12’6″ X 28″ Elite Racing SUP Board Package

Paddle boards are typically measured in feet and inches and the length will usually be part of the board name e.g. Ride 10’6”. The board’s length, width, volume and thickness are key to choosing the right board for you. Your board needs to carry your weight efficiently, provide you with enough stability and suit the style of paddling you’re going to do. Typically, longer paddle boards are faster and shorter paddle boards are more responsive/manoeuvrable.

The shorter boards, under 10’6” are better for smaller riders (under 100kg) or for surfing. Typically, all-round boards are between 10ft and 11ft and offer great versatility and are the most popular length.

Boards over 11’ are usually classed as Touring or Race boards – these are perfect for the more experienced paddler or those looking to take their paddling to the next level. Their longer waterline(the amount of the board that is in contact with the water) makes them great high-speed cruisers. Longer touring boards are designed to be used for extended trips and these boards can be loaded up with gear, such as camping equipment or just used to get somewhere quicker and more efficiently.

Race boards measure 12’6” or 14’. They are narrow and super-stiff. There are two main divisions in SUP racing, the 12’6” and 14 ft class so first you need to decide which one you’d like to enter before choosing your board. Typically, boards over 14’ are designed for more than one rider and are called Multi Person boards.

The thickness of your board effects it’s stiffness, stability and directional control as well as the time it takes to inflate. Boards designed for manoeuvrability and all-round/first time use should be 100- 120mm / 4” – 4.7” thick. Boards designed for longer distance paddling should be 150mm / 6” thick.

How much air or space within your board and how this affects the water around your board when you stand on it. The key with board volume is knowing your weight in KG, 1KG of weight is equal to 1 cubic litre of volume.

If you weigh 80kg and you stand on an 80 litre board, the board will float just below the surface – it will have natural buoyancy but it will be very unstable – not fun.

For an all-round SUP you should be looking at around 165 litres of extra volume on top of your weight, this will give you great stability and all-round usage. So if you are 80kgs a good all round board volume is 245ltrs and a good all round length is 10’6″.

If you want a board to cover longer distances then a touring style board is a good choice. For an 80kgs rider you should be looking at a board with a minimum of 258ltrs for a touring board. You also need to consider board width.

WEIGHT-SAVING BUT STABLE – All Red Paddle Co boards are up to 2kgs lighter than our previous double layer construction.

MSL boards have a reassuring lightweight feel, but very importantly they are not too light. If a board is ultra-light it is more affected by wind and current while on the water.

Width determines how stable your board is. Narrow boards are unstable and wide boards are more stable.

32” – 34” is what we recommend for an allround or for your first board.

Boards less than 32” and 10’ long are more manoeuvrable whereas longer boards less than 32” are faster but both types would be classed as more unstable than a 32” wide board

External bag dimensions. Both the All-Terrain back-pack which comes with all our standard boards and our Compact back pack can be checked in as usual checked luggage on planes (not carry on). Everything you need fits neatly into your board bag – including your Titan pump, paddle and leash plus any other essentials you might need.

No bag existed that met our demands – so we created our own. Our solution is the world’s best inflatable SUP bag, an innovative backpack designed to make taking your board to the farthest corners of the Earth as easy as possible. It’s made using toughened materials and bonded nylon sail making tread so it can cope with sun, sea, sand and rough handling. It even has a special lining to ensure your board stays cool in extreme temperatures. When you’re not out exploring, it serves as the perfect storage unit, too.

We have tested every system currently available and even developed fin systems of our own to find the best solution. As a result, we have employed two separate systems depending on the use of the board so that you get an authentic paddle boarding experience every time with the ultimate convenience.

MOULDED FINS
The Red Paddle Co Ride range come with built-in moulded fins known as the iFin system. With iFins you don’t need any tools, replacements or spares. They are specially designed to be ultra-durable and are permanently attached to the board – nothing to lose and nothing to break. You gotta love that!

US FIN BOX FINS
US Box Fins originated in the surfing world where they are widely trusted to do a great job. A number of Red Paddle Co boards boast them, including all of the Sport, Voyager and Race boards as well as the WindSUP and WindSURF boards. We use several different types of fin depending on the board. These fins are inserted after inflation and simply attached using a simple nut and bolt system. The fins are specially engineered to slice through the water and the Race fins have a 45% rake on them to ensure no weeds get caught which could slow you down.

We use two additional stiffening systems for some of our boards: The Rocker Stiffening System, or RSS is unique to Red Paddle Co – we designed and patented it to make some of our specialist boards even stiffer to deliver greater performance. It works by slotting two stiffening battens into pockets that are individually laminated onto the side of the board. We’ve proved this makes the board up to 40 per cent stiffer.

All Elite race boards also feature Forward Flex Control System (FFC) that stiffens the front section of the board using a carbon compression strut to remove flex that can be created in a race and channels this towards the back of the board increasing overall board speed. The two combined work together to create the fastest inflatable SUP’s currently available on the market.