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Coromandel Paddle Boarding

12/12/2014

1 Comment

 
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LOCATION: Cooks Beach/Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula
SERVICES: Paddle board lessons, tours and rentals
CONTACT INFORMATION: 022 315 4829 or [email protected]
COST: $$/$$$$$ (cash only)
RATING: 10/10



Coromandel Paddle Boarding is a relatively new business based out of Cooks Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula. They offer lessons for beginners, rentals for experienced paddlers and tours suitable for both. Shanan, the owner and guide, is incredibly friendly and down to earth and was more than accommodating of our haphazard schedule. We had originally arranged for him to deliver the paddle boards to Hahei beach so that we could paddle down to Cathedral Cove, but when the weather didn't cooperate he let us postpone our plans to the next day so we could meet him at Cooks Beach and explore that area instead.

We met him at his brother's restaurant where he was kind enough to offer us a safe place to store our bikes and bags before driving us down to Flaxmill Bay. He set us up with boards, leashes, paddles, lifejackets and rash guards, and gave us great advice on what not to miss before he set us free. We followed the route that he takes with his tours, following the coast around Shakespeare Cliff and into Lonely Bay to collect some unique shell rings before continuing around to the sea cave at Cooks Beach. Rather than return to Flaxmill Bay, however, we continued down the coast to the river and Shanan picked us back up from there. Along our journey we enjoyed spectacular scenery and an abundance of sea life including sting rays, fish, sand dollars, starfish and hermit crabs.

The boards he uses (Red 10'8) are a bit wider than what we're used to, which makes them incredibly stable and great for beginners as well as experienced paddlers. We had an amazing time and would definitely recommend this activity to anyone interested in enjoying a more thorough and personal perspective on the coastline.

To see more pictures from our day on the paddle boards go to the Coromandel Peninsula Photos
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Exped SynMat UL 7 M Sleeping Pad

11/13/2014

3 Comments

 
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Exped SynMat UL 7 M Sleeping Pad ($165msrp)
Specs: R-VALUE:  3.1 THICKNESS: 2.8in WEIGHT: 14oz
Rating: 5/5

I purchased the Exped SynMat UL 7 M to use inside the integrated pad sleeve of our Big Agnes double sleeping bag last winter. I had been sleeping on the same 3/4 length Thermarest ProLite since college and wasn't entirely convinced it was time to upgrade, but I needed something relatively the same thickness as Steve's Thermarest NeoAir so that we wouldn't be sleeping on two different levels. Since we would be laying our pads side by side I wanted a square shaped pad that was around 3 inches thick but still packed down as small as my one-inch Thermarest. After searching for quite some time I ran across the Exped in a gear shop in Moab which seemed to fit the bill perfectly.

The Good:
When it comes to comfort the Exped is light years ahead of my old Thermarest. I prefer a firmer sleeping surface, so I was worried that I would sink into a thicker mattress and be uncomfortable, but it was easy to make the mattress as firm as I wanted, so the thickness just translates into more insulation. The sides of the sleeping pad are slightly thicker than the center, which helps keep me from rolling off at night and waking up on the cold ground.

The Exped is made of a very sturdy material which seems more durable than other lightweight sleeping pads like the NeoAir, and it comes with a small patch kit just in case. Since most lightweight sleeping pads are designed with backpackers in mind and are intended to be re-inflated every day, I was pleasantly surprised at the long-term air retention of the pad. At the end of a three week road trip sleeping in the back of our truck, the pad was just as firm as the day I blew it up. In contrast, Steve's NeoAir required a top off every other day or so.

The feature I'm most impressed with on the Exped are the two one-way valves set flush with the sleeping pad, that allow for much easier inflation and deflation than the traditional two-way valve found on most sleeping pads. With my old pad I used to have to maintain a constant seal with my mouth around the valve during inflation or else risk loosing all that hard-earned air in between breaths. With the one-way inflation valve there is no risk of air escaping if you decide to take a break while blowing it up, and the one-way deflation valve means the air you roll out when preparing to pack your pad stays out, allowing you to pack it down to the size of a .5L Nalgene bottle.

The Bad:
After months of use I have yet to come up with any legitimate complaints about the Exped. One downside to the thickness of the mattress is that it takes a lot of air to inflate, so it takes a while to blow up and could potentially leave you out of breath at higher altitudes. If you want to save your breath and time you could order the Schnozzle Pumpbag for an additional $30. It has a valve on the bottom that connects with the inflation valve so it doubles as both a bellows-type pump and a 45 liter waterproof stuff stack to store your clothes. The pumpbag takes care of all the hard work, but I've found I still need to add two or three breaths of air at the end to get it as firm as I like.

The Bottom Line:
The Exped is a well-designed, functional sleeping pad that is great for one night or several weeks of comfortable sleep. It is small and lightweight without sacrificing comfort or durability. It is definitely worth it to spring for the pumpbag.

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