Why choose the McConks 12’8” Go Explore?
My name is Craig Jackson, founder of SUP Shropshire Adventure Guiding, WSA Adventure Guide and Operational Fire Officer. Last summer my SUP partner, James Sutherland and I decided to paddleboard over 200km of the river Severn in 4 days from its first navigable point on the Welsh border to its end point in the Bristol Channel.
Our aim was to raise awareness of plastic pollution in our rivers and oceans, promote SUP safety and also mindfulness a micro adventure can provide.
In 2020 I was lucky enough to be asked by Cal Major to be an Ambassador for her charity Seaful and over the past two years, we have provided Seaful sessions to over 150 children at Chelmarsh reservoir. Seaful is about creating stewardship to look after our oceans and rivers through creating opportunities for people to connect to our blue spaces. So what better way to raise money for such a great charity than to paddleboard the longest river in the UK.
Andy McConkey at McConks heard about our challenge and quickly got in touch to offer support. That support came in the form of a gifted 12’8” Go Explore paddle board with the expectation to auction the board at the end of the paddle to raise much needed funds for our chosen charities. I have a McConks Go Wild for my white water play and I had also been on a McConks Go X Wild and a McConks Go Race. This would be my first time on a Go Explore.
Our journey would see us paddling over 50km per day, portaging a weir in Shrewsbury and getting on and off the water to access campsites. We would also be carrying all of our kit to be self sufficient along the way. This meant that our boards had to be suitable to meet these challenges. So where do I start with the McConks Go Explore 12’8”?
Deck space and bungees
I found thatthisboard had stacks of deck space and with a skateboard type grip tape under the bungees, items stayed put. There is a large area at the front but also at the rear, something you don’t often see on boards. Because of this I was able to match the weight distribution front and back to ensure a good trim when on the water whilst maintaining a good space for standing.
Handles
Another big tick for this expedition. When portaging fully loaded with kit and a deadline to meet, having handle to share the load with your paddle buddy and take the board in one was a game changer. Not only does the 12’8” have carry handles in multiple locations they are also well made and comfy to hold under load. They also came in very handy to manoeuvre the board in and out of the water when exiting an launching.
Performance under load
I am 6’2” and weigh over 100kg, so to have a board that could not only withstand my weight and perform well but to also hold camping equipment, 5 litres of water, clothing and food supplies, quality was key.
So how did it perform? The 12’8” Go Explore has a maximum pressure of 25psi and I was inflating it to 20psi. Leading up to the event I was using the board during our Guided River Awareness Sessions and I was quickly finding out that it was the perfect touring board. The board cuts through the water like a hot knife through butter, each paddle stroke felt effortless and smooth, but how would it perform fully loaded? Exactly the same!
On certain parts of the Severn we experienced some white water and although you wouldn’t normally use this type and length of board for white water, I found it to be planted and super stable, even fully loaded.
Final Words
Yes, I was gifted this board and I had to ride it, unfortunately, I fell in love with it.
The most prominent thought on my mind as we neared the end of our adventure was the realisation of having to auction the board I had just spent 4 days on travelling the longest river in Britain.
I was tempted to bid myself but that wouldn’t have been morally right for our loyal supporters following our journey. Since auctioning the McConks Go Explore 12’8” I have continued my adventures on another brand, a brand that is well known but it just wasn’t the 12’8” Go Explore. I am now pleased to say that I am now an owner of my very own McConks 12’8” Go Explore and I couldn’t be happier.
You can follow Craig on Instagram here.
If you have any questions about the MCconks 12’8 Go Explore get in touch.
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