Dale Webster, the Northern California surfer who paddled out every day for more than 40 years, has died at the age of 77. News of his death was shared on social media by friends and fellow surfers. No cause of death was given.

Known as Daily Dale and Daily Wavester, Webster holds a Guinness world record for the longest streak of consecutive days surfed: an extraordinary 14,642, a stretch that began in 1975 and ended in 2015. His feat required him to surf at least three waves a day, rain or shine, in sickness or in health, through frigid Pacific waters and the shark-rich lineup off Sonoma County.

Born in Alhambra, California, in 1948, Webster began standup surfing in 1961 at the age of 13. In 1973, he moved to Bodega Bay, about 70 miles north of San Francisco. Two years later, a run of large swells known as the Monster from New Zealand sparked a personal challenge: surf every day for 100 consecutive days.