paddling down the Sun Kosi River of Nepal, to raise funds for a earthquake damaged village. As usual he wanted to this charity trip with his family and made sure there was enough safety coverage for Rach. Before the trip, he also texted me, "You know my no gluten policy right? Cannot have bread/nann/pasta etc. You think we can have rice every meal?".
"Of course (ya right...)!"
So when the cooks served up some pasta one day, Rach came to me unhappy: "I cannot eat these. Daddy told me pasta is poisonous..."
"Kenasai (shit u) huey! Can eat lah Rach."
It was eternally wonderful for them to share memories and moments on the river as a family, camping among gorgeous landscape; and in the morning woken by sunshine and sounds of a flowing river.
Dave always found himself in the outdoors and was active in paddling, climbing, hiking, etc. His whole family often went out on outdoor trips together. He was health conscious and kept himself very fit. He was helpful, humble, funny, and his entire heart was in the outdoors. He was easy to talk to because there was so much in him that was outside.
I had paddled together with David, Soo, and Rach for many years. I had seen Rach grow up, from a non-swimmer to swimmer, a non-kayaker to probably the one of the bravest young girl around...all because she has a damn marvellous dad and mum.
On the day Dave died, I was asked about Dave - what was his job, his age, was he capable, etc. I could not answer any of those questions because I didn't know. We had never talked about work, certificates, or the realities of land, only PADDLING, DREAMS, ADVENTURES - ok and often his 'organic-paleo-rolled eyes health diet'.
Like all good expedition mates, all I know was that we had between us, a plain unspoken trust to look out for each other wherever we are on the waters.
Dave lived life the way he wanted to, always seeking adventures, spending as much time outdoors as he could. He lived on the idea of adventuring as a family and died protecting the family he loved. He was a friend, a fellow kayaker, someone who wanted to build a home by the flowing river and paddle the sea.
Today we sent off Dave Cho. To a White and Blue place. A place where the sky is the sea; there he paddles.
Dave, good speed.
You are dearly missed.
Huey
*photo of Dave Cho by Yonghui
#expeditionkayaker, #davecho, #rip
A home by the flowing river and paddle the sea
 |
| Dave on the Xe Bang Fai River (Laos, 2008). Photo by Yonghui |
Today, we sent off Dave Cho.
My first paddle with Dave and Soo was to Sibu Islands in Malaysia. For a simple 12km crossing, we arrived at our accommodations on Sibu Island close to midnight! We were again in Laos together that year of 2008, being the first kayak team to explore Xe Bang Fai, one of the largest river caves in the world. Every day when we landed, Dave wandered around assembling a huge pile of wood and "boomed" we would have a fantastic campfire. It was shitty cold in Laos that year so no one complained. Bear Grllys was his first seasons on Discovery Channel, and Dave was hooked!
In the Laos trip we already knew Dave was very health-conscious. Defying the austere packing list for such self-supporting expeditions, he brought bags of 'organic' canned food, nuts, PLUS an entire year worth's of Men's Health magazines. Such magazines were replaced with 500-page thick heavy volumes in later expeditions.
On Day 1 of the Laos expedition, we stopped for lunch during our 8-hour road trip from Vientiane to Khammouane. Since we all had meat meals, he had no hesitation in munching down our table's allocation of fresh salad, PLUS our neighbouring table's unfinished plate of fresh salad!
During EOR1: Batanes in 2010, Dave was part of the Advance Team (AT) on that dramatic day of crossing from Sabtang Island to Batan Island. That was a long story shared many times...
 |
| Dave rolling up his K1 on Batan Island (EOR1: Batanes Islands, Philippines, 2010). Photo by Yonghui |
The birth of Rach in 2009 did not dampen his adventurous spirit, Rach was another raison d'être for more adventures, and he made every effort for Rach to earn her life experiences early.
During the Samui expedition in 2011, he asked me to customise it in such a way that Rach, at that time 2 years old old, was able to join. He did not mind the extra costs of flying in his Filipino nanny, PLUS hiring a Thai nanny to take care of the Filipino nanny. It was a hard expedition with long technical crossings and we had daily night kayaking and landings. On the shortest day of paddle, he asked Soo to join the paddle since the chances of night landing was low. But the currents were so strong that day they landed last among the group around 10pm in Bo Phut, Samui Island...
The next year in 2012, he took Rach for her first 2D/1N kayak camping trip, revisiting Sibu Islands. Not wanting a repeat of a midnight arrival, Dave thought he should go up to Tanjong Leman on Friday night so that he had time to set up his Feathercraft K1 for Saturday morning launch. When we all arrived on Saturday morning, and after we had set up our Feathercrafts, Dave was still in his chalet instructing Soo how to assemble his K1.
Anyway we did arrive on Pulau Lima (one of the Sibu Islands) early around 5pm, despite a big storm. Then, Soo asked: "huey, so where's my baby girl?"
"I dont know..., they landed an hour ago."
Rach was missing. In true expedition Murphy's tradition, the kayakers landed on the right island with the wrong name, and Rachel landed on the wrong island with the right name.
 |
| The committee trying to understand why the x@#$ was taking Dave so long to assemble his K1! (Sibu Islands, Malaysia, 2012) Photo by Moira |
 |
| Dave in the middle of the raft on Day 1 of the Samui Expedition. (Samui Islands, Thailand, 2011) |
2014 was my last sea kayaking trip with Dave, in Raja Ampat (North). And Dave had this to say about my idea of Leave No Trace that time: "I cant imagine we cannot bury our crap....gross!! then everyone crap into plastic bags and we keep that for days and bring that to Gam ah ?? no way man..... we WILL bury our crap. i cannot imagine why we cannot bury.... its a MARINE reserve, not a CRAP reserve.....!"
November 2015 was the last time we paddled together and the last time I saw Dave. We spent 8 days paddling down the Sun Kosi River of Nepal, to raise funds for a earthquake damaged village. As usual he wanted to this charity trip with his family and made sure there was enough safety coverage for Rach. Before the trip, he also texted me, "You know my no gluten policy right? Cannot have bread/nann/pasta etc. You think we can have rice every meal?".
"Of course (ya right...)!"
So when the cooks served up some pasta one day, Rach came to me unhappy: "I cannot eat these. Daddy told me pasta is poisonous..."
"Kenasai (shit u) huey! Can eat lah Rach."
 |
| "Rapids? Ok what." Dave getting ready for another day of shooting rapids. (Sun Kosi River, Nepal. 2015) |
It was eternally wonderful for them to share memories and moments on the river as a family, camping among gorgeous landscape; and in the morning woken by sunshine and sounds of a flowing river.
Dave always found himself in the outdoors and was active in paddling, climbing, hiking, etc. His whole family often went out on outdoor trips together. He was health conscious and kept himself very fit. He was helpful, humble, funny, and his entire heart was in the outdoors. He was easy to talk to because there was so much in him that was outside.
I had paddled together with David, Soo, and Rach for many years. I had seen Rach grow up, from a non-swimmer to swimmer, a non-kayaker to probably the one of the bravest young girl around...all because she has a damn marvellous dad and mum.
 |
| Dave challenging everyone to a handstand on the last day of the Raja Ampat expedition. (Gam Island, Raja Ampat, Indonesia. 2014) |
On the day Dave died, I was asked about Dave - what was his job, his age, was he capable, etc. I could not answer any of those questions because I didn't know. We had never talked about work, certificates, or the realities of land, only PADDLING, DREAMS, ADVENTURES - ok and often his 'organic-paleo-rolled eyes health diet'.
Like all good expedition mates, all I know was that we had between us, a plain unspoken trust to look out for each other wherever we are on the waters.
Dave lived life the way he wanted to, always seeking adventures, spending as much time outdoors as he could. He lived on the idea of adventuring as a family and died protecting the family he loved. He was a friend, a fellow kayaker, someone who wanted to build a home by the flowing river and paddle the sea.
Today we sent off Dave Cho. To a White and Blue place. A place where the sky is the sea; there he paddles.
Dave, good speed.
You are dearly missed.
Huey
*photo of Dave Cho by Yonghui
#expeditionkayaker, #davecho, #rip
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