After personally paddling, weighing, and thoroughly testing 70+ boards, our expert staff has selected the best beginner stand up paddle board 2017 models. These are designated by the "A" grade and organized by categories (inflatable, all-around, touring, etc).
Red Paddle Co, the world’s most popular inflatable stand up paddle board brand, is giving consumers across North America the opportunity to put its boards to the test during the 2017 Summer Demo Tour. Paddlers can also try their hands at testing out the tour’s co-sponsor FUSION’s STEREOACTIVE. The 42-stop tour will kick off on May 12th, 2017 in Seattle, WA.
Red Paddle Co, the world’s most popular inflatable stand up paddleboard brand, has put its most popular inflatable board through “Board Vs.” “Board Vs.” is a series of 10 of the most extreme destruction challenges conducted during the past two weeks that test one inflatable board’s durability and strength.
The Northwest Paddling Festival at Lake Sammamish State Park in Issaquah, Friday May 12 and Saturday May 13, is pleased to announce the addition of a Red Paddle Dragon World Series Race to its lineup. The Dragon World Series is the world’s first team SUP racing competition, with races taking place around the world, culminating in the Dragon World Championships in Barbados in October 2017.
| Price: $1,499 | Build: Inflatable |
| Skill: Beginner | Use: Touring |
| Weight: 18.9 lbs | Sizes: 11', 11'3", 12'6" |
About the board: The Sport from Red Paddle Co. is an inflatable touring board that works for paddlers of all skill levels. The board has a very clean look to it with minimal colors and graphics keeping it very simple and clean. The construction appears very strong, as something that can handle heavy use. The board is very stable and very lightweight and is great for paddling mid to long-distances, between 3-10 miles. Its strong, lightweight construction combined with the ability to paddle some distance makes the Sport deserving of Supconnect’s “A” grade. Read more HERE.
Red Paddle Co will be pitting the world’s most popular inflatable stand-up paddle board against 10 experiments to test its durability and see what it will take to break or destroy the board.
Red Paddle Co has teamed up with a number of leading outdoor equipment suppliers to create a competition to win the ultimate outdoor adventure.
| Price: $1,649 | Build: Inflatable |
| Skill: Advanced | Use: Race |
| Weight: 20.8 lbs | Sizes: 12' , 14' |
Who is this for: If you’re looking for a fast, inflatable, race board for SUP racing then the Red Paddle Co. Race board is worth a look. This stand up paddle (SUP) board comes in the patented MSL technology construction which is durable and has its ups and downs. Due to its width being 26 inches the board is very unstable however, the board is fast and lightweight. The board has 1.49 lbs per foot weighing 20.8 lbs total. Its shape makes the Race a race board for advanced paddlers. Its construction and shape combined best fit this board for competitive paddling. Retailing at $1,649, the board is among the high-tier price point but comes with the best that the brand has to offer.
| Price: $1,799 | Build: Inflatable |
| Skill: Advanced | Use: Race |
| Weight: 19.1 lbs | Sizes: 12'6", 14' |
Who is this for: If you’re looking for a fast, premium inflatable race board to paddle in SUP races then the Red Paddle Co. Race Elite is worth a look. This stand up paddle (SUP) board comes in the MSL technology from Red Paddle Co. and is highly durable and has its ups and downs. Due to its width of 26 inches the board is very unstable, however, at only 1.36 lbs per foot (19.1 lbs total) this board is very lightweight. Its shape makes the Race Elite a board for exactly that: a race board for advanced paddlers that can be used in competition. Its construction and shape combined best fit this board for short or long distance racing. Retailing at $1,799 the board is in the high-tier price point but comes with the best that the brand has to offer.
| Price: $1,299 | Build: Inflatable |
| Skill: Beginner | Use: All-around |
| Weight: 23.1 lbs | Sizes: 9'8", 10'6", 10'8" |
Who is this for: If you’re looking for a very stable, inflatable, all-around paddle board to paddle short distances then the Red Paddle Co. Ride is worth a look. This stand up paddle (SUP) board comes in the MSL construction which is durable and has its ups and downs. Due to its width of 32 inches the board is very stable and its has 2.2 lbs per foot weighing a total 23.1 lbs. Its shape makes the Ride a classic all-around board that can be ridden by everyone and is designed primarily for recreational paddling. Its construction and shape combined best fit this board for short distance paddling, around the beach and dock. Retailing at $1,299, the board is in the popular mid-tier market in terms of affordability.
| Price: $1,199 | Build: Inflatable |
| Skill: Intermediate | Use: Surf |
| Weight: 17.1 lbs | Sizes: 8'10" |
Who is this for: If you’re looking for a stable, inflatable, surf board to paddle short distances then the Red Paddle Co. Whip is worth a look. This stand up paddle (SUP) board comes in the MSL construction which is very durable and has its ups and downs. Due to its 29 inch width the board is somewhat stable and has 1.94 lbs per foot weighing 17.1 lbs total, making this board very lightweight. Its shape makes the Whip great for surfing either in the ocean or on the river that can be used by surf and river enthusiasts with an intermediate skill-set. Its construction and shape combined best fit this board for recreational paddling of short distances. Retailing at $1,199, the Whip is in the popular mid-tier market in terms of affordability.
Red Paddle Co Racing have set their sights on the Caribbean as the location for their inaugural, revolutionary, team racing concept – the Dragon World Championships. The first ever dedicated paddle board team racing event.