Standup Zone Forum
Stand Up Paddle => Gear Talk => Topic started by: thenewportguy on June 28, 2017, 09:33:57 AM
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Well my hunt for a good inflatable board has ended after trying out many at a local demo day for Red Paddle Co. I currently own an inflatable (albeit a lower end one) and wanted to get the best inflatable I could after getting hooked on the sport. But after demo'ing some of the best inflatables made in Red Paddle Board Co realized they will just never be the same as a hard board. Although great and serve a purpose I wasn't as blown away as I was hoping to be when compared to the board I have and when comparing to my other riviera hard board etc. I am going to keep my beater inflatable I have for the boat and looking to buy a regular SUP board. Looking for stability, some speed would be great, able to take some light chop and occasional boat wake etc. and some wind. Also have my 80lb son sit on front as we paddle around the harbor at times. I typically go for quick 1-2 mile SUP runs and the occasional 3-4 mile run.... the other day a 5 mile trek etc... I am 5'11 and 180lbs and would consider myself at an intermediate level yet on this forum compared to most more on the novice end. 1k price would be great but open to 1200+ maybe more for the right board. Open to suggestions... (open to used or left over models)
thanks all...
I think the Red paddle Co boards are very good boards no doubt but after some thought and trying more inflatables rather then upgrading my current inflatable with a better one choosing to keep it and just get a better hard board....
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I started on inflatables because of the safety i.e. bounce-able, wouldn't hurt anybody if I ran into them, wouldn't hurt me, rugged. I had Red Paddles, and the Mega, which was always fun to take out. I stood up on my first wave on the Red Paddle Mega.
People still remember me kooking on the inflatables. "Weren't you the guy on the inflatable? I remember you."
Inflatables are harder to step around on because of the sponginess. I wanted to learn how to turn, step etc. so those things are almost always going to be better on some kind of hard board, albeit the hard boards require a lot more care and vigilance because they damage more easily.
I don't know if one is better or worse, it depends on what you want to do with it.
My first Red Paddle was defective and had enormous rocker, so part of my "hazing ritual" when I started was taking more than a little mockery as I learned my initial balance on the "banana boat".
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leaning towards this -
anyone ever try this board? - https://www.rivierapaddlesurf.com/products/126-voyager-classic-6
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That's a good choice for a "family" board that can also cover distance at reasonable pace. Very very stable, that was my first board.
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You can't go wrong with the Riviera voyager. You can use it for pretty much anything, even surf mellow waves. My buddy had one and I sometimes used it. If you scroll down to the bottom of this blog post there are some pics of me surfing the voyager.
http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2015/04/florida-state-paddleboard-championship.html
The voyager is 32 inches wide, I think, which is pretty wide and ultra stable. But with its pointy nose and thick boxy rails it's still considerably faster than a surf style board or inflatable. If you want to do more serious long distance paddle touring you might want to get a 27 or 28 inch wide raceboard. The 14x27 Riviera RP (the widest raceboard they make) is plenty stable enough for most people to use as a touring board.
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Assuming your name might make this a local find--
https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/spo/6133484655.html (https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/spo/6133484655.html)
Might not be exactly what you're looking for but since you mentioned getting 5milers in, you'd have fun cranking on something with more of a race shape. Only challenge might be how to position your son on there, but if you're trying to do 260lbs between the two of you, this will certainly float you but could be tippy. That's where the 32in wide board would be preferable.
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I have to agree with Floridawindsup on the Riviera. I have one with the rounded tail(older model) and love it. I tour on it 3 to4 times a week and go some fairly long sessions. I've had my wife on front and she's almost 2 times the weight of your child.
The newer model Classic is lighter and more stable with the squared off tail. I sometimes think about getting a classic even though I have the standard model. I like it.
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A few years ago, I demoed one in Dana Point. I'm also 5'11", but I was 195 at that point. Someone I frequently see when paddling saw me. He said that I looked really high off the water. It looked like I didn't weigh enough for that board.
I have some balance issues. So, I need something stable.
I ended up with the SUP ATX Lahui Kai touring board. It is 30" wide and weighs just over 26 pounds. The board is stable.
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I also really like my Lahui Kai, although I have the 12’ 6” x 26”. I also find it really stable. Funny, if you go on the Lahui Kai website, the 12’ 6” x 26” has been out of stock for a very long time now. I almost wonder if they’ve stopped producing them. Some time back they had a blowout sale on them and I got mine at a ridiculously low price.
Don’t ride it near as much since I got my Whiplash, but I do still like the board. If I had any complaint, it would be there is too much volume in the tail for me, but then again, I’m not a big guy.
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thanks, pulled the trigger!
incoming is a 1x 12'6" Riviera Voyager !!!!! will post reviews. Not ideal color (think spearmint) but amazing price... 699 delivered.
I really wanted the Voyager classic but at twice the cost or more I passed. https://www.rivierapaddlesurf.com/collections/sup-touring/products/126-voyager-classic-6?variant=3316560580
You can't go wrong with the Riviera voyager. You can use it for pretty much anything, even surf mellow waves. My buddy had one and I sometimes used it. If you scroll down to the bottom of this blog post there are some pics of me surfing the voyager.
http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2015/04/florida-state-paddleboard-championship.html
The voyager is 32 inches wide, I think, which is pretty wide and ultra stable. But with its pointy nose and thick boxy rails it's still considerably faster than a surf style board or inflatable. If you want to do more serious long distance paddle touring you might want to get a 27 or 28 inch wide raceboard. The 14x27 Riviera RP (the widest raceboard they make) is plenty stable enough for most people to use as a touring board.
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Definitely do a review. I'm interested in how the squared off tail performs. I'm gonna keep my eyes open for a end of year deal on a wooden classic.
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I wanted the wooden classic badly...but scored the none wood for 699 and free shipping.... thats less then half the price of the 1500+200 shipping but I was still considering it:) The dark wood finish and blue is an epic combo and easily IMO one of the best looking boards on the market. Function and price won out this time.
Will do a review no doubt. Its my first displacement board so not sure what to expect. I SUP in everything from calm, to wind, to some chop and other all depends on the day.
Definitely do a review. I'm interested in how the squared off tail performs. I'm gonna keep my eyes open for a end of year deal on a wooden classic.
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When I did the Cape Cod Bay Challenge two years ago there was a guy on a Riviera Voyager 12'6". It was good enough for that long trip. Unless you're a serious racer you don't need to worry too much about the speed factor. Better to have a nice, stable, well-designed platform to cruise on and carry stuff.
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I agree the blue with Mahogany wood looks great. couple pics of mine.
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I almost forgot... Yes DavidJohn those are Crocs on the front...Never leave home without them ;D Crocs just came out with new watershoe,the Swiftwater Wave. I really love them for paddling,much better arch support for paddling long distances.