A quick review of the 2015 Red Paddle Co 10'6" Ride inflatable SUP

In this article we will provide a quick review of the 2015 Red Paddle Co 10’6″ Ride inflatable SUP. We last reviewed this board as the 2013 model in July 2013 here. Since then, Red Paddle Co have advanced not only their board design and technology, but also the quality of their bag and accessories.

The bag: For 2014, Red Paddle Co introduced wheels on the bag. For 2015, they’ve gone a step further refining the wheeled bag to be even more sturdy, durable and comfortable. Once again, the back pack straps can be hidden in the “Sherpa Carry System” making wheeled travel more pleasurable and keeping the straps out of the airport conveyor belts.

The pump: The 2015 10’6″ Ride, as did the 2014 10’6″ Ride, ships with the Red Paddle Co Ezee HP pump which makes inflation to 25PSI much easier. It had previously shipped with the regular Ezee pump which inflates the board faster due to more pump volume, but is only good to 20PSI. Included with the pump is a pressure gauge and hose. You also get a standard repair kit in the package and a bonus cell phone case which includes the inflation/deflation and care manual.

The inflation process is very straight forward and pumping with the HP Ezee pump is very easy. Be sure you have the valve in the inflation position so all that pumping doesn’t go to waste when you’re ready to remove the pump hose and put on the valve cap. Read our guide about valve position and board inflation, and watch us inflate a board here.

UPDATED Jan 19, 2015: The board now ships from Green Water Sports with the revolutionary Titan Pump. See which Red Paddle Co boards ship with the Titan pump here.

2015 Red Paddle Co Red Air SUP inflatable box1

The board: 10’6″ long, 32″ wide and 4.72″ thick. A slightly narrower nose area over the 2014 board, is more about trimming the fat and refining the board. Built using Red Paddle Co’s Tec Air construction process, it features high density drop stitch technology, double layering “board within a board” technique and quadruple layered rails. The weakest part of an inflatable paddle board is the rail (sides) where the top and bottom layers are joined, due to the lack of internal support from the high density drop stitch. Most inflatable stand up boards are constructed with just one rail layer on the rails, whereas Red Paddle Co use 4. Find out more about Red Paddle Co’s Tec Air construction.

Minor tweaks and refinements to the outline and rocker line of the board further enhance it’s already brilliant all round ability and performance. Updated graphics and board colors give it a hard board look to match it’s hard board performance.

For a direct comparison of the 2014 and 2015 10’6″ Rides, move the slider to see the changes.
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Naturally it looks familiar as an evolution of a very successful board, but you’ll notice for this year the slightly narrower nose area, improved graphics, larger deck pad area, better instructions and safety tips around the valve, factory installed bungee cord on the tie downs and 3 tone colour scheme.

Let’s take a little walk around the board and see how the real thing looks.

On the water: The 10’6″ Ride is a great all round board for paddlers up to 220lbs. It’s the perfect width at 32″, enough to be stable but still narrow enough to be manageable and easy to paddle. Cruising and turning is pretty easy and the 10’6″ Ride has nice glide. Either standing or kneeling, paddling is comfortable and tracking from the iFin built in fins is straight. The 4.72″ thickness is a perfect match between rigidity, performance and manoeuvrability. Thick enough to be rigid and keeping your feet out of the water but not so thick that it feels like you’re riding a cork or feel disconnected from the board or the water.

This is an incredibly easy paddle board for beginners to start on, or intermediates to advanced paddlers to use. Cruising the coastline, SUP Yoga, paddling workouts, riding small to medium surf, slow moving rivers, bays, inlets, intra-coastals, tropical islands, you name it! It is also a great choice for families as the10’6″ Ride can be enjoyed by all ages, with enough space for a child or furry friend up front. The almost indestructible design is also paw friendly.

Now for some detailed images of the 2015 10’6″ Red Air Ride, click to enlarge.

Tail of the 2015 10 6 Ride Red Paddle Co SUP

Red Paddle Co 2015 10 6 Ride inflatable SUP

Red Paddle Co 2015 inflatable SUP Ride 10 6

iFin system on Red Paddle Co 2015 inflatable SUP

iFin system Red Paddle Co 2015 Ride 10 6

2015 Red Paddle Co 10 6 Ride Info graphic

The 2015 10’6″ Ride is truly one of the great all round stand up paddle boards. As a bonus, it is also an inflatable board which makes travel, storage and general handling of the board so much easier. Combine it with a 3 piece SUP paddle, you’ve got the ultimate package for all conditions.

See the 10’6″ Ride Red Paddle Co product page for more details, specs and images.

If you are not sure which board to choose from the Red Paddle Co range, take a look at our helpful guide to choosing your 2015 Red Paddle Co board or compare all the important specs of each board here with our 2015 Red Paddle Co iSUP range announcement.