M-Net adds The Odyssey from adventurer Riaan Manser putting 10 finalists through a grueling 'ocean boot camp' to find a winning partner for his North Atlantic rowing quest.

The South African adventurer Riaan Manser has turned his search for a rowing partner to join him on a 5 500 km journey across the North Atlantic, into a reality search - The Odyssey - that will start this Sunday, 13 October on M-Net (DStv 101) at 17:00 as 10 finalists compete in a gruelling ocean boot camp to be the chosen one.

The explorer, once again tackling a daunting quest - this time rowing the 5 500 km stretch across the Atlantic Ocean from The Canary Islands to Barbados - is putting 10 finalists through a 5-day "ocean boot camp" to see who has enough guts, drive and sheer determination to survive the strenuous undertaking with him.

M-Net didn't commission but acquired The Odyssey, which will show 10 finalists from out of 15 000 who applied, taking part in extreme challenges created to reveal the power of the ocean and to push them to their limits physically, emotionally and mentally.

The winner gets chosen by a panel of judges including Sizwe Ndlovu (Olympic gold medalist), Nicole Badenhorst (psychologist), Chris Roberts (ocean expert) and the experienced ocean rower Vasti Manser who is Riaan's wife.

"You can't buy what we're going to. You can't buy it," says Riaan Manser.

The winner will join Riaan Manster in a tiny boat as they row unsupported across the Atlantic Ocean and during the final two episodes of The Odyssey the show follows their trials and tribulations on their life-threatening attempt to cross the second largest ocean on the planet.