Inflatable paddle board

The double barrelled Titan pump is a revelation making pumping up an easy thing to do – with a switch valve to add the last couple of psi

Not many boaters will have failed to notice the rise of paddleboarding on just about any stretch of water that is available. It’s a mix between surfing and canoeing – so you stand on the board and then use a long single paddle to propel you along.
There are plenty of videos online to get the tips on how to learn the basics of paddleboarding – mostly it’s about acquiring that sense of balance; it’s not unlike a windsurfer in that respect, when you first start.
Paddleboards are available in various sizes and the most obvious drawback is the weight of the solid built ones, which can weigh 50lbs (22.6kg). But inflatable paddleboards are becoming popular and it’s easy to see why.
We borrowed one from US-based Red Paddle Company to see how easy it was to use. We had the 10ft 8in (3.25m) Ride version which comes in its own valise with Titan pump and paddle included. It’s surprising how rigid you can make these boards. We inflated its 296L volume to 15psi and the board felt like balsa wood: you really would not know it was inflated. It is very lightweight too at 9.5kg, but with 34in (865mm) width and 4.7in (120mm) thick it felt very stable. It also looks very well made with a monocoque structural laminate that is hard wearing on flint pebble beaches like this.
Our 15-year-old tester was standing up and paddling straight away. As a big board this is very stable – it will take someone up to 120kg in weight. We could see the appeal of keeping one in the lazarette and inflating it (in about 8 minutes) and going off for the milk early in the morning or just to explore a river. The standing pad is very grippy and we like the tie straps for a dry bag (of clothes or shopping). Great idea, £799. redpaddleco.com

From CS No February 2017