We are very excited to be selling Red Paddle Co. inflatable stand up paddle boards. They are currently one of the
most popular inflatable stand up paddle board manufacturer's in the world - and we have no reason to believe that they will not become one of the premiere brands in the USA, but don't just take our word for it check out what
The Sup Guru has to say. W
hat makes Red Paddle Co. boards different? What features make them worth looking at? This review will hopefully answer some of these questions, and shed some light on what makes Red Paddle Co. boards so cool.
SPECS:
RED PADDLE CO. BACKGROUND:
Red Paddle Co. is headquartered in the UK.
They've been exclusively producing "inflatable" stand up paddle boards since 2007. Because they do not produce composite boards, they are able to spend more time focusing on things like overall board quality, inflatable technologies, usability and aesthetics. Red Paddle Co. also happens to have INCREDIBLE customer service. Again, when all you do is build inflatable stand up paddle boards, you get pretty good at taking care of your customers' specific needs.
Red Paddle Co has been sold in the USA for 12 months. To give you an idea of the market share that this company has -
they have become the #1 selling stand up paddle board in Europe, and actually make up over 20% of the global SUP market (Europe, Australia, New Zealand, etc). That is HUGE! In short, just because you have not seen a Red Paddle SUP on your local river or lake, does not mean that this company is new, and "
figuring things out".
They are tried and true HIGH LEVEL inflatable stand up paddle boards.
CONSTRUCTION:
Red Paddle Co. prides themselves on using the highest quality drop stitch material available. In general,
the higher the density of material (drop stitch) inside of the SUP, the stiffer the board. This is part of the reason that the boards can be inflated anywhere from 18-25 psi (most other boards are 10-16 psi). Many companies use a "linear" drop stitch pattern, which is weaker and less stiff.
It's nice to be able to inflate 25 psi of pressure into your board. That is TWICE as much psi as many of the boards out there!
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Progressive Rocker Profile: Red Paddle Co. does a great job at incorporating a progressive rocker profile into many of their boards. Rocker (a kicked up nose or tail) is something that greatly helps with surfing, turning, and keeping the nose of the board above water. A progressive rocker (as opposed to a kick rocker, which means just the very front of the nose is kicked up) is preferred (but often times much harder to achieve). Red Paddle is able to have a progressive rocker profile because of 1.) their quality of construction. The seams of the board are laminated 4 times, which helps to maintain the rocker profile. 2.) The RSS stiffeners greatly aid in keeping the board stiff. When heavier paddlers hop on a smaller Red Paddle Co. board (that has the RSS system), they will notice that the rocker remains the same - it will not "give in" because of paddler weight.
You can see the slight progressive rocker profile. This allows the board to turn easily, surf and still track well.
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RSS (rocker stiffening system): This is a feature that separates Red Paddle Co. boards from the rest of the pack. The RSS is a stiffening system that seems to work really well - up to 40% stiffer! The magic of this system is not necessarily how it creates a stiffer board, but how it allows Red Paddle SUP's to maintain the correct rocker profile when weight is on the board. Again, this especially helps heavier paddlers that would like to use smaller boards because of their performance characteristics. A 200 pound person can paddle the 9'6" All Water as a performance surfer and not lose the rocker profile on the nose. Also, if you paddle with pets or children on the board, they will not affect the board shape either.
You can see the RSS stiffeners on the side of the board. They really do work well.
The RSS is constructed of a thick plastic batten - they are removable, and can be taken out quite easily when the board is deflated.
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Fixed fins (iFins) keep it reliable: The fixed tri fins keep things simplified and reliable. Red Paddle Co. claims that they have never had a find a fin warranty in the history of the company. Yes, it is true that removable fins are really nice for the diversity that they can offer, but how many times have you broken or lost a fin, only to find out you need it ASAP for a paddle trip, and do not have a spare! There is something to be said for simplicity - it is one less thing that you will have to worry about in the long run.
Fixed plastic fins are 100% reliable, and get the job done. If you are a river paddler, you will have A LOT less problems with these fins than you will have with removable plastic ones that can crack, break or get lost.
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Awesome deck pad: Besides having the best looking deck pads (and boards) in the business, the Red Paddle Co deck pads also serve a purpose. They are thick, and soft to the touch, and offer a great stomp pad on the tail.
The deck pads on ALL Red Paddle CO. boards are super cushy and supportive. The rear stomp pad is great for surfing.
Close up shot of the Red Paddle Co. deck pad. The teak effect is super cool and original.
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VERY STIFF (BUT WITHOUT HAVING TO BE 6" THICK): This is a reason in itself to purchase a Red Paddle board. The majority of inflatable stand up paddle companies in existence create stiffness by building boards that have a 6" drop stitch (as opposed to a 4" one). Most boards that have a 4" drop stitch are pretty flexible. Typically, people will size up to a 6" thick board to get the stiffness that they want, even though they do not need a board that is 6" thick. An example of this is in regards to ocean and river surfers - a 4" thick board will have much better feel than a 6" board. Also female paddlers, children, and anyone who wants a large stable platform to paddle on, but does not want the feel of being on a 6" thick board - can now have the best of both worlds. This is also great for SUP yoga.
This is one of the best features of Red Paddle CO boards. They are INCREDIBLY stiff for only being 4" thick in some cases. Paddlers who do not necessarily want a 6" thick board, but want it to be stiff should check out this brand.
Red Paddle CO boards are available in all thicknesses ranging from 4" to 6", and are available both with and without the RSS system.
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D Ring On The Nose: Besides having a D ring on the tail (for a leash), there is also one on the bottom side of the nose. This is really nice to have for security, tying it down on your car, or for towing.
The D ring on the nose is a nice touch for security, towing, tie downs, etc...
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INCREDIBLE BAG And A Really Nice Pump: All Red Paddle boards come with an INCREDIBLE bag. It has a wheel for carrying it at the airport, or for traveling long distances. The pump is also really nice, and inflates the board up to 20psi.
You WILL NOT find a nicer SUP carry bag - GUARANTEED. This bag has storage, a wheel for towing it, and is built of the highest quality. The pump is nice too.
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ULTRA HIGH QUALITY DROP STITCHING = STIFF! All Red Paddle Co. boards are made in a factory that is known for building the stiffest boards available. Red Paddle supplies this factory with their own material, thus increasing the overall build quality. With a super thick drop stitch material (cross linear pattern), and high quality materials, Red Paddle guarantees that this is the stiffest board on the market.You know that the proof is in the pudding when the company advertises that these boards can be inflated to 25 psi...that is A LOT of air!
Inflate these boards up to 25 psi! That is really stiff in SUP land.
Verdict:
Red Paddle Co. boards are solid.
They have great designs, are top quality, and seem to be stiffer than the competition. They also are priced very competitively.
For $1200 you can get what is considered to be the stiffest inflatable SUP on the market - that will last for many years. Although Red Paddle SUP is new to the US inflatable stand up paddle market, they are no strangers to the business.
They comprise 20% of the global iSUP market share, which equates to A LOT OF BOARDS. If you're in the market for a high end, durable SUP that is able to wear a lot of hats - go demo a Red Paddle Co inflatable stand up paddle board.
