News — Suunto

By Diane Shearer

If you’re looking for gift ideas for the ultimate gadget enthusiast in your life then Action Gear is the place to go. We have chosen our top 15 Christmas gift ideas that we think will be right up your alley. Now you can see exactly what you can get your hands on in our store this Christmas.

1. REACH FOR THE SKY

DJI PHANTOM 3 SERIES

Reach for the sky and capture professional-quality footage from a new perspective with the DJI Phantom 3 range. This intelligent flying camera is easy to fly and engineered to let everyone take to the sky. With its crystal-clear camera and real-time HD video display you can create footage fit for the screen. 

 

2. TAKE IT TO THE TRAIL

SUUNTO AMBIT 3 WITH FREE POWERTRAVELLER



The Suunto Ambit 3 is your ideal companion when you go off the beaten path. The built in GPS and compass and its incredible battery life will keep you exploring the wilderness on foot or bike for hours. For a limited time get a free PowerTraveller solar charger with your Ambit 3.

3. BE A HERO

RED BULL GOPRO HERO 4 BUNDLE


The GoPro Hero4 range of action cameras are without doubt the best you can buy. With 3 models to fit your needs and budget, the Hero4 is your ideal adventure partner The GoPro Hero 4 makes it easy to capture and share your world through your eyes. HERO 4 helps you capture photos and videos that make you look like just that: a HERO. For a limited time, we are offereing a FREE 32GB Samsung Evo MicroSD Card as well as a Red Bull 4 Pack with every GoPro Hero4 Bundle.

 

4. TON O' FUN

HUBSAN X4


Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand but comes with a ton of fun. This is a perfect toy for flying around the house, practicing your skills or having fun with friends.

5. NO POWER? NO PROBLEM!

RED-E RS70 SOLAR POWERBANK


Whether you are trying to keep in touch with your mates while on a hiking trip or just being caught during load shedding. The 7000mAh powerbank can be charged directly from a wall socket or through the built in solar panel and can charge your iphone over 2.5 times.

6. MUSIC TO YOUR EARS

OUTDOOR TECH ORCAS WIRELESS


The Orcas wireless earphone are music to an active persons ears! Completely wireless, sweat proof and so light you will forget you have them.

 

7. THE CAMERA THAT DOESNT LIE

TOMTOM BANDIT BASE PACK


Now you can instantly share a video to your friends while still in the midst of adventure. Simply shaking your smartphone device will create an instant edit of the video you've recorded. Sensors in the camera pick up and tag the big moments like maximum speed, jumps and tricks. The Bandit can shoot up to 4K at 15fps and take 16mpx photos.

8. ALL IN ONE

OUTDOORTECH BUCKSHOT PRO



Everything you need in the palm of your hands. The Buckshot Pro is a wireless speaker, flashlight, strobe light, camp-light, and powerbank. Yeah, that's impressive!

 

9.MOTION WITHOUT BLUR, ACTION WITHOUT SHAKES

DJI OSMO


The DJI Osmo helps you record videos like never before. Whether standing still for a stationary timelapse or moving through the world for a hyperlapse, you can create smooth videos easily with this stabiliser and gimble. Imagine motion without blur and Action without shakes! The Osmo can shoot up to 4K at 30fps and take 12mpx photos.

10. HIGHLIGHT THE NIGHT

EXTREME LIGHTS XPH HEADLAMP


The Extreme light XPH Headlamp offers unprecedented freedom for nocturnal thrill-seekers. If you like surfing after sunset, riding at midnight and trail running at night the remarkable little device will highlight the night. This versatile Headlamp uses a rechargeable Li-ion battery or 3 AAA batteries. The 670 Lumen torch will last 2.5 hours using the built in battery, ensuring that you never run out of juice in the wild.

11. SEVEN HEAVEN

RED-E 7 PORT USB CHARGING HUB


Never run out of power with the Red-E 7 port USB charging hub. It is a must have power adapter for any tech savvy adventurer. It enables you to charge all of your USB devices at once through one wall socket.

12. NEW PB?

BLACKBURN ATOM SL BIKE COMPUTER

The Blackburn computer is perfect for the cyclist that wants to know how far and how fast they’ve gone. The Blackburn computer will help you get your new personal best.

 

13. EASY RIDE

EZ WHEELS BALANCE WHEEL


Balance Wheels are the latest craze to take over the internet! These easy to ride 'hoverboards' can get you from A to B in style, with almost no effort. The EZ wheels has a maximum speed of 10km/h and a range of 15km. Riding this mini segway is simple, just lean in the direction you want to go. These boards have been used in many different situations, such as personal transportation, by photographers for stabilization and smooth shots, for shopping, warehouse staff, or just as a toy.

14. YOUR TRAVEL COMPANION

SENA SMH5-FM RADIO DUAL UNIT

Share music or a conversation while on your breakfast run with the Sena SMH5-FM Radio Dual Unit. It is a Bluetooth stereo headset with a Bluetooth intercom and built in FM turner for motorcyclists. The SMH5-FM allows you to call handsfree on your Bluetooth mobile phone, listen to music or instructions from your GPS wirelessly.

 

15. UNDER, OVER

GODOME HOUSING


With this dome housing, getting the elusive under over shot has never been easier. The GoDome Housing used a 160mm Dome, made from the highest quality acrylic, this massive dome pushes the waterline away from the lens, creating a space that allows you to capture the split in the water line with unbelievable ease.

By Terence Vrugtman

Looking for any reason to go on an adventure has become a day job for me for well over a year now. The opportunity to try something new, spend time with those that matter to me and have a camera in hand has become a full time pursuit, and I love it! As an occasional racer, I found the notion of convincing myself to go and watch comrades a bit silly. Mike Benci, a mate of mine, was planning on running and I wasn’t ready to take on 12 hours of mental and physical war. So why would I go? Well, Comrades isn’t the only event or activity happening in Durban. There's the beach, surf boards, I own a kayak… there's the beach. After weighing up the pros and cons, I decided it would be best if Mike didn’t drive to Durban alone, ergo Ash and I packed our bags and just like that the adventure started.


After recently returning from the Nedbank Save the Rhino Trail Run the idea of a holiday wasn’t a good one according to my wallet. So the plan was to have fun on a budget and just keep it simple. We did exactly that, and so can others.

Transport can be expensive in this day and age, the cost of petrol is sky high and plane tickets aren’t cheap either. Car pooling was the best option and we all love a great road trip. Packed into our semi-fuel efficient Parejo ‘io’ we shared the cost of a round trip to Durban which was less than R700 each. As these weekends become more frequent, you start to appreciate the open road along with great company.

Accommodation in Durban is an easy thing. I thought finding accommodation would be a real mission especially because we were booking two nights before a race that attracted thousands of people to Durban. The mass of back packers that Soccer World Cup left behind made the search easy. We found a homey place about 2km away from the beach that was still really affordable. Back packers are not only a prudent form of accommodation but they often come with free entertainment… in its own form.

Comrades and its logistics aside, Ash and I spent the bulk of our time as close to the ocean as possible. We visited Addington Beach near uShaka Marine on the first day and didn’t want to leave. Our goal was to find affordble and fun activities to do for 2 days. With little knowledge and even less effort we found what we were looking for.

For a while now, Ash and I have always wanted to do some SUPing. So we hired two boards and hit the ocean for our first SUPing experience. I was expecting to pay about R200 per board and was comfortable with that, I was pleasantly shocked to find that we could rent two boards for 1h30mins at R200! The open ocean, SUPs and the will for adventure provided ample laughable moments and the fun we were looking for. It wasn’t as easy as one would think and the massive swells of high tide didn’t make it any easier. Not that we were complaining.

Mike and some local friends hired a kayak and joined the party in the ocean, also for only R100 per hour per boat. A real bargain because you can hire a two-seater and have as much fun, if not more. The challenge of getting the kayak out to sea and surfing it back was the real source of fun!

The first morning in Durban, we walked along the promenade, the second we decided to do something different. We hired an old-school Schwinn Tandem bike and went for an hour long ride. The bike came from the same store as the SUPs and also only cost R100 for the hour. It was a ton of fun and is ideal for couples. We loved every second and took turns steering, racing other people, looking at the sunrise and trying to convince people for a high-five while on the move.

For more adventures, follow us on Instagram: @Ashezzzzzz and @Act10nMan

Or
Check out www.adventurelife.co.za for more in depth adventures.

 

By Brad Edwards AKA Fuzz

Recently the Action Gear team was invited by 'Play At Height' to their launch in Fourways. A few of the team went through to meet some interesting folks and got to bungee off the top of the tower that I'm sure a lot of Joburgers have seen by now. We took our GoPros with us so that we had something awesome to share after. TJ, Mike, John-Micheal and myself each took that step off the platform, it was my first bungee and I have the pleasure of sharing our jumps with you.

"What a great Wednesday to have the chance to go for a Bungee after work. I wasn't aware that it would have been so awesome but while sitting in the traffic on my way to Play At Height on Witkoppen and William Nicole, I wondered if sitting in the traffic was worth it. Glad I stuck it out because as I turned onto Witkoppen from Main, I was greeted by the bright lights of the huge structure that was very difficult to miss. I arrived and it was clear that the guys who built and designed the Sky Bar had done a proper job and suddenly I was beyond stoked to get to jump. At a height of 60 meters, after a really enthusiastic team helped me sign all the documents and get booked in, I was suddenly at the top looking over the whole of Joburg at one of the coolest bars around.

I was introduced to some very professional gents who helped me get strapped up and while sitting there I was able to really take in the awesome atmosphere and what has been done here, just around the corner. After a short time and a quick brief of what's going to happen my toes were off the edge of the platform and I was looking at the top of Monte Casino. I was counted down and felt like I was about to jump into Witkoppen Road, I took the leap. All in all it was one of the best bungee jumps I have done, with a really great atmosphere and cool people running the place. This is definitely something I recommend everyone should try, especially because it's so close. If you don't want to jump then a drink at the Skybar is something spectacular and I will be going back for sure in the future. Good work and thanks to the 'Play At Height' team for an adrenaline filled Wednesday. " - Mike

 

"A special big-ups to the Play at Height Bungee Staff for an awesome Wednesday afternoon! They effortlessly eased you into jumping off a ledge right over a steel fence and made it feel less like a suicide attempt and more of a euphoria. Couple this with anxiety, too many energy drinks and the tower seemed to sway but that was just the energy drinks and the urge to call it quits." - TJ (It was swaying!)

The Action Gear team received an awesome request from Play At Height: "Would we be willing to come film ourselves bungee jump".Without much need for consideration, we loaded up our GoPro Hero 4, Handler grip and Chesty chest mount, and drove to Fourways. After signing my life away, I headed up the tower to kit up. The staff were super professional, and very friendly. Finally it was time to jump! This was different to any bungee I have done in the past. One of the unique features of Play At Height Fourways is that they offer night time jumps. I highly recommend this! It gave a completely different experience to day time jumping. Another cool addition is the Sky Bar, which is also really helpful for nervous, first time jumpers. Great fun, I will definitely be back!" - John-Michael

Now for my 2 cents, I was amazing! I was nervous as it was my first jump but that was just a regular day for the staff as they calmly explained the steps and safety checks. As you can see in the video, I had to close my eyes just before taking the leap, as my logic just kept taking over. Jumping off that ledge was on of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. A big thank you to Play At Height! With one of the best views around, the Skybar is really something. Why not skip the traffic this afternoon, go bungee and have a drink after.

To book a bungee jump with Play At Height click here

 

By Jacques Viljoen

So deciding I wanted to do something a little different to my usual product reviews. I pondered for a while about what I could do that would be a nice step away from the reviews and features. Then it dawned on me with a great drive along the coast, what if I did a feature about the Top Driving roads in Cape Town. We live in a very beautiful country and I am fortunate enough to live in the best city in South Africa, Cape Town. Just within a 150 kilometer radius from where I stay, you will find Karoo like bushveld, beautiful coastal roads and stunning wine valleys.

Top 10 Driving Roads in Cape Town

• Route name: Gordon’s Bay to Rooi Els
• Road: R44 (Faure Marine Drive)
• Starting Point: 34°10'1.98"S, 18°51'27.80"E
• Finishing Point: 34°17'49.77"S, 18°49'21.21"E
• Distance: +- 20 Kilometers
• Road surface quality: 8 out of 10
• Scenery: 7 out of 10

Gear used:

• GoPro Hero 3 Black
• GoPro Suction Cup
• GoPro handlebar mount
• Canon SX600 HS
• GoPole Hi-Torque Thumbscrews
• Tristar tri-pod

With all that out the way, on to the first road in this series:

A short introduction to me and my car:

 

Although I consider myself a true petrol head, I am by no means a racing driver. But according to me, a true petrol head should make the most of the car he or she drives. Whether it is a Polo or a Porsche, as long as you just have fun. I drive a 2007 VW Polo 1.6 petrol, which is not a fast car, but it handles very well. Even though it is slow, it is still a fun car to drive.

 

The road between Gordon’s Bay and Rooi Els is a true stunner featuring long straights, tight corners, hairpins, beautiful ocean and mountain views. If you are the type of driver that loves to hit the apex in the corner perfectly, this stretch of road will not disappoint you. There are plenty of tight corners with nice straights in between, which really makes it feel like you’re on a race track or even James Bond with the panoramic views.

 

The views on this route are spectacular. To your left you’re against a mountain cliff and to your right you have kilometres of open Atlantic Ocean.

 

The great thing about this road is the fact that you don’t have to drive recklessly fast to enjoy it. I did about 80 – 90 km/h most of the time and I had a blast. Just keep an eye out for cyclists. There are plenty of stopping and picnic areas along the road, both on the mountain and ocean side.

I am very excited to see where this series will take me. I know there are places that I haven’t discovered yet.

If you want to make a route suggestion, or have any questions, you can tweet me at @jacquesv569.

#getinvolved #adventure2015