Red Paddle Co just announced their 2017 board range! As in previous years Red Paddle is innovating, refining, and expanding their range with new boards and new innovations. Here's our thoughts:
Quick Summary
- 5 new boards: 11'3" Sport, 10'7" Ride Windsup, 10'7" Windsurf, 14' Ride L and the 22' Dragon.
- Minor graphic changes on the Ride family, Explorer family, kids Snapper, Flow and Activ and major graphic changes on the Sport family, Race family and Whip
- Innovations such as standard Ram mounts for attaching GoPro's and other attachments, Forward Flex Control (FFC) on the Race boards and a new FCS fin system for the Sport, Explorer and Whip boards.
- Refinements such as foil liner/paddle pouch in the board bag, new Titan Pump, Velcro tie down on the RSS batons and MSL Fusion refinements.
New Boards
Red Paddle Co is continuing to broaden their range of boards to fill in some of the gaps. Because SUP in general has grown in popularity, the different types of riders is more diverse than ever.
11'3" Sport
Last year Red Paddle came out with the 12'6 Sport. It had great reviews and was one of our favourite boards of 2016. The 11' Sport is also a favourite - a very agile board but one that had a more limited weight range (198 pounds). With the introduction of the 11'3 Sport, slightly larger riders will find the extra 2 inches of width will help the board support more weight (242 pounds) and be more stable - without losing agility. If you want something with more performance than a Ride (and tracks straighter but don't need a full sized touring board the 11'3 Sport is a great choice.
10'7" Ride Windsup & 10'7" Windsurf
The 10'7 Ride Windsup replaces the 10'8 Ride Windsup and the 10'7" Windsurf is a new board for 2017. The 10'7" Windsurf introduces a new Sure-Fin system, which is unique to Red Paddle Co. The Sure-Fin system is a large drop-in daggerboard slot through the centre of the SUP. This will add stability, increased tracking and more lateral control.
Plus new for 2017, Red Paddle is adding Red Sails. 4 new types of sails for the Windsup and Windsurf boards.
14' Ride L & 22' Dragon
The massive Ride XL was a popular, if niche, board last year and Red Paddle decided to expand the range with the Ride L. The idea behind the Ride L is to have 4 riders on the board at the same time. The Ride XL you could have them side by side, whereas the Ride L you are standing all in a column.
The 22' Dragon takes that same concept but makes the board longer and sleeker and meant for competitive race (think Dragon Boats but stand up SUP style).
Graphic Changes
For 2017, every board has received a change in the look department. Some minor and some major. These changes looks like Red Paddle is bringing the whole fleet to a common font, style and placement.
- Ride family has a larger Ride print with a smaller size. So from farther away it will draw your eyes to the Ride opposed to the size.
- Explorer family updated the nose graphics to a blue camo pattern.
- Snapper, Flow and Activ changes the font and style to match the rest of the fleet with minor colour adjustments here and there.
- Sport Family, Whip and Race Family revamped their colour scheme and design
Check out some of the boards below to compare the changes (use the slider to drag back and forth) :
Technology Leaps and Innovations
Red Paddle only produces inflatable SUPS and tend to lead the industry in new innovations. The past few years has seen the development of RSS and MSL technologies and the titan pump to name a few. For 2017 Red Paddle has introduced:
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Ram Mounting points. For us this might be my favourite new feature. All 2017 Red Paddle Co boards will have at least one Ram Mounting point. This means mounting that GoPro or fishing rod or even a cup holder (if that is your thing). All will have one mounting point at the nose and some boards like the Explorer and Flow will have a second (or third) mounting point.
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FFC. Red Paddle has major upgraded their Elite race boards with the new Forward Flex Control. FFC is a patented innovation by Red Paddle Co to give the Elite race boards even more rigidity. A stiffening rod is attached to the nose of the board (on the top). Combined with RSS on the sides, this will significantly limit flex - we are very interesting to see how it performs.
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FCS fins. FCS is a world-leading surfboard fin creator. The Explorer, Sport and Whip boards for 2017 will all feature the new FCS II Connect Fins. No tools or screws needed. Just simply slot in by hand. No more losing screws!
Refinements
2017 is also the year Red Paddle improves on some of their boards and accessories.
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Board Bag. Improving the already great board bag, Red Paddle is adding a foiled liner. This liner will help protect the board from extreme temperatures. Also the bag now includes a pouch to hold your 3pc paddle.
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Titan Pump. Red Paddle is improving their internal design and manufacturing process to improve performance and efficiency on the Titan - including reinforcing the handlebars and pump gauge now registers real-time pressure. Red Paddle also included extra adapters (Boston Valve, nozzle and screw-ones) that will work with inflatable kayaks and air mattresses.
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Velcro Tab. Sometimes it is the little things that count. Boards with RSS will now feature a practical velcro tab to tie down the cord.
- MSL Fusion. Red Paddle continues to use MSL fusion composite and airtight coating for all their boards. MSL involves fusing a second layer of hard-wearing polymer to the drop-stitch core at the raw material stage, removing hand gluing errors. The high-tech industrial process also saves almost 2 kg in weight and makes the boards stiffer at lower pressures. In 2017, they improved this process making the reinforced second layer thicker with increased bond strength.
With all the changes and upgrades, we at Red River Paddle are excited to try out these new boards and hear from our customers on how they are exploring our beautiful country of Canada - and beyond. We will be bringing in some 10'6 and 10'8 Rides in November 2016 with other boards to follow later. Our main big shipment is expected in February 2017 but we are happy to special order in boards anytime.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact us.
Below is a video Red Paddle produced to show off what is new for 2017
2017 Red Paddle Range
(or go to our 2017 Red Paddle Co Board Chooser)
Ride Family - the best selling family of all around inflatables in the world!
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| Board | 9'8" Ride | 10'6" Ride | 10'8" Ride |
| Who's it for? | lighter riders all-rounder |
all-rounder | bigger/family riders all-rounder |
| Length | 9'8" | 10'6" | 10'8" |
| Width | 31" (78.7 cm) | 32" (81.2 cm) | 34" (86.4 cm) |
| Thickness | 3.93" (10 cm) | 4.7" (12 cm) | 4.7" (12 cm) |
| Volume | 193 litres | 240 litres | 296 litres |
| Rider Weight | up to 210 lbs (95 kg) | up to 220 lbs (100 kg) | up to 265 lbs (120 kg) |
Sport Family - best choice for intermediate and advanced paddlers
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| Board | 11'0 Sport | 11'3 Sport | 12'6" Sport |
| Who's it for? | high performance | bigger riders high performance |
high performance touring |
| Length | 11'0"{ | 11'3" | 12'6" |
| Width | 30" (76.2 cm) | 32" (81.3cm) | 30" (76.2 cm) |
| Thickness | 4.72" (12 cm) | 4.72" (12cm) | 5.9" (15 cm) |
| Volume | 300 litres | 306 litres | 350 litres |
| Rider Weight | up to 198 lbs (90 kg) | up to 242 lbs (110 kg) | up to 330 lbs (150 kg) |
Explorer Family - best choice for those wanting to see what's around the bend
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| Board | 12'6" Explorer | 13'2" Explorer+ |
| Who's it for? | touring cargo |
touring + performance cargo |
| Length | 12'6" | 13'2" |
| Width | 32" (81.3 cm) | 30" (76.2 cm) |
| Thickness | 5.9" (15 cm) | 5.9" (15 cm) |
| Volume | 370 litres | 350 litres |
| Rider Weight | up to 330 lbs (150 kg) | up to 330 lbs (150 kg) |
Race Famiy - best for competitive racers and experienced paddlers
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| Board | 10'6" Max Race | 12'6" Race | 12'6" Elite | 14' Race | 14' Elite |
| Who's it for? | young racers | competitive racers | serious racers | competitive racers | ultimate racers |
| Length | 10'6" | 12'6" | 12'6" | 14'0" | 14'0" |
| Width | 24" (61 cm) | 28" (71.1 cm) | 26" (66 cm) | 26" (66 cm) | 26" (66 cm) |
| Thickness | 4.72" (12 cm) | 5.9" (15 cm) | 5.9" (15 cm) | 5.9" (15 cm) | 5.9" (15 cm) |
| Volume | 170 litres | 340 litres | 300 litres | 340 litres | 340 litres |
| Rider Weight | up to 155 lbs (70 kg) | up to 285 lbs (130 kg) | up to 240 lbs (110 kg) | up to 265 lbs (120 kg) | up to 265 lbs (120 kg) |
Others - specific and specialized boards for specific pursuits
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| Board | 10'8" Activ | 8'10" The Whip | 9'4" Snapper | 9'6" Flow |
| Who's it for? | yoga, pilates and fitness fans | surfers | young riders | white water racers |
| Length | 10'8" | 8'10" | 9'4" | 9'6" |
| Width | 34" (86.3 cm) | 29" (74 cm) | 27" (68.6 cm) | 34" (86.4 cm) |
| Thickness | 5.9" (15 cm) | 3.93" (10 cm) | 3.93" (10 cm) | 5.9" (15 cm) |
| Volume | 279 litres | 150 litres | 170 litres | 300 litres |
| Rider Weight | up to 265 lbs (120 kg) | up to 200 lbs (90 kg) | up to 132 lbs (60 kg) | up to 265 lbs (120 kg) |
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| Board | 10'7" WindSUP | 10'7" WindSurf |
| Who's it for? | wind surfers | serious wind surfers |
| Length | 10'7" | 10'7" |
| Width | 33" (83.8 cm) | 33" (83.8 cm) |
| Thickness | 4.7" (12 cm) | 4.7" (12 cm) |
| Volume | 296 litres | 296 litres |
| Rider Weight | up to 265 lbs (120 kg) | up to 265 lbs (120 kg) |
Group Boards - more people the merrier
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| Board | 14'0 Ride L | 17'0 Ride XL | 22' Dragon |
| Who's it for? | family/group | family/group | group racing |
| Length | 14'0" | 17'0" | 22'0" |
| Width | 47" (11.94 cm) | 60" (15.24 cm) | 34" (86.3 cm) |
| Thickness | 8" (20 cm) | 8" (20 cm) | 8" (20 cm) |
| Volume | 816 litres | 1298 litres | 984 litres |
| Rider Weight | up to 4 riders | up to 8 riders | up to 4 riders |