New Red Paddle Co Compact 9'6" iSUP now available for pre-order

[Green Water Sports]

Announced just this morning, Project X as it was billed has become the Red Paddle Co 9'6" Compact inflatable paddle board.

Half the size, double the adventure. Full details here: https://greenwatersports.com/12292/the-future-is-now-introducing-the-red-paddle-co-9-6-compact





Basically it's a 9'6" x 32" x 4.75" board with new MSL PACT technology allowing it to be folded into half the size of traditional MSL boards from Red Paddle Co. The package comes with a smaller bag, 5 piece carbon paddle, leash and tool-less fins.

The 9’6″ Compact is as stiff and durable as all Red Paddle Co boards are renowned for. Offering the same industry leading performance and supporting riders up to 210 lbs (95 kg) but with the convenience to easily transport it around town, jump on a train or on your bike, plus easily stored in your car, apartment or yacht.
This board is designed for riders who want the convenience of a board that packs down to half the size of a regular inflatable SUP without compromising on performance.

Pre-order here: https://greenwatersports.com/shop/red-paddle-co-9-6-compact

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7VCScRhtcs

[JEG]

game changer for ISUP.

[Windwarrior]

I wonder if they had made it thicker, it would've held a heavier rider?

[Green Water Sports]

Probably yes but then the performance characteristics would be different. With using different thicknesses they can make a board that is going to perform better and more like a hard board, without going unnecessarily thick like you are riding on a pontoon.

[Area 10]

Very good. Definitely what is needed. But I doubt many people who are in the market for an inflatable will pay that much for one. It’s about twice what people are normally paying with in the UK for a big brand iSUP, and about 5 times what people can pay for budget ones. You could buy a big brand hard board for this. But I guess Red are positioning themselves at the niche upper end of the market in response to the huge influx of super-cheap Chinese imports being sold by the supermarkets etc.

It’s a shame that the shape isn’t better for surfing. But I guess that 95% of them will never see surf.

[JEG]

the market will flooded of this type of board soon and cheaper again and round and round the wheel is goes.

[Windwarrior]

Probably yes but then the performance characteristics would be different. With using different thicknesses they can make a board that is going to perform better and more like a hard board, without going unnecessarily thick like you are riding on a pontoon.

I was referring to the difference between 4.75 and 5.9 inches difference. Considering the rest of the boars are just under 6 inches. Including the 13'2" Voyager. Hardly a difference for a "pontoon" but more weight capacity.

[Windwarrior]

Very good. Definitely what is needed. But I doubt many people who are in the market for an inflatable will pay that much for one. It’s about twice what people are normally paying with in the UK for a big brand iSUP, and about 5 times what people can pay for budget ones. You could buy a big brand hard board for this. But I guess Red are positioning themselves at the niche upper end of the market in response to the huge influx of super-cheap Chinese imports being sold by the supermarkets etc.

It’s a shame that the shape isn’t better for surfing. But I guess that 95% of them will never see surf.

Indeed!

[Green Water Sports]

I expect some of the technologies to filter down but not all boards roll and fold so compactly. 9'6" was chosen by the Red team as it was big enough for most but still folded and rolled to a small size, small enough to follow through on the project and make an impact on people's thoughts and expectations of an iSUP.

Some insight can be found here: https://redpaddleco.com/a-next-step-in-the-future-of-paddle-boarding/

Car brands are a great example. They offer models and trim levels to suit needs and budget, but ultimately all do the same thing. Not everybody wants or needs the same thing though. A Mercedes will get to the mall just the same as a Chevy or Kia, just potentially cost twice as much.

Back to the Compact package. It includes a paddle and leash. Break that down and by Red's own pricing level it's a $300 paddle and $40 leash, leaving $1559 for the rest. This is smack in the middle of many of their other models, albeit the larger or more specialised ones, but not that far fetched for something that is cutting edge. Yes it is more than your Chinese Amazon special but so is almost everything else that is decent quality.

[Area 10]

I expect some of the technologies to filter down but not all boards roll and fold so compactly. 9'6" was chosen by the Red team as it was big enough for most but still folded and rolled to a small size, small enough to follow through on the project and make an impact on people's thoughts and expectations of an iSUP.

Some insight can be found here: https://redpaddleco.com/a-next-step-in-the-future-of-paddle-boarding/

Car brands are a great example. They offer models and trim levels to suit needs and budget, but ultimately all do the same thing. Not everybody wants or needs the same thing though. A Mercedes will get to the mall just the same as a Chevy or Kia, just potentially cost twice as much.

Back to the Compact package. It includes a paddle and leash. Break that down and by Red's own pricing level it's a $300 paddle and $40 leash, leaving $1559 for the rest. This is smack in the middle of many of their other models, albeit the larger or more specialised ones, but not that far fetched for something that is cutting edge. Yes it is more than your Chinese Amazon special but so is almost everything else that is decent quality.

I'd potentially pay that for a iSUP that folds small. But not a board that shape. It's not going to do anything much well, and is just going to be an expensive lilo for pootling around on. I'd happily sacrifice just a little on the compactness to have a 10-10'6"  board that is pointy at both ends, fairly thin (e.g. 4"), stiff, and with fin boxes that will take standard fins (2+1 setup) for versatility, performance and packability. A board that shape would go upwind better, be faster to paddle, and would surf better.

But then I'm an experienced SUPer. So my point was to ask both how many people who currently buy inflatables will spend this much, and how many people who'd spend that much would buy *this* inflatable? It's a beginner shape at elite paddler cost levels.

But I guess we'll find out when it goes on sale. Nice to see innovation, anyway.,

[Green Water Sports]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpocqeuwwdY

More info on the board here: https://greenwatersports.com/shop/red-paddle-co-9-6-compact

[stoneaxe]

I need to talk to John. It would be great to have one of these to auction for the next CCBC. Maybe I can convince him to come back and do it again....

[RideTheGlide]

Very good. Definitely what is needed. But I doubt many people who are in the market for an inflatable will pay that much for one. It’s about twice what people are normally paying with in the UK for a big brand iSUP, and about 5 times what people can pay for budget ones. You could buy a big brand hard board for this. But I guess Red are positioning themselves at the niche upper end of the market in response to the huge influx of super-cheap Chinese imports being sold by the supermarkets etc.

It’s a shame that the shape isn’t better for surfing. But I guess that 95% of them will never see surf.

That "huge influx of super-cheap Chinese imports" brought a bunch of us into paddling SUP (as you can see in my sig, I have one). My second board is a much bigger hard board and the third is likely to be somewhere in between. The likelihood that I would buy another iSUP in the 10' range is very small. I know several others in paddling groups that have the cheap imports as starter SUPs. IME, the widespread problems with cheap iSUPs is a myth. They aren't leaking and popping. We aren't replacing them with better similar iSUPs, we are buying better boards for other purposes. My point is that it seems like to me that they should at least offer a step up, like a 12' 6" to compete with the Naish One instead of the GoPlus and other cheap imports. There are a lot of reasons the Red Paddle is better than a cheap import but I don't think those reasons matter to most people who buy an iSUP in the 10' range.

[Area 10]

Most people who buy a 10’-ish iSUP mainly care about the cost. Which was my point. Making a super-expensive iSUP is like making a plastic BIC biro with a solid gold 24-carat nib: you just took away the USP and principal appeal of the product (it’s affordability). So this RPC board is going to appeal to a group of people who have high expectations from their gear, and are willing to pay for it. Yet they aren’t going to want to paddle this formless compromise shape. So I don’t think we fundamentally disagree, really.

Who wants to pay a fortune for something that paddles like crap, no matter how compact it is?

Maybe it will sell well to the yacht crowd, who have plenty of money but limited space on board, and only go short distances.

[Green Water Sports]

Our review of the 9'6" Compact: https://greenwatersports.com/12850/review-of-the-2019-red-paddle-co-9-6-compact-inflatable-paddle-board?ref=17

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0ks2GXsP2I