Standup Zone Forum
Stand Up Paddle => Gear Talk => Topic started by: JeffG on August 11, 2015, 08:18:15 AM
-
I've demoed some boards and have narrowed down my choices. One being a SIC X14 Pro. How much difference in speed would their be between a Red Paddle 14' Elite and the X14 Pro? Would it be significant? Getting the Red Paddle 14' Elite would save me some money including buying a board bag and some sort of rack for my car. Since I want to get into flat water racing I'm guessing I would not be satisfied with the Red Paddle 14' Elite board and would be regretting not spending a little more for a hard board. I have not demoed the Red Paddle board yet but there is one locally I could demo if it is even a viable option.
-
haven't paddled any SIC boards (yet), but I've had my Red Elite 14 for almost a year now and love it. Speed is comparable to other 14' boards I've paddled (I'm slow no matter what), and it rolls up and goes inside my Kia. No racks needed. It's also been fun for downwinders, and is a much more forgiving ride in choppier water than a hard board.
-
I paddled both SIC and RED Elite 14 but never had an actual Speedcoach comparison of the two, I can tell you from
my limited experience that if you're specifically into flat water racing you might want to consider the SIC for few reasons:
- Better acceleration (The SIC is about 10 pounds lighter than the RED)
- Better Glide
- It has a displacement hull
- More responsive
- Could be modified for advanced fin setup (ProBox Twin fin)
The RED on the other hand has its own advantages other than the obvious:
- definitely more forgiving ride in choppier water
- Feels less tippy
- Easier on the legs for long trips
My feeling is that if you really looking for the speediest ride for you, test both with a speedcoach and see how much you can
squeeze out of each. It could be the case that because of the forgiving nature of the RED you'll feel much more secure committing to a
strong power stroke without feeling of falling over, and if that's the case you might actually be faster on the RED.
Just make sure you have the right paddle for the job.
-
go try both in a nice stiff sidewind, then upwind
-
I have the RPC 14' Elite Race and have paddled the SIC X14 Pro and can tell you that I can paddle the SIC faster and for longer. Make no mistake, the Red is an amazing board but if I did a lot of racing and could only have one board then I'd choose the SIC. But if I wanted a board I could travel with, race, cruise and downwind then the Red is the better choice. This was Scotland last week. http://youtu.be/aP3yk-jVJhw