Red Paddle Co Review

[Chris iSup]

We have had a busy yet fun winter for 2013/2014 with the testing of several products. Today I want to talk a little bit about our impressions with the products we tested from Red Paddle Co.
We received two boards from Red Paddle Co along with a paddle and their Luggage System 2.0/2.1. The first board is the 2014 Venus 10’ Surfer and the second is the 2014 9’6” All Rounder. I weighed both boards and they both came in at 26.5 lbs on my scale. On paper I thought the 9’6” might be a touch small for general paddling on the ocean but fun in the waves, I was pleasantly surprised.
The boards come packaged nicely and all tucked into the included Board Bag 2.0. The board bag is sized generously with plenty of room for the paddle and even some extra items when travelling. The bag is a top-loading bag with lots of conveniently placed handles, clips for attacking the Backpack 2.1 and even better the bag has a hard base with wheels. The wheels proved invaluable while getting around airports and hotels. The boards fit easily into their respective bags unlike my experiences with some other inflatable’s. We chose to roll the paddles into the middle of the boards in order to help protect them during transport. Depending on your airline you may have a 40 or 50 lbs check in limit. I weighed the packed board, pump and paddle and came in about 36-37 lbs leaving a nice bit of extra room for our 50 lbs limit. The Backpack/carry-on appeared quite small but has a very surprising amount of room and we were pleasantly surprised to get all our stuff in the two bags and still be within the limits. Smooth sailing at the airport with the boards going on as regular checked baggage and no extra charges… Wha Hoo, Mexico here we come.
Upon arrival at our destination I got to the task of inflating the boards. My experience with other inflatable’s has been one of patience and perseverance, these Red Paddle Co boards proved to be basically the same. Other inflatable’s are taken to approximately 15 psi and the last 5 ish pounds are a fair bit of work. The Red Paddle Co boards are a little different in the fact that they are inflated to 25 psi. Up to 15 psi I found the task quite easy, 15 to 20 psi a bit harder but ok, the last 5 psi like other inflatable’s was a bit of a chore that requires some patience. Once you have done it a few times you figure out a bit of a technique that works for you and your physical ability.
These Red Paddle Co SUP’s are great looking and attracted a lot of attention on the beach. When they were first removed from the bags the fins were a little distorted but quickly found their proper shape. A great feature on these boards is the built in cargo attachment points. We opted for a motorcycle cargo net for our adventures, which easily clipped to the four loops and held are cargo easily. The paddle goes together easily and has a very comfortable handle. The paddle blade is a good “all round” size that I enjoyed on our long distance paddles and worked well for catching a few waves when the swell was right.
As for the performance of the boards I’ll cut right to the chase… They were FANTASTIC. These boards performed beyond my expectations of an inflatable and we really loved them. Due to the construction, battens and higher pressure of the Red Paddle Co boards they feel so much better on the water, much closer to a hard board than any others I have experienced. In choppy conditions there was still some “bounce” but considerably less than others. Tracking was good for boards in the 10’ length range and I found the boards to actually feel quick for inflatable planing boards. We didn’t have much for surfing options but I still had tons of fun catching some little waves and the 9’6” in particular was a blast in the waves. We didn’t go out of our way to drive over the boards with a car or any other extreme durability test, just the usual daily use type stuff and they held up extremely well. The few little scuffs and marks we did managed to get on the boards easily cleaned up with a little bath and a magic eraser, leaving them looking new again. Red Paddle Co has done an outstanding job developing these great boards that are second to none. Although we have only tested the planing boards so far I have no doubt that the other models in their quiver are equally fantastic. If you are looking for the best inflatable option I highly recommend you take a long hard look at the Red Paddle Co quiver. They have done there due diligence and offer a superior product.
If you are in our area give us a shout and we will get you pumped (pun intended), if you are farther away find your local Red Paddle Co dealer and get hooked up today.
Happy Paddling Everyone.

[Green Water Sports]

That is one glassy ocean.

Nice review Chris. Related to another thread going at the moment (NRS iSUP), do you prefer the texture of the 2014 or 2013 deck?

[spirit4earth]

I think he said he likes the 2013 texture better, but I'm wondering which one might be best for a dog to keep her footing.

[spookini]

My dog stands on the bow of the Red -- like Leo DiCaprio ("king of the world!").  Better vantage point  to sight waterfowl...

No deckpad up there.  It's fine.  Basically a rubber board, they're not slippery like a hardboard can be.

[spirit4earth]

My dog stands on the bow of the Red -- like Leo DiCaprio ("king of the world!").  Better vantage point  to sight waterfowl...

No deckpad up there.  It's fine.  Basically a rubber board, they're not slippery like a hardboard can be.

Awesome!   Post a picture if you have one!

[Green Water Sports]

I think a pooch will be fine on either grip and on the fore deck without the grip. They've got 4 paw traction and much better balance than us humans.

[spirit4earth]

Chris, did you find that the Venus 10' tracked well enough in flatwater to be a good flatwater/ small wave board?  It would be my only board for a while....
What are the differences between the 2014 Venus Surfer 10" and the 2014 Surfer 10?  Are there structural differences, or just cosmetic ones?

What's the weight limit on the Venus Surfer vs Surfer?

[Green Water Sports]

Venus is the name they've given to the "fairer sex" versions. They are identical boards, just different deck graphics. That said, pretty much same as 2013 10' board. They claim an ideal weight of 154lbs and max weight of 198lbs no the 10'. I would agree with this. I've ridden the 10' and I'm around 190lbs.

[spirit4earth]

Venus is the name they've given to the "fairer sex" versions. They are identical boards, just different deck graphics. That said, pretty much same as 2013 10' board. They claim an ideal weight of 154lbs and max weight of 198lbs no the 10'. I would agree with this. I've ridden the 10' and I'm around 190lbs.

Could the Surfer 10' handle 160 lbs for flat water cruising, or would I have to go to the 10'6?

[spookini]

Uninformed guess:  can't imagine it wouldn't.  I'm 160 and the 9'2 is TONS of float. 

[Green Water Sports]

At 160lbs, the 10' will be fine.