What board do you want?

Trying out paddleboards is a great way to find one that fits your size and psyche. Here's what happened to me at a Red Paddle demo. What board do you want?

Liam from Red Paddle Co has seven high end boards for us to try. It’s summer 2024, so a little bit drizzly in north London, but nothing can dampen the Castle Canoe Club members’ excitement.

“This is my favourite,” was the main message shouted on the water at an unusually lively Tuesday evening club paddle. There’s not usually so much exuberance as club members paddle around the West Reservoir, Stoke Newington, mixing it up by sometimes turning anti-clockwise, or checking their Strava/Paddlelogger.

But with a choice of seven fancy boards from Red Paddle even the members who normally stick to kayaks were trying the paddleboards. In all our fantasy worlds we were deciding which to buy. My friend Andy was making his vision of a new white water paddleboard entering his home so vivid that he was simultaneously saying to himself, “My wife will kill me…”

Nicola (centre) trying out the Sport+ from Red Paddle Co. At this stage I’m already pretty wet. © Barbara McFarlane

Sport+

Arrogantly for my first ride I asked to try the fastest board and was offered a Sport+. This is a lovely board. With its impressive arrowhead nose it would be great for long days out on the water. I was just thinking this really suits me when I was passed by Andy on something in a totally different class – a 14 foot race board, the Elite. From that moment on all I wanted was to try the one he had. So I forgot to focus on the Sport+ (with its very thin profile, just under 5 inches and the fact that it weighed just 10kilos) and instead pestered Andy until he swapped.

The wobbly, fast Elite board powers through the water if you are on your knees or standing up. (c) Barbara McFarlane

Elite

After all this anticipation the Elite race board made it clear that I’m not an elite. Andy had said it skimmed across the water and responded swiftly to his hip movements for change of course. In contrast I found it utterly parallel and very heavy to turn, something I later heard other women mention. There was a brisk wind across the reservoir during this trial, but it was still strange to find a board so hard to manoeuvre. I think that at least taught me that if there’s a 14 or 12.6 on offer, then the shorter board is probably going to be the longest length I’m going to enjoy handling. More importantly I possibly learnt not to compete with Andy who has very fancy footwork, incredible balance and is a lot younger than me.

But it did look special and was also surprisingly light to move in and out of the water at only 9.96kg (though add its carry bag and paddle and suddenly you’re lugging around another 19kg).

Back to that Sport+

In retrospect I think I liked the Sport+, I just got blindsided by Elite FOMO. And I really didn’t need to as the Sport+ is amazing. Even the Red videos bill it like this, stating, “It’s a step up. Get on one and you can do everything faster – races and distance paddles. Using it I’d probably even manage the 40km Race to the Castle along the Trent. In wind.

Voyagers

Red’s 12.6 Voyagers can take a lot of cargo (none tried on my test) and have a wide deck (the widest is 32”). The thing that seemed different was its three central handles which didn’t get in the way standing, or kneeling, and I suspect they would take some of the stress out of portage. It’s nice to have a choice of how to carry something. This is a very well balanced board and easy to paddle so would be great for anyone who loves to go on long distance trips with an overnight or two (aka expeditions).

Four getting to grips with the Dragon board during a Red Paddle co demo at the Castle Canoe Club which uses West Reservoir. © Barbara McFarlane

Dragon board

But the Voyager didn’t get a proper chance as this time I’m distracted by the 17 ft Dragon board created for racing. To be fair I’ve never seen one before, so I was longing to try it. Rather like the Mega board (which is wider and designed to take several people) it feels like a team toy designed to make it look OK if you knock your boss/personal trainer/senior employer into the water. The West Reservoir staff (run by Better) loved this and thanks to jumps on to it from both ends I very quickly ended up swimming. When four of us did get going I wasn’t that enamoured either – the Dragon board had that strange feeling as if you’re paddling with the swell and wind behind you so you lurch and stop, lurch, pause, lurch, pause and so on until someone else falls off. This time it was Barbara (who also managed to take these photos later).

Wild (white water)

And then I saw the white water board, Wild (with five grab handles). Just 9.6 (11ft also available) but super wide at 34 inches, this is what the Owl and the Pussycat would have gone to sea in, because they obviously wouldn’t have got far in a sieve. It’s a lot of fun and you instantly want to move around as if you’re “taking drops, punching through stoppers and breaking in and out of eddies”. That last sentence? Yup, I’ve no idea what it means, as I’ve never been through white water but the Wild is for dreamers. My paddleboard friend Sonya was just as enamoured as Andy with this board, so I switched again, this time to a Compact.

Compact

The Compact is very exciting. It’s designed to make lugging a board to your adventure start point (or home again) easier on your arms, and also easy to roll up. They are sold in a range of sizes from 8.10 to 12. I’ve tried a Compact before (see the video above which involved a sunset paddle through Hackney) and in my alternative life this is the one – fleet, reasonably stable and most importantly not too heavy (10.15kg) so you can take it around London for a photoshoot! Even better you feel like a skilled paddleboarder when you paddle one.

What to buy?

On reflection I’d say Red Paddle Co is offering us all too much choice. For years all I knew was the all round 10.6 or 10.8 and now there is a huge range. I’d love a Red Paddle Co board but choosing which one is now a cross between an intense shopping experience and  nailing the right Myers-Briggs personality profile.

Obviously, you need to try a board, but many of us just go on to Facebook and ask the hive mind. Facebook users will say the Red Paddle Co boards are very pricey, and that is definitely true. Most of these boards are nearer £1000 than £300. On the plus side Red Paddle Co offers really good back-up service if any boards get problems (which they might). Any company that will help repair a much loved (and expensive) product has to be a good one. So, it’s no surprise that they’ve gone all out and become a certified B Corp business.

Disclosure: I’m a Red Paddle Co fan but use all sorts of paddleboards including SIC, Jobe, O’Shea. I’m also not a paid influencer, but I did enjoy imagining a world of paddleboard adventure on Red Paddle Co boards in my novel NOT THAT DEEP. Take it on holiday, it’s funny and filled with splash and tell. E book is £3. Paperback is £10.

Nicola Baird has written a very funny novel about paddleboarding. If you want a summer read filled with splash and tell then pick up NOT THAT DEEP. To buy the ebook for £3 or the paperback for £10 use this link. Enjoy!