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Review of the 2022 Red Paddle Co 10’6″ x 32″ Ride inflatable paddle boards
The 2022 Red Paddle Co 10’6″ Ride inflatable stand up paddle boards are thoughtfully updated versions of the 2021 models. The board has an updated flat cargo bungee system whereby the nearest bungee is now threaded through an extra d-ring to facilitate a “pocket” or more narrow section which is great for flip flops or a water bottle. The major change is with the bag. The 2022 Red Paddle Ride inflatable paddle boards come with the new ATB Transformer Bag. A convertible backpack and sling, 2-in-1 style bag making board transport even easier. Continued are the twin iFins, large deck pad, accessory mount and padded carry handles. And of course, the industry leading 5 year warranty with product registration.
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MSL Fusion Technology, exclusive to Red Paddle Co, was introduced for the 2016 model year and it was a huge step up in terms of quality, durability and performance. Now, with a solid 6 years under their belt from this revolutionary change, the 2021 Red Paddle Co range updates focus on not only making the boards even better performing and easier to use, but with attention to even the smallest detail for the best possible inflatable paddle board packages.
Along side the regular (blue) 10’6″ Ride for 2022, we have the Red Paddle 10’6″ Ride Special Edition. This eye catching purple trimmed board was first introduced to celebrate Red Paddle Co ‘s 10th anniversary in 2018 and has stayed on as a popular alternative to the standard blue. In 2008, Red Paddle Co started out as a pioneer in the industry focusing on just inflatable stand up paddle boards, and today, they are the market leaders in terms of technology, quality and performance.
The only difference between the blue 10’6″ Ride and the purple 10’6″ Ride Special Edition is the color, the board has the same specifications and comes with the same items as the regular 10’6″ Ride. With this color difference in mind, this review is valid for both boards.
For 2022, there is also a Red Paddle Ride 10’6″ Ride Package, in both blue and purple. This is the same awesome 10’6″ Ride coupled with the new Red Paddle Co Cruiser Tough (Glass Nylon) Adjustable 67-86″ 3 Piece Paddle and the Red Paddle Co Coiled Leash. A combined value of $218 for just $100.
Note: This article is a review of the 10’6″ Ride, and the 10’6″ Ride Special Edition boards, for more info on how to set up and use the board, please see our knowledge base area or view the Red Paddle Co User Manual.
So what’s the deal, should I get one? What’s the bag like, the pump? How does the board paddle? Should I get the 10’6″, or maybe the 10’8″ Ride? In an attempt to answer these questions, let’s begin with the 2022 Red Paddle Co 10’6″ Ride review and overview videos.
TL;DR: For 2022, it’s more evolution than revolution with the Red Paddle Co Ride 10’6″. Continuing with the industry best Titan 2 Pump and 5 year warranty, Red have upped the game with the multi-use ATB Transformer bag. Put simply, this is the most complete and best all round inflatable stand up paddle board on the market. There’s a reason this board is our most popular seller and part of the world’s most popular Ride family of inflatable paddle boards.
Red Paddle Co in 2022
Red Paddle Co is at the forefront of inflatable SUP technology. From boards, to pumps, bags and even the fixtures and fittings, they have always lead the way. Mainstreaming double layer boards with their first models, then introducing MSL Fusion in 2016, Red Paddle are never ones to sit still. Aside from MSL, we’ve seen Rocker Stiffening System (RSS) battens and the Forward Flex Control (FFC) rod, the double barrel Titan Pump, wheeled bag with stowable back pack straps, RAM mounts, tool-less fins and an industry leading 5 year warranty.
For 2021, Red Paddle Co introduced a few key features to many of the models. All boards now come standard with the Titan 2 Pump. Many models use a twin fin system. The deck pads are now wider and longer for superior grip and comfort.
For 2022, the updates in the Red Paddle Co range include the new ATB Transformer bag for many models, revised flat bungee system that efficiently and easily secures items on deck and 2 new models, the Voyager 12′ x 28″ and the Compact 12′ x 32″.
The ATB Transformer Bag
After travelling over 100,000 miles with boards, Red Paddle Co has an excellent idea of what was needed from the ultimate inflatable paddle board bag. Red Paddle Co’s all new ATB Transformer Bag has the most significant developments seen so far with inflatable board bags. This bag truly is the ultimate solution for travel and storage.
The complete redesign of Red Paddle Co’s bestselling inflatable SUP backpack, highly engineered adjustable ergonomic support means that the Red Paddle Co ATB Transformer Bag now offers exceptional levels of support for your shoulders and back.
Exterior straps mean that the bag can be compressed making it more comfortable and a pleasure to carry. It’s now easier to pack away your paddle with an interior paddle blade pocket and a velcro securing system so your paddle is safe and secure while on the move. A large outer zip pocket means any essentials can be packed securely away and easily accessible.
Red Paddle Co’s revolutionary bag-less carry system has been designed with all paddleboarders in mind. For the adventurers, you can now go further and access more remote waterways without the need of a heavy bulky bag. Perfect for families, it’s now easier, quicker and more convenient to pack up your kit after a long day at the beach.
The new ATB Transformer bag features include:
- Highly engineered and adjustable ergonomic support for your shoulders and back
- Fully customisable to your height ensures that the bag will take care of your body under load
- Exterior compression straps to make bag more comfortable and compact
- Interior paddle blade pocket and velcro securing system for paddle pieces
- Front loading two-way, no-snag, anti-corrosion CoilZip zipper for easy loading and unloading
- Multiple durable carry handles allow you to pick up the bag any way you want.
- Lockable zippers with rubber pull tabs
- Bag-less carry system – pump and straps can easily be taken on the water removing risk of leaving equipment
- Larger all terrain wheels suitable for any rugged terrain
- Address label window
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 38 x 15 x 14 inches
- Color: Dark charcoal, blue with red accents
- Weight: 7 lbs
- Volume: 134 liters
Using the bag as a regular backpack was pretty straight forward. Much like the Classic and ATB bags before this Transformer model, the backpack straps and waist belt are very comfortable and offer a good range of adjustability. Adding to the comfort are the relocated wheels. They are now on the front side as opposed to the back pack strap side, meaning they don’t get in the way around your butt.
Converting the Transformer bag to the sling is a bit of a spaghetti mess initially, but following the video instructions carefully prove it’s quite useful and light weight. Now there is no need to stow or stash a massive board bag somewhere, or on the board’s deck, when going out for a paddle. It’s just as easy to take it with you for use on the other end if you’re doing an A to B style paddle trip, tuck under the bungee and keep close by. I used to ride my bicycle to the beach and this would have been handy back then. A smaller bag to hide in the bushes or lock to my bike.
The pump
The Titan 2 Pump by Red Paddle Co is the world’s first purpose-built, double chamber SUP pump. It’s designed to cut the amount of time and effort it takes to inflate your board by half. Constant innovation has led to us testing the absolute boundaries of inflation technology and as such, we’re confident that there’s nothing quite like the Titan II pump on the market.
The Dual Cylinder system, combined with the Hi Flo handle means you are in complete control of the energy used to inflate your board. It puts the volume into your board faster and reduces the effort required to reach a higher pressure.
A revolution in pumping technology!
The Titan Pump has been completely re-imagined and re-engineered for 2021. Red Paddle Co have taken the already proven double chamber format and focussed on ease of use and ease of packing. They’ve also improved the fixtures and fittings to make for an even more durable pump.
The Titan 2 Pump is the world’s first purpose-built, double chamber SUP pump. It’s designed to cut the amount of time and effort it takes to inflate your board by half. Constant innovation has led to Red Paddle Co testing the absolute boundaries of inflation technology and as such, they’re confident that there’s nothing quite like the Titan 2 pump on the market. The Dual Cylinder system, combined with the Hi Flo handle means you are in complete control of the energy used to inflate your board. It puts the air into your board faster and reduces the effort required to reach a higher pressure.
The packed size is 2/3rds less than the current Titan pump, which makes rolling the board much easier and results in a tighter rolled board.
Updates and innovations on the Titan 2:
- Folding feet and a removable quick release handle reduces the packaged size by 30% compared to the original Titan pump. This makes it much easier to roll and pack your pump and board.
- The chamber isolation valve is now an integrated switch rather than a removable plug, which makes it easier to switch to one chamber while pumping.
- A double-ended bayonet hose fixture (Halkey-Roberts) reduces leaks and removes damaged screw threads when attaching to the pump.
- Our redesigned air box means the pump hose now attaches to the main body to reduce the movement of the hose when inflating.
- An increase in volume overall makes for faster inflation.
- An integrated pressure gauge helps reduce impact if the pump is dropped.
- The standing position has shifted 90 degrees, so you are only astride one chamber.
- In addition to having wider feet, the Titan II is more stable and ergonomic, especially for smaller riders/pumpers!
The Titan Pump design concept features two chambers, one larger volume cylinder (low pressure) and one lower volume cylinder (high pressure). Think of it as a combination of the regular Ezee and the Ezee HP side by side. You start with both cylinders pumping huge amounts of air into the board, then at about 10PSI, you move the integrated switch and it pumps through the high pressure side only. At first you’re pumping double the amount of air into the board than usual, and then you can finish it off to high pressure via the single cylinder.
Put simply, we don’t use electric pumps as the Titan Pump gets the board to higher pressures, faster.
Pump Specifications:
- Pressure gauge shows to 30PSI
- Pump dimensions: 22″ x 5″ x 7″
- Pump hose length: 48″
- Pump volume of 3.98l using both cylinders
- Weight: 5 lbs
The Titan 2 pump is still the yardstick for all manual pumps. With removable handle and folding feet, it’s even easier to pack away in the bag, or roll the board around the pump for an efficient pack up. Inflating the 2022 10’6″ Ride Red Paddle Co Air SUP is very quick and easy. Getting to 20 PSI with the Titan 2 Pump, it took me about 3 minutes of pumping. The Titan 2 pump really pumps the air in quickly to start with, then at about 8-10PSI you flip the lever and finish it off with the high pressure cylinder.
The board
Dimensionally, the board is the same as previous years, no reason to reinvent the wheel! So that means 10’6″ long, 32″ wide and 4.72″ thick and construction wise it is the same industry leading MSL Fusion.
Once again for 2022, thanks to the MSL Fusion construction, the board finish is so good it looks like a regular hard board. MSL, or Monocoque Structural Laminate Fusion, basically eliminates a lot of excess glue and human error. In previous years, the “board within a board” Red Paddle Co is famous for was primarily glued together, making a super durable board but adding extra weight and the potential for hand gluing or human errors.
This process consists of industrially fusing and machine pressing the inner layer of polymer to the high density drop stitch core at the raw material stage. Same “board within a board” construction but with material that is now structurally more sound, even more rigid, as well as lighter. More details about MSL over here. Red Paddle Co have constantly refined the MSL construction, tweaking materials, thickness and bond strength which means they’ve all but stopped batch inconsistencies and it allows them to make boards from the most advanced drop stitch available, without any unnecessary excess or errors.
MSL tech talk aside, what does this mean for the paddler? Well, the cosmetic finish is drastically improved over standard inflatables, the boards are about 20% lighter over the standard double layer boards, and since they are fused and machine pressed together, they are essentially one piece instead of 2 layers, and are structurally stiffer at lower pressure. Red Paddle Co recommend a pumping pressure of 18-22 PSI for most applications to make the most of these benefits and improve overall performance.
I’m 190lbs and I usually pump my 10’6″ Ride to 20 PSI. I find this is a good balance between time pumping and on water performance. It’s stiff enough for my weight and the slightly choppy ocean conditions I usually paddle on.
Many boards in the Red Paddle Co range come with built-in fins – the high-performance iFin system. With moulded fins you don’t need any tools, replacements or spares. They are specially designed to be ultra-durable and easy to pack away for transport. If they ever bend out of shape during storage or use, it is extremely easy to set them straight again, simply pour hot water over the fins and reshape them by hand.
On the 2022 Ride, the iFins are in a twin fin configuration with reinforced base. This allows for easier roll up of the board, but you don’t sacrifice any tracking or grip because the fins are now larger than previous years. They are deeper, 4.5″ up from 4″, and with a wider 6″ base so you get the same performance as the older fins in a 3 fin or thruster configuration, but with much easier roll up now. If you didn’t look, you wouldn’t notice as there is no on water performance difference.
The only change to the board is the Flat Bungee Cargo System. Unique to Red Paddle Co the flat self-closing bungee straps now feature an extra d-ring on the strap closest to the deck pad. This creates a short “pocket” section on bungee where you can stow a water bottle and shows easliy. All Red Paddle Ride boards come with three bungee straps on the nose, setting you up perfectly for adventures.
Red Paddle Co have famously tested the durability and toughness of their boards over the years. Most recently you can watch a series of unbelievable durability tests performed on a poor 2017 10’6″ Ride model. Also, take a look at a 2014 board taking a beating. Knowing that the Red Paddle Co MSL construction boards are this strong, should put your mind at ease!
So, the board is exceedingly tough and durable, but at what cost? I put the 2022 Red Paddle Co 10’6″ Ride on the scales and it weighed in at 20lbs. For reference, other double layer boards on the market, weigh in at 27lbs or more. That’s a 25% weight saving. This is a significant weight saving and is immediately apparent when you lift the board out of the box. Then when you have it inflated and carry to the water, much easier. On the water too, more responsive and easier to paddle. However, Red Paddle Co are careful not to make the boards too light. Yes, there is such a thing. Obviously the weight is there for rigidity and performance reasons, but we also need some weight in the board to control it in rougher waters or wind. A board with some weight is predictable and stable making it better suited to all paddlers.
Up a little closer we can once again see the edges of the material are cleanly cut, the glue lines that often wander on inferior brands are all perfectly straight thanks to the robots. To continue the attention to detail, the 6 bungee d-rings are stainless steel with three heavy duty bungee straps. The center carry handle is padded but no longer features the outer decal to improve the comfort and softness. There is also a carry handle integrated into the leash d-ring on the tail which is excellent for pulling the board through waves, up the beach or generally just holding on etc.
Since 2017, almost all of the Red Paddle Co inflatable paddle boards feature a Railblaza/RAM Mount, or two. These mounts use a special screw thread (M6) to which there are many compatible Railblaza/RAM Mount products, two of the world’s leading accessory bracket manufacturers. This mount enables you to securely attach a range of accessories, from GPS devices and cameras to fishing rods and cup holders.
On the 2022 Red Paddle co 10’6″ Ride, the mount is integrated into the nose mounted handle and d-ring. For more info on the accessory mounts and parts view our inflatable paddle board accessory mount guide here.
The Red Paddle Co logos on the top and underside of the nose are screen printed on rather than a PVC layer in itself, further saving weight.
The rest
The package includes a repair kit, a waterproof phone case, and a wrapping strap to keep the board rolled up.
On the water
The on-the-water experience of the Red Paddle Co 2022 10’6″ Ride is mostly unchanged over previous years, which is great as it’s a brilliant all rounder and general purpose board! There may only be 2 fins now, but they are larger, so tracking is the same. I have an older 3 iFin 10’6″ Ride and I did not notice any difference in performance with the twin fin configuration on the 2022 model.
The updates in bungee system and larger deck pad improve the ease of use and comfort in handling and riding. Handles are soft and comfortable and a treat to use to and from the water and getting back on the board. Nose and tail handles are great for pulling the board through surf/waves, especially with a child or pet passenger.
The 2022 Red Paddle Co 10’6″ Ride continues to be a great all round board for paddlers up to 220lbs. It’s the perfect width at 32″, meaning it is enough to be stable but still narrow enough to be manageable to carry on land and easy to paddle on the water. 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 quite 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 the 10’6″ Ride can be enjoyed by all ages, with enough space for a child or 4 legged friend up front. The almost indestructible MSL construction is also paw friendly.
The deck pad is larger and comfortable. In 2022, the “red” logo embossed texture continues, which is a nice touch yet still provides ample grip for general use and is very forgiving. Also continued for 2022, the tail section of diamond cut textured EVA provides better grip towards the tail for surfing or step back turns.
Vitals
- Length: 10’6″
- Width: 32″
- Thickness: 120mm, 4.72 inches
- Volume: 245 liters
- Weight: 20 lbs board only, 30 lbs with backpack and pump
- Max payload: 220 lbs/100 kg
- Warranty: 1 year, 5 years with product registration
Likes
- Clean and refined graphics. Simplicity of design has grown on me since 2021 boards
- Multi-use style Transformer bag that opens up many more exploring opporunities
- Bomb proof twin iFins – same great tracking but easier roll up
- Easy to use and secure flat bungee cargo system
- Quick inflation with the new compact and efficient Titan 2 Pump even if a bit fiddly with the removable handle and flip up feet.
- Top quality MSL Fusion construction with “hard-board-like” finish
- Nose handle for easy handling, with integrated accessories mount for things like GPS, camera or phone
- Rail to rail EVA deck pad with diamond texture towards the tail for better feeling and grip
- Stable board, decent glide
- Five year warranty with board registration
Dislikes
- Bag is a bit fiddly to switch between back pack and sling modes
In conclusion
A very high quality product from Red Paddle Co who are the outright leader in inflatable stand up paddle board technologies and design – the Red Paddle 10’6″ Ride is still (after several years) my go to board for all round paddling and family fun. Excellent value for money when you consider the excellent quality of the board, updated bag and Titan 2 pump. I use one, my kids love it, it’s our number 1 selling board. To borrow Red Paddle Co’s own marketing speak, “If you had to choose just one board, this is the one we’d suggest.” We second that statement, and you can’t go wrong with this board.
Find all the details here: 2022 Red Paddle Co 10’6″ Ride.
If you’re not sure which Red Paddle Co Ride board you should be buying, be sure to check out of giant comparison charts of all 2022 Red Paddle Ride models.
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We compare the Red Paddle Co Ride inflatable paddle boards 
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About the author: Julian Kidd