Which Red Paddle Co inflatable air SUP is right for me?

By far the most common inquiry is “Which Red Paddle Co inflatable stand up paddle board should I get?” This usually means they have been looking at the 9’8″ Ride, the 10′ Surfer and the 10’6″ Ride and need some guidance from me to help steer them in the right direction.

The inquiry sounds pretty general but it usually involves someone around 140 – 180lbs, about 5’5″ – 6’2″, who will most likely paddle for fun on flat water, occasionally in the ocean (waves) or on white water, and might on occasion carry a young child or a dog on board too. Well, the question is narrowed down immediately to a recreational paddler who wants a nice stable board possibly some tie downs, room for a passenger, but nothing too big that they’ll grow out of quickly.

On the whole, the boards are very similar, hence the indecision, yet offer a few different perks. So, let’s start with some board specifications to compare. I’ve included the 10’8″ Ride for comparison as there are plenty of 180+lbs paddlers out there, myself included, or people who want to do more, carry more with their boards. The Mega also caters for 2 booming sections of the stand up paddle boarding market – yoga and fishing.

Not sure what RSS is? The Red Paddle Co Rocker Stiffening System (RSS) is a patented technology which uses battens inserted into the rail of the board to aid in board stiffness. Read more about the RSS battens here and how to insert RSS battens here.

Now to a comparison of the board’s features, strengths and weaknesses.

And now to the style of paddling you’ll be doing, or expect to be doing.

If you are needing a more detailed look you can read my review of the the 10’6″ Ride inflatable SUP or my review of the 10′ Surfer inflatable SUP. Each article has a video and close up images of all of the main features of the board and bag.

Don’t forget, if you’re interested in longer cruising trips or extra glide, at the pointy end of the race or surfing markets, Red Paddle Co also caters to you. There is the 9’2″ Surf Star for the surfers and the 12’6″ Race, 12’6″ Elite and 14′ Elite for the paddlers who want extra glide, tour longer distances, overnight trips and racers.

Links to the featured models:

Related posts:

Choosing the right 2014 Red Paddle Co SUP for you Pumping up an inflatable SUP by Red Paddle Co Walk around video of the Red Paddle Co 10’8″ Mega Rocker Stiffening System by Red Paddle Co wins award Final days of 2013 iSUPs on sale!