Review of Red Paddle Co. 9'2" --

[spookini]

Working title:  "I'm in love with my blow-up (and my inflatable's not bad either)"

I recently purchased an inflatable SUP and in my experience, once you try one, you'll wonder why you waited so long to buy one.  For one thing, you can ALWAYS have your board with you now...  And there's no need to wear 'kid-gloves' anymore.  Unloading gear to the parking lot, sidewalk, or a rocky launch?  Who cares?!  It's liberating to manhandle your board and not worry about dings or scratches.  The storage benefits are pretty obvious.  And the boards are comfortable...you're not going to get hurt falling off.  So for me, getting an iSUP has been an epiphany.  You hardboard folks are suddenly so....QUAINT.  

Now, on to the review!  I finally was able to schedule some time w/ my board caddy yesterday, and we headed out to the local break for a photo shoot and wave sesh.  .

The board I purchased is the Red Paddle Co. 9'2" Surfstar.  Red Paddle is a UK-based maker of inflatable SUPs.  They are relatively new to the US (2012?), but seem to have wide distribution in the EU and Australia.  I believe they are the iSUP arm of Tushingham (longtime player in the windsurf market), so the company has a boardsports heritage.  Their marketing claims are of higher internal dropstitch contruction than most of the competition, and a very durable end product.  Videos on their website show boards being launched off buildings, surfed into rocks, and taking all sorts of abuse.  The boards are double-skinned, and the material on the rails is 4-ply thickness.

What sold me on Red is their use of stiffening battens in the midsection of their boards.  (The battens are used on their surf models and also their longer 'displacement' style boards.)  Their website states that the battens, in conjunction w/ higher inflation ratings (up to 25psi+), result in a board that's 50% stiffer than competing iSUPs.  I can't verify that -- but it seems logical that an iSUP reinforced with midsection battens is going to be stiffer.  So a month or so ago, I took the leap and purchased their 9'2" surf model.  After dealing w/ freight depots for hardboard purchases in the past, it's nice to have a board delivered in the mail!

Board specs are 9'2", 30" wide, 4" thick, 160liters, thruster-style flexible rubber fins.  The board comes packed into Red's backpack-style duffel.  With padded shoulder straps, hip-belt, and integrated cinch straps, the pack is comfortable to wear, and should make traveling w/ the board relatively painless.  Inside, the pack is pretty cavernous.  You can really fit a bunch of stuff in there.  For the photo shoot, my caddy was able to get booties, surfleash, shortjohn, rashgaurd, waist pdf, doggie pdf, beach blanket, and a mini fishing rod inside.  (I also purchased a 3-pc travel paddle... it fits as well.)  It'd be nice if the front exterior pocket was bigger, but oh well.

The board inflates via the supplied hi-pressure pump. The pump is a slightly narrower bore than common iSUP pumps, and comes w/ a gauge showing the "sweet spot" (15-25psi) for the board.  After about 1 minute of pumping, the board begins to take shape, and the battens are slid into the the rail pockets.  (Continued inflation locks them in place).  It takes another 2-3minutes to get the board to 15psi.  At 15psi, the board is firm enough to paddle.  At 20psi, the board paddles very well, is comfortable to use, and IMO is at its most stable for flatwater cruising.  At 25psi, the board is rock-solid and becomes much more responsive to shifts in body weight (not exactly 'twitchy'.. but noticeably more so than at 20psi).  Thus I consider 25psi the "surf" setting.  Total inflation time for me is a bit over 5minutes.

My overall impression so far is that the 9'2" kicks butt  .  I'm a novice surfer, but coming from a hardboard of same size, I think the Red surfs great.  Nose rocker is slight, so paddling onto a wave is pretty easy.  Once on the wave, you do have to get back quickly to keep from pearling.  Stiffness is excellent.  The rails feel very solid.  (If you whack them w/ your paddle, there's no give.)  The board feels very light on the wave, and the pintail makes it easy to turn.  It probably lacks the speed of a hardboard, but as the photos below show, you can rip it up on this board...  I also like the 30" width, which allows me to paddle out prone if there's a need to get out quickly.  Also, since it is a SOFT deck, popping up from prone is very comfortable.  I find myself moving around a lot more on this board than on a hardboard -- being more aggressive in terms of sinking the tail, pivot turning, etc.  And there is definitely a confidence that comes with knowing that you can't really hurt yourself on this thing  .

The board is also a lot of fun for general paddling and cruising.  It tracks as you'd expect for a 9'2" board -- not bad, not great.  It's very stable for flatwater, and a good board to lend to a beginner or someone with less than perfect balance.  The forward deck is a great scratch-proof doggie platform -- perfect for spotting waterfowl.  I've even tried fishing off this thing (and the fish have never felt safer!). 

All in all, I can highly recommend the Red 9'2".  A stiff, stable, fun board, and lots of fun in the surf.  I honestly don't miss a hardboard at all.  Final thoughts:  DOGGIE SURFING!!!  

[freetobeme]

Nice purchase and solid review. Where did you get the rasta wig? 

[SlatchJim]

I was waiting for the shot of your pooch blown up into a bull mastiff.      Great review Spook.

[jd]

All that board needs is the fin boxes that allow use of FCS fins and remove them for packing. 

[supgobes]

How much does the board weigh?  I'm wondering how the weight compares to other inflatables that are don't seem to be built as strong.

[jd]

And how well does the board float?  Red Paddle Co. says max rider weight is 210.  Do you think it would handle more than that?

[stoneaxe]

Nice review spook...you have me wanting one.

[spookini]

Free, look closely... it's not a wig, it's kelp.  I wear it for sun protection.  

Slatch, that dog's ego is big enough already.  Let's not inflate it any further!!  

JD, I agree removal of the fins would make packing up easier -- there's something to be said for simplicity though (less parts to lose).   At my level of surfing, fine-tuning of fins would not make much difference.   What is noticeable is the performance hit comparing a 3pc travel paddle to a "real" paddle.  (Hey KeNalu -- when are you folks coming out w/ a 3pc paddle??)

Gobes, I've never weighed the board.  Will try to do so tomorrow.  My guess is Red goes for durability at the expense of weight savings.  25lbs or so?..

JD, I'm at 175lbs, WITH the dog  But I'm hoping to cross paths w/ 'Creek next week, and get his input on the board.  I believe he's "2-teen-something", so that would be a good test.  Red does have similar boards w/ slightly more volume: a 9'6" (32" wide), and a 10' (30"), both w/ the batten system.  I chose the 9'2" b/c I can leave it inflated, and still easily fit it inside my vehicle (small SUV).  But the 9'6" looks nice, and the 10'x30" looks cool from a longboard standpoint.  Ideally, I would have a quiver of these things in my car.  

Stoney, you want a board, or the dog?  You can have the dog..  I'm sick of him snaking me on every wave.  

[spookini]

Supgobes, just weighed this thing.   At 25psi, it weighs right around 24lbs.

[spookini]

double post 

[supgobes]

Supgobes, just weighed this thing.   At 25psi, it weighs right around 24lbs.

Thanks.

[Green Water Sports]

Nice review spookini.

[spirit4earth]

What kind of dfd is your dog wearing?

[spookini]

Outward Hound purchased from Amazon.  Inexpensive, fits well, allows for the "6-pack" carry   

http://www.amazon.com/Kyjen-2522-Easy-Fit-Adjustable-Preserver/dp/B0081XIKY6/ref=pd_sim_petsupplies_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=1X20H25NHX585R42WA35