Red Paddle Co. Paddle Boards | Inflatable Paddle Board Ratings

While there are many different brands and models of inflatable paddle boards on the market now, one brand has dominated the market over the last five years. British brand Red Paddle Co only make inflatables, and their mission is to make their boards as good as, if not better, than ‘solid’ boards, delivering an authentic paddle boarding experience.

The results speak for themselves. Their boards have attracted a huge and loyal following all around the world. To see why they’ve been the world’s best selling inflatable brand (and market leaders in most countries with a SUP scene) since 2010, you just need to visit their facebook page. The enthusiasm from Red Paddle Co owners around the world, and the sheer fun they’re having with their boards, comes through incredibly strongly.

On this page we’ll tell you a little bit more about the brand, what makes it stand out, why they won the SUP Innovation award at Paddle Expo 2014, and also about the strong connection that has played a big part in making the brand what it is today.

So why are they so good?

The secret to Red Paddle Co’s success isn’t down to just one thing.

There was a long discussion at the most recent Red Paddle Co Importer Conference about why the brand has done so well. There are a few obvious reasons, such as:

Using the best possible materials.
Spending a huge amount of time, effort and focus on improving every little detail of the manufacturing process. (see ‘understanding longevity’ on the construction page for more on this).
Being fortunate enough to reach a ‘critical mass’ of global sales that enabled them to start developing bespoke componentry and fittings, whereas other brands remain stuck with ‘off the shelf’ components.

However, there are a few less tangible – but no less profound reasons. Firstly, the focus of the company. They are not distracted by anything else. Red only make inflatables. Virtually all the other leading inflatable brands also make solid boards, and this is really where their heart lies. But they’re actually severely handicapped by this – even if they did spend as much time developing their inflatables as they do their solid boards, they daren’t make their inflatables too good, otherwise they’d lose solid board sales! Whereas Red can focus entirely on making their boards even better than solid boards.

Red also have a unique background. Unlike other brands, who are either completely new to the game or have come from a traditional board manufacturing background, they have actually come from a (windsurf) sail manufacturing background. 25 years of building sails in UK, Europe and China, negotiating all the hurdles and challenges of materials and mass manufacturing processes, has given them unrivalled knowledge and experience in many critical areas of production that has given them a significant advantage over the traditional board-building brands, who have actually found themselves very much out of their comfort zone when it comes to building inflatable boards. It’s not about foam, and resin, and types of fiberglass, it’s about materials, and glueing, and taping, and stuff that sailmakers are entirely familiar with.

This is why Red were able to identify the need for, and work out how to put into mass production, the game-changing RSS system, which makes their boards up to 50% stiffer than the competition.

On top of all that, they have worked exceptionally hard to build a global team of people utterly committed to the inflatable board concept, which has been a fantastic foundation for the brand to grow from. But with that typical under-stated British humour and quiet attention to detail throughout, which means that everyone gets their say, good ideas rise to the top, everyone works together and anything less than great gets binned very quickly.

Get out there on a Red board, and you’ll see what it’s all about, and why people get fanatical about them. “life changing” is a phrase we hear astonishingly often…

RSS – the patented difference

The patented Rocker Stiffening System gives nearly 50% more stiffness to Red Paddle Co inflatables!

The Red Paddle Co RSS system took two years to develop, and gives Red boards a massive advantage over all their competitors. It’s simple enough in concept, but the performance enhancement it gives is absolutely huge, increasing the board’s overall stiffness by up to 50%.

The stiff lexan battens slide in when the board is partially inflated, and then tension into place as the inflation is completed. No other brand has RSS or anything similar, because of the patent. And it means that Red boards can be truly stiff without needing to resort to using 150mm dropstitch (ie creating a board 6″ thick), which means a whole lot more pumping up, much more windage, and a big step away from an authentic paddleboarding experience (you certainly won’t find any solid recreational boards that are 6″ thick!)

RSS is only used on the higher performance boards in the Red range, as it does add extra cost to the package, and most of the general purpose boards are stiff enough already for all-round use.

If your board has RSS, it’s not compulsory to use it. The board will work just fine without the battens in, it just won’t be as stiff!
SUP Innovation Award 2014

Red Paddle Co take the coveted SUP award at Paddle Expo 2014!

Red Paddle Co’s RSS system won the coveted SUP innovation award at Paddle Expo 2014, the biggest paddlesports show in the world. It’s the only award given to SUP, (the only other two awards given out at the show are for kayak innovation and apparel innovation), and it’s judged by an independent panel.

RSS is the difference between Red and the rest, and it’s now officially acknowledged by this award!

Red Paddle Co Inflatable Paddle Board Fittings

The components that make up your board. Every component on a Red Air has been tested and refined over 5 years of manufacturing and feedback from customers.

The deckpad

Comfortable underfoot, tough, non-absorbent, UV-stabilised (so it won’t fade), and individually sized for each board in the range so as to be in the right area for where you stand.

Most brands try and use the same deckpad on many different models, which results in too much deckpad, and/or deckpad in the wrong places. Whereas on the 2015 Red Range the deckpads are specifically optimized for each board.

Non-detachable fins

The all-round/family/surf boards in the Red range all have permanently-fixed plastic iFins. There are many very good reasons why this is by far the best option.

Red Paddle Co tested every system currently available and even developed fin systems of their own to find the best solution. But nothing else came close to their tried and tested iFin system on our allround boards (9’2″, 9’4″, 9’6″, 10′, 10’6″ and 10’8″). No tools, replacements or spares are needed for the iFin system – it won’t fail. The iFin can handle anything – hitting rocks, grounding on the beach or standing on the board are all no problems for the iFin. 20,000+ boards sold with it – not one warranty return! Whereas every other system involves bits that can be lost or broken – and most use proprietary systems that means finding a replacement can be a nightmare/impossible, especially if you’re off on your travels somewhere remote. It’s a no brainer.

iFinsBut if that wasn’t enough, there’s also the ‘interaction factor’. Every surfer or windsurfer is well aware of the problem of ‘fin bite’, and will almost certainly already have a few scars to prove it. Hard fins hurt! And it’s not just a problem for the rider. If you (or someone else using your board) ride over something (or someone!) else, with the iFins, it’s not a problem. With a hard fin – it’s potentially lethal. Something to think about!

It’s important to appreciate also that recreational SUP board fins do not need to be big and/or high performance. They are under very little load, and are really just there to aid tracking.

iFin maintenance: The slightly soft nature of the iFins is an essential aspect of their durability and forgiving nature. However, if they are left under load for a while they can deform. It’s not a problem though, simply leave the board out bottom-up in the sun for a while, and the fins will soon assume their correct shape.

Detachable fins

As supplied with the 150mm boards (Race, Explorer) and the 11’0 Sport

The 12’6″ Explorer and all the Race boards utilise a low profile US box fin system. This allows you to put in your favourite flat water fin. The board is supplied with a fin designed to work for all round paddling. Inflatable SUPs of 150mm thickness need a deeper fin to ensure good tracking. We have chosen the US fin system for these boards, as it’s ubiquitous; you can walk into pretty much any surf or windsurf store in the world and purchase a fin to fit. So if you do have a breakage or loss it’s easy to fix.

The unique patented stiffening system that gives the Red Paddle Co performance-orientated boards nearly 50% more stiffness than the competition!

RSS is only used on the higher performance boards in the Red range, as it does add extra cost to the package, and most of the general purpose boards are stiff enough already for all-round use.

If your board has RSS, it’s not compulsory to use it. The board will work just fine without the battens in, it just won’t be as stiff!

Cargo Attachments

All Red Paddle Co boards come with cargo holder attachments (except the 9’2″ Surfer and Elite Race models). Here’s what you need to know about them:

Each 2015 board with Cargo Attachments also comes with a (color matched) bungee and clip, so that you can easily set the board up to carry stuff without needing any further items. Bags, clothes, tents etc can easily be stuffed under the bungee, and won’t move. Alternatively, you can purchase the cargo net shown here, which offers a more robust attachment, with an extra zip pocket.

The cargo attachments are another example of the superiority and attention to detail that you get with Red Paddle Co boards. Many brands offer them now, but they’re all too often in entirely the wrong position on the board. Red Paddle Co have spent a lot of time working out how and where to place a cargo in relation to the weight of the rider to give a superior ride and performance. The cargo attachments have been placed in exactly the right position on each model of board to allow for weight to be carried easily on the board without effecting its trim. There is no point having cargo attachments that make the board unusable when you place a bag on the deck!
bag carrying

Towing/Leash Points

All Red Paddle Co boards have a stainless steel D Ring fixing at the stern, for attaching a leash, and most of the recreational boards also have one at the nose, for towing.

The D Ring design and its fixing has evolved through various phases to the current design, which should be more than robust enough to last the full lifetime of the board. We strongly recommend attaching a normal leash ‘string’ the small piece 0f 5mm rope that almost every leash is sold with, or has built into the cuff) to attach the leash to, rather than fixing the velcro/webbing strap directly to the stainless steel D Ring on the board.

The towing eye on the bow is fine for towing the board at low speeds, although not with anybody actually sitting or riding on the board. Because it is not possible to actually mount anything physically inside an inflatable board, the D Ring is only attached to the outer skin by glue, and although the best quality glue is used, ultimately it’s not designed to be subjected to a really large and constant load. Towing it behind a yacht (or another board) is absolutely fine though.
Directional Stability Strips (runner fins)

The black strips on the Explorer and Race/Elite boards add considerable extra directional stability.

The one thing you cannot do with an inflatable board is create a complex bottom shape. Solid boards can have vee, concaves, chines and an overall very complex bottom shape to guide and accelerate the water flow underneath the board, and give directional stability. With an inflatable, you get a flat bottom, end of story. Well, not quite – Red Paddle Co did a great deal of work to develop the idea of mounting ‘runner fins’ (directional stability strips) on the nose of the Explorer and Race boards, to give directional stability while not causing any additional drag or weed-catching handicaps. They really work – and most importantly, do not hinder the board being rolled up in the usual way. The Explorer also has a couple more runners on the tail too, which stops the tail from being blown sideways when the board is loaded with equipment.