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McConks SUP & outdoor adventure  – 8 awesome gifts for under your Xmas tree.

McConks SUP and outdoor adventure gear products are wide and varied. There’s lots to choose from in the online shop. Which is great, as just around the corner is that man in a red suit who loves to come tumbling down your chimney. Christmas lists and guides may induce groans from the gallery but there’s […]

Kayaking in winter – 6 reasons off season sit down paddling is awesome.

Kayaking in winter - 7 reasons off season sit down paddling is awesome.

Kayaking in winter – just as with off season paddle boarding – can be some of the best paddling you can enjoy. Here at McConks we’re big fans of riding right through the year. Of course, we pick and choose our days. And avoid scenarios where there’s the likelihood the weather may push back at […]

Summer SUP – 7 reasons now’s a great time to paddle board.

Summer SUP - 7 reasons now’s a great time to paddle board.

Summer SUP is here! The kids have finished school for the high season break. And there’s generally more opportunity to get afloat for a paddle. Paddle boarding is a great activity for all the family. And a way to get outside and enjoy nature. As an activity kids can tap into it’s also right up […]

Summer sunshine SUP – high season paddling has finally arrived 100%!

Summer sunshine SUP seems to have finally arrived in the UK this week. At time of writing (June 28, 2024) there’s generally been good SUP conditions in lots of areas. Granted, this isn’t blanket wide. But we’ll take it. McConks summer SUP gear. With better weather in mind now’s time to grab yourself some awesome […]

Outdoor adventure locations – 7 fab UK spots for awesome fun.

Outdoor adventure locations in the UK are wide and varied. Whatever outdoor adventure type you’re looking for there’s an area that’ll tick all the boxes. In all instances, some of these locations offer the potential of ticking off multiple outdoor adventures. But where to head? Here we listed 7 fab UK spots you’ll find awesome […]

Outdoor adventure combos – 5 fun ways to combine your favourite activities.

Outdoor adventure can be found anywhere – we promote this a lot. But outdoor adventure isn’t just limited to one thing. Sure, you can focus on a specific discipline for the window of opportunity you have. What may be more rewarding, however, is combining two (or more) of the passions you have. Combining activities can […]

BIGGER outdoor adventures – 7 fabulous experiences to enjoy with family and friends.

BIGGER-outdoor-adventures-7-fabulous-experiences-to-enjoy-with-family-and-friends.-1

BIGGER outdoor adventures don’t mean scaling the summit of Mount Everest or freediving the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench. Everything being discussed in this article is still accessible. For friends and family to enjoy. These suggestions are just a few of what you could enjoy as longer excursions. There are plenty more. A word on BIGGER […]

World Water Day 2024.

World Water Day 2024

World Water Day 2024 will take place on March 22. An annual celebration of clean water the observance day highlights the importance of fresh water. In the times we live, with water quality in the headlines, World Water Day is especially key. World Water Day 2024 theme. Each year World Water Day has a theme. […]

Outdoor adventure gear – 5 essential products to enhance your experience.

Outdoor adventure is everywhere. And as we’ve said in a previous post it doesn’t need to be expensive. Anyone can indulge in outdoor adventure. In many cases on a budget or shoestring. But there are a few cost-effective bits of outdoor adventure gear that’ll enhance your experience. Again though, without breaking the bank. We’re not […]

Outdoor adventures – 5 fun & cheap family adventures to enjoy.

Outdoor adventures - 5 fun & cheap family adventures to enjoy.

Outdoor adventures can be enjoyed at any time of year, anywhere and without costing the Earth. You don’t have to spend a shed load of money, travel too far, or lug loads of gear with you to have fun in the outdoors. And if you think the weather will negatively affect your outdoor adventures then […]

Outdoor adventure equipment essentials for 5 microadventures.

Outdoor adventure equipment comes in many different forms. Here at McConks we very much err toward the accessible end of the spectrum. As such we’re not talking about scaling glacial mountains and running huge volume white water rivers. McConks is a family company. And as a family, we prefer those microadventures. The ones which are […]

October eFoiling – meditation circles in the sun.

October can be a fantastic month for weather in the UK (if we’re lucky). Whilst it’s certainly autumn – with much cooler mornings, chilly evenings and the potential for wet and windy weather – there can often be a respite. We talk about the weather a lot at McConks. Mainly to give you guys a […]

Summer’s done: time to hang your SUP up, right?

Pics: Chris Jones. At time of writing the UK is experiencing some late summer heat. With air temperature high, wind levels low and waters still relatively warm it’s certainly still possible to paddle in summer gear. For some, this’ll be all the sweeter with schools back and the majority working again – quiet beaches and […]

SUP surfing commitment – staying stoked on wave riding.

SUP surfing isn’t an easy sport. As with prone surfing there’s much to learn and gain experience with. Yet it’s definitely one of the most fulfilling areas of stand up paddle boarding – if you commit! Whatever your level, be that beginner, intermediate, advanced or pro, commitment is key. Learning SUP surfing’s fundamentals, progressing important […]

Time, for learning something new with SUP?

Time, for learning something new with SUP

From the title of this post you’d be forgiven for thinking we’re going to be promoting the fact you should be learning new SUP skills and ways of being with the paddle. When actually what this article is about is indeed how tricky it can be learning something new. Especially when you’re perhaps lacking in […]

Thinking of starting a SUP business in 2022? Here’s the McConks take.

Thinking of starting a SUP business in 2022? Here's the McConks take.

SUP’s recent boom time has seen a resurgence of interest in stand up paddle boarding as a viable business opportunity. More specifically starting a SUP brand. And even more granular: starting a SUP brand dedicated to inflatable stand up paddle boards. It’s not hard to see why iSUPs, from a business point of view, make […]

SUP in tropical esque conditions (right on your doorstep).

SUP in tropical esque conditions (right on your doorstep).

SUP can take paddler anywhere, at any time of year. The weather also plays its part. At times when it should be a bit grotty you may get lucky and discover conditions altogether more idyllic. Such as tropical esque SUP conditions on your doorstep. As is the case here, in this paddler’s from the tail […]

Forcing the (SUP) issue – when ‘it’s’ just not right…

Forcing the (SUP) issue - when 'it's' just not right...

Forcing the issue with SUP can often be the case when ‘it’s’ not right. And by ‘it’ we’re talking about things like Mother Nature chucking her toys out the pram; your mojo missing in action; equipment failures/breakages; the list goes on. But when you’re keen as mustard what to do? Wanting some SUP action (badly). […]

Breezy views – overcoming windsurfing’s difficulties and getting involved.

Windsurfing is such a difficult sport to fall in love with – fiddly component parts, tricky technique (dictated to in large part by Mother Nature) and an ever fluctuating set of conditions just compounds the problem. Those deciding to learn at home, rather than sunny, warm and consistently breezy overseas destinations (which is also currently […]

A brief guide to UK SUP areas and what you might find (broadly).

With a thriving SUP scene and participation numbers increasing exponentially and showing no sign of slowing down, there’s a thirst for discovering what type of paddling you can experience around the country. But what can you expect if you decide to hit up this ‘green and pleasant land’ for a spot of sweeping? With staycation […]

What will your first stand up paddle of 2021 be like? #freedomunlocked

Pic: David Hughes/Brighton Pictures If you’re currently not paddling, because of COVID restrictions or the fact it’s brass monkeys, chances are daydreams of warmer, less stressful SUP days will be flowing through your mind. Daydreaming about stand up paddle boarding is normal. It can be an all consuming hobby – once bitten forever smitten, as […]

Lockdown 2020 | Can I stand up paddle board again? | update as of May 13, 2020

Many people are itching to get back on the water, and it seems that some regions of the UK might be starting to slowly release their lockdown. So what’s the current position across the countries of the UK? For Scotland and Northern Ireland, it’s a straightforward no. You’re only permitted to leave your house for […]

Bounce back (BIG) to SUP #2

Bounce back (BIG) to SUP #2 The BIG SUP bounce back is in full effect. Paddlers everywhere are preparing themselves for when beaches and waterways are available for stand up paddle boarding once again. We’re not suggesting everybody’s fully out of the woods just yet – as far as COVID-19 goes. There’s still a long […]

Let’s do it #LetsStayInside

Let’s do it #LetsStayInside For those of you of a certain age, who loved (and still miss) the genius wordsmith and comedian that was the late great Victoria Wood, you will 100% love this very topical version. A massive well done to BBC Radio Oxford for brightening up these strange days. Some genius lines of […]

Rewilding forests can’t be done on the cheap

Planting a tree in the right place

Ever since McConks started investigating rewilding and tree planting back in early 2019, we’ve been concerned about the long term sustainability of some tree planting schemes. We know from our work with organisations like the Woodland Trust that planting a seed can cost as little as £0.10, but that growing a seed into a viable […]

Should I buy an inflatable or a rigid paddleboard?

McConks Go Further 14" inflatable SUP

The truth about inflatable paddleboard performance If you want to race at a high level, and enter sprint and endurance events, or be on the podium for surf SUP comps, you’re almost certainly going to need a quiver of hard boards. But for everyone else, an iSUP is ideal.  Let us tell you more. Despite […]

Electric SUP pumps: which is best?

Electric SUP pumps: which is best? For a while, there’s been a settled view amongst experienced paddlers that the 12v pump in grey is the most reliable and fastest pump out there in the £75 – £150 bracket. Admittedly, it has its detractors, with some people having melted pistons and had switch and valve failures. […]

SUP paddles – the 5 top myths and fallacies.

SUP paddles have a lot of myths and fallacies attached to them. Here are the top five we hear all the time. 1. “The stiffer the better”. A shaft that’s too stiff for your biomechanics is very likely to cause shoulder injury, especially if combined with a less than perfect paddle stroke. At the elite […]

To Dryrobe or not to Dryrobe? 13 points to consider.

Are you thinking about buying a Dryrobe this Christmas? Either as a present for yourself or for someone else?  Dryrobes are a great gift idea – who wouldn’t want a warm, waterproof and windproof tent to hide in whilst getting changed?    Dryrobes have an excellent reputation amongst their customers, and having tried them ourselves, we think it’s a well-deserved reputation.  They’re well designed, well thought out and fantastic quality.

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