A quick review of the 2015 Red Paddle Co 9’4″ Snapper inflatable SUP

In this article we will provide a quick review of the 2015 Red Paddle Co 9’4″ Snapper inflatable SUP. Why should us big kids get all the fun? The little ones need a board to call their own which suits their needs, size, weight and ability. The 9’4″ Snapper gets the kids off your board, and onto their own!

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 9’4″ Snapper, as did the 2014 9’4″ Snapper, ships with the Red Paddle Co Ezee HP pump which makes inflation to 25PSI much easier. 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.

2015 Red Paddle Co Red Air SUP inflatable box1

Package Red Paddle Co 2015 Snapper inflatable SUP

The board: 9’4″ long, 27″ wide and 3.93″ thick. Built using Red Paddle Co’s Tec Air construction process, it features high density drop stitch technology. 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 2 on the Snapper. Find out more about Red Paddle Co’s Tec Air construction.

For a direct comparison of the 2014 and 2015 9’4″ Snappers, move the slider to see the changes.
[twentytwenty]

[/twentytwenty] [twentytwenty]

[/twentytwenty]

It looks familiar as an update to a popular board, but you’ll notice for this year the slightly narrower nose and tail area, improved graphics, wider 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 9’4″ Snapper is a great all round board for paddlers up to 135lbs. It doubles as a regular surfboard for us bigger folk too! For the little ones though, it’s the perfect width at 27″, enough to be stable but still narrow enough to be manageable and easy to paddle. Cruising and turning is pretty easy and the new pointier tail make it easier to turn and more responsive on waves. Either standing or kneeling, paddling is comfortable and tracking from the iFin built in fins is straight. The 3.93″ thickness provides plenty of rigidity, performance and manoeuvrability for the smaller paddlers.

It’s a great platform for kids to paddle on, play on and jump off. Tough as nails inflatable construction, you never have to worry about them bumping into things, hurting themselves and it fits in it’s own travel bag for easy storage!

Now for some detailed images of the 2015 9’4″ Red Air Snapper, click to enlarge.

Inflatable SUP Snapper Red Paddle Co 2015

Red Paddle Co kids SUP inflatable surf paddle board

2015 Red Paddle Co 9 4 Snapper Info graphic

The 2015 9’4″ Snapper is one of, if not the only inflatable stand up board designed with kids in mind. Combine it with a 3 piece SUP paddle, or a kids’ adjustable paddle, you’ve got the ultimate package for all conditions.

See the 9’4″ Snapper 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.