Paddle Like Nick, The Heart Behind Hydrus and Our 3% for Humanity Commitment

In Memory of Nick Zawadzki

Hydrus wouldn’t exist without Nick.

Not just as a co-founder, but as my brother, my partner, and the heart behind why we do things the way we do.

Nick wasn’t loud.
He wasn’t flashy.
He didn’t chase attention.

He cared about people.
He cared about doing things right.
And he cared deeply about the water, the sport, and the people around him.

A Friend’s Words

After Nick’s passing, I asked Jeff Banks, a close friend and fellow paddler who was there, to share what happened with the whitewater SUP community. I’m sharing his words here in full, exactly as he wrote them, because they capture Nick more honestly than anything I could ever write myself.

From Jeff Banks:

"Jason Zawadzki asked me to post here and let the Whitewater SUP community know that his brother, my adopted little brother, and Hydrus Co-Founder ran Go Left rapid on the Main Payette Monday night for the last time. Nicholas Zawadzki went down after the second hit in the rapid and never came up. We are waiting for the water to be lowered to find his body and recover.

Couple of things:

Nick was paddling and always paddled in a safe and deliberate manner. His board and leash released from his PFD and were recovered. He was wearing a life jacket, helmet and all protective gear. His helmet surfaced in the spot he went down about 3 minutes after the incident. He is there in the rapid, even though we haven’t seen him yet. This was just a freak accident, not caused by anything Nick did.

Nick was an incredible paddler. In typical Idaho fashion, he rarely posted pictures, videos or promoted himself. He paddled for the love of the sport. If he would have promoted himself, you all would know that he was one of the best whitewater SUP paddlers on the planet.

Nick has successfully (standing up) run the main and this rapid 100’s of times. 3–4 weeks ago, Nick ran the Staircase section of the South Fork on a SUP that most would consider a Surf SUP, not a downriver board. I was there in a kayak and watched him stick every hole, move and rapid. BTW, low water (1600cfs) is more difficult on SUP than high water where things just become wave trains.

There may be some of you that are waiting on Hard Boards from Hydrus. It is going to take some time for those to get finished and out to you. Jason Zawadzki will figure all that out after we find Nick and place him to rest.

Paddle like Nick. Play every ripple, love every second, serve others, don’t be “too cool” for anything. Get out and live and love. Life is short… Paddle Hard."

Why Paddle Like Nick Exists

Nick didn’t live for recognition.
He paddled for the love of it.
He showed up prepared, humble, and present.
He served others without needing credit.

After Nick passed, one thing became very clear to me.

If Hydrus was going to continue, it needed to stand for more than products.

Paddle Like Nick exists to carry forward the way Nick lived, not the way he died.

That’s why 3% of every Hydrus purchase goes toward supporting humanity and the planet.

Not as marketing.
Not as noise.

As a responsibility.

What This Means

It means remembering:

• We’re all sharing the same water

• We’re all borrowing time on this planet

• And we all have a responsibility to take care of each other

Paddleboarding has a way of slowing you down.
Of giving perspective.
Of reminding you what matters.

That’s how Nick lived.

That’s what we’re trying to honor.

Thank You

If you paddle a Hydrus board, you’re part of this whether you think about it or not.

Thank you for carrying this with us.
Thank you for paddling with intention.

Paddle Like Nick.

About the Author

Jason Zawadzki is the founder of Hydrus Board Tech and a lifelong paddler with decades of hands-on experience in board design, whitewater, ocean surf, and SUP innovation. As the creator of Armalight™ and a passionate waterman, Jason writes from deep expertise in performance, durability, and real-world paddleboarding. Read Jason’s full story here.