Designed for adventure paddling and being loaded up with the essentials for all kinds of touring SUP the McConks Go Explore 14’ GT is a formidable paddle board. If you’re after a high performance stand up paddle board fit for big adventures then this is it!
Completely re-designed, the Go Explore 14’ GT has a whole bunch of upgraded features and design traits to help with your SUP adventures. You can learn more about the board here. And yet, as per the title of this article, there’s no lack of paddle board versatility with the GT 14’.
Paddle board versatility is essential for all riders. You may want to concentrate on one type of riding specifically. Yet conditions, environment, style and mood will all dictate what you actually need on any given day. Particularly if you frequent the same location(s). Which most stand up paddle boarders do.
It’s no secret the UK’s weather can be changeable. Flat, buttery smooth water one day and the next a howling gale with fearsome waves. Even with highly detailed forecast info available paddle boarders need to be ready to adapt. Not least because of SUP safety and having to get back to shore without issue.
Inflatable paddle boarding technology has evolved lots over the last few years. Here at McConks, we’ve always strived to deliver products with the utmost performance. We use and produce with the best materials available.
The McConks Go Explore 14’ GT is manufactured using 6” thick MXW Drop Stitch material. This ensures a maximum rigidity-to-weight ratio. Deflection (bend) is therefore at a minimum which delivers much better glide and tracking. Overall performance is enhanced.
Being confronted by waves, and having access to a paddle board, is like a red rag to a bull. The enticing prospect of sliding sideways along liquid walls is often too much to resist. SUP surfing has long been a thing. Although in recent times it’s not as participated as you’d think.
No less, waves – particularly the smaller kind – and stand up paddle boards are a match made in heaven. The oversize nature of SUPs, combined with their gliding capabilities makes smaller, lacklustre waves super fun. Even with an inflatable 14’ touring board.
Learning to surf can be a chore. Wave environments, to the uninitiated, can be daunting. Especially when learning how to pilot a surfboard. Usually, bigger waves are needed for this. And surfboards being smaller than SUPs can make the whole process trickier still.
With a stand up paddle board waves can be mere ripples. Yet there’s usually enough power to propel riders along. For kids learning to surf a paddle board can be a great tool and fast-track the wave riding process. For kids who are light enough adults can ride in tandem which helps even more. Stand up paddle boards are therefore worthy contenders as surf coaching ‘tools’.
As we’ve already mentioned, the efficient rigidity of the McConks Go Explore 14’ GT inflatable paddle board means it doesn’t bend. Paddling with a passenger into small waves iSUP boards from a few years back would warp as they struggle to maintain their profile as the surf curls around it. Not so with the GT…
Instead, performance is predictable and the 14’ powers along picking up speed as the wave does. Also, it should be mentioned, the outer PVC material of the Go Explore doesn’t feel as ‘sticky’. This is most likely down to the fact energy transfer from the wave impacts board propulsion positively. The bottom line is: that the GT delivers the correct sensation of surfing which in turn equates to fun, fulfilment and potentially a hook into the wavier side of watersports.
Here at McConks, we serve up a whole load of content based on SUP knowledge, the learning process and paddling progression. Created to inspire, help and signpost the reason for all of this is to enhance your experience and make it even more fun.
Fun’s the name of the game. If it isn’t fun then there’s no point. And we mean this for all riders. You can see in the video above the younger and older riders are all smiles. Having had some post-session feedback we’re pretty sure you can attribute some of this fun to the performance of the McConks Go Explore 14’ GT. If it was a handful to pilot then no fun would be had!
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