Red 12'6" Race

I brought the 12'6" Race around 2014 and it worked well for the first few years I owned it. It was my first inflatable paddle board (SUP) and I felt it performed as well as a hard board. I did leave the board inflated during the summer months (since inflating it took a lot of work) but it was always kept inside the garage. And it was stored deflated in the garage during non-paddling season.

I took it out this summer to use after it being stored deflated the last couple of years. After inflating the paddle board, I noticed the three deck pads were coming off. I looked a little closer and basically all the deck pads and handle adhesive was coming off the deck. I contacted Red Paddle Co and the following was the main part of their message (word for word):

We don't sell replacement deck pads unfortunately. It is important to note that at the time, we used the best available technology to craft our boards, but the industry has grown tremendously since then and the new products are much more reliable.

The Red Paddle Co person was very nice in their emails. However, stating that technology has improved over the years sounds like an excuse; if that is the case, don't charge a premium price for a product that isn't any better that an inflatable paddle board from a department store.

And the following was his instructions for installing a new deck and handle (also word for word):

Instructions:

1) Inflate the board to 15 psi (if the area is leaking then you should fully deflate the board)

2) Clean the area to be glued - ideally with some acetone or nail polish remover (it works the same)

3) Apply a layer of glue to both surfaces but don’t push them together yet

4) Wait until the glue has dried (approx. 20mins depending on temperature)

5) Now apply another layer of glue to both surfaces

6) Now push the surfaces together making sure no air is trapped. You really need to push down hard onto the piece you are gluing. Pushing from the centre out to the edge. Ideally you need to push hard enough to squeeze glue out of the edge of the piece you are gluing. At the same time you need to heat the area up with a hairdryer to help the glue activate.

7) Keep applying force to the area to make sure all areas are well stuck down. You will need to work hard on the area for about 5 mins.

8) Ideally place a heavy weight on the area for 8 hrs.

*We advise using protective wear such as gloves and goggles

Wow, does that sound easy?!?! And that doesn't even including finding, buying, and cutting a deck pad or pads to fit the SUP since they don't sell replacement deck pads or handles.

I was willing to pay the extra money to get a high end inflatable paddle board for two main reasons: performance and durability/quality. The 12'6" Race failed miserably in the durability/quality department. A $1500 SUP should not be failing and require significant repairs with less than 20 uses.

I would not buy or trust another product from Red Paddle Co. The Red Paddle Co representative was right when he stated that the SUP industry has grown tremendously over the years; tremendous growth means more choices and there are much better companies and products out there than Red Paddle Co.

Tried several inflatable boards at try-out day and this was by far the best. Much stiffer and tracks in a straight line for longer so you don't have to switch paddle sides so much. Lots of really nice design features too that you don't get on other boards. Pros Really easy to paddle, which makes it a lot less work. Clever design features. Looks the business. Very high quality build and materials. Cons Mine is quite heavy but the new version is a lot lighter. Not so good in windy conditions. Usage Exercise

Bought this board middle of last year, never suped before and tried out a lot of others before purchasing, including hard boards. Even done a few races against other inflatables and hard boards these are real fast. Took a little while to get used to it but their great. Even had it in 1 meter surf and it's awesome. Pros Real stiff, great buoyancy easy to use, very versatile. Cons Hard to get that last few PSI with the pump. Usage Racing, excercise, surf, touring.

In the chop, the board handled quite well. No noticeable flex and was very stable. The breeze was nudging the nose around so once I found the ideal standing position, a balance between keeping the nose down for tracking but not plowing into every wave, it just up and went like a rocket. My feet were in line with the carry handle. The next session on glassy flat water was a real eye opener. It’s been a while since I’ve ridden a board this fast. Holy cow, this thing flies. I adjusted my footing forward a little for the mirror ocean surface. This kept the nose just kissing the surface while eliminating all tail drag. The glide was exceptional and the tracking from the nose runner fin and large tail fin was keeping the board straight and true for upwards of double my normal paddle strokes per side. It plain and simple hauls ass! I touched on this in earlier reviews regarding inflatable SUP thickness and the resultant roundish rail shape due to thickness. I find the thicker the board, the rounder the rails. On occasion I find that rounder rails have a more vague feeling in rougher conditions but that also creates a huge forgiving zone for board stability. The Red Paddle Co 12’6″ Race is no exception that while the board is thick for rigidity with rounder rails, it is surprisingly forgiving and stable. Like a numpty though, I fell off once, but only due to the exceptional tracking of the board. I was expecting it to go one way but it tracked so straight and was so stable, I overcompensated for the chop and fell off! Pros Incredible speed and tracking Super rigid Comfortable EVA deck and inflatable construction Nose runner fin and removable or interchangeable US box style fin Packs down into a wheeled travel bag Bombproof inflatable construction Cheaper than a carbon race board Cons It's a long board and gets pushed about by the wind and chop a little. (I ride on a usually not flat ocean). Not a brilliant wave rider Fraction heavier than a carbon race board Usage Cruising, tootling about.