If you’re looking for ultimate stability and a super solid, reliable board as your ‘first’, you can’t go wrong with either a 10’6 Ride or a 10’8 Ride. If you had a SUP Confidence Lesson with She SUPs, if you were on a purple board it was a 10’6 and if you were on a blue board it was a 10’8. When choosing between 10’6 and 10’8 it comes down to your size and stability.

If you’re a petite individual, don’t let the length of these boards put you off! Yes you can go smaller, but you don’t want to lose too much in length as length is what gives you GLIDE!

The shorter SUPs on the market which are around 9ft 6inches - 10ft are typically designed for surf conditions. So if you’re going to be a flatwater paddler, you still want some length but the main thing to keep an eye on is width.

The 10’6 x 32 inches wide is probably the widest you want to go if you are petite. If you’re interested in the Ride range, you should check out the 10’0 x 29 inches Ride HERE. This is available through She SUPs, we just don’t have it listed on our website so if you’d like it, please send us an email hello@shesups.com.au so we can order it for you so that you order comes with all the She SUPs perks (i.e. She SUPs paddle credit + onboxing support call).

If you’re open to a touring style board (which is longer… but you can go skinny) check out the 11ft by 30 inches Sport.

The reason why I will only ever stock Red Paddle Co inflatables on our website is because they are one of the easiest boards on the market for female identifying folk to manoeuvre, carry and paddle. When choosing a paddleboard you DEFINITELY want to ensure you can lift it! These boards always surprise our paddlers as while they are large, the average weight of a Red board is only about 10kg.

It’s also important that they aren’t too light. If a board is ultra-light, it is more affected by wind and current while on the water. So after much testing, Red have created a 10kg board which is easy to carry, has a reassuring lightweight feel on the water, but has just enough weight to keep you paddling comfortably through that head wind.

This is a question I get asked ALL the time. My response is neither is ‘better’ than the other. They both have their advantages and whether you paddle inflatable or hardboard comes down to a couple of lifestyle options;

1. How close are you to your local waterway? How will you get your board to the water?

2. If driving - do you have roof racks?

3. If walking - does weight matter? Do you need a light board so it’s easy to carry?

4. Do you want to travel with your SUP?

5. Where can you store your SUP? Do you have a garage?

6. Are you a surfer looking to move to SUP?

7. Do you want to use the board for primarily flatwater paddling or SUP surf?

8. Who is using the board? Do you have kids/ family/ friends that you’ll be sharing this board with?

Reflecting on these questions you start to gain a clearer idea of what’s best for you.

If you are conscious about the weight of the board, have limited space to store the board, want to travel with your SUP (this is my favourite thing about inflatables!) and/or don’t have roof racks - then inflatable is probably a good option for you. Similarly, if you have family or friends who want to use the board and you need something durable that won’t get scratched and dinged if jumped on by a child or dog - choose inflatable.

If you have roof racks, not so worried about weight or travel, the board is purely for your own use (so you know you’ll look after it!), you’d like to play around in some waves and try your hand at SUP surf, or you’re a surfer/like the classic surfer image, then hardboard is probably for you. Similarly, if you have a garage and ability to store a board that is around 10ft in length safely, then you may consider a hard board.

The majority of She SUPs paddlers paddle inflatable SUPs (with the majority choosing Red) because of the weight factor. Being able to comfortably carry the board down to the water is a big deciding factor for most.

Not really! And this is one of the reasons Red Paddle Co stand out compared to the rest on the market.

When inflating a stand-up paddleboard we talk in PSI (this is the pressure rating). To paddle your stand-up paddleboard you want your PSI to be around 15-17 PSI (side note: always read the gauge on your pump - don’t do the squeeze test!! A stand-up paddleboard “feels” hard at 5 PSI but that’s definitely not enough to paddle!)

Many cheap paddleboard brands have a maximum of 15 PSI. However Red Paddle Co’s maximum is 22 PSI. This is super valuable because if your board is on the beach in the sun (try to avoid this to protect your board), a board with a max of 15 PSI has NO room to expand with heat, so is likely to burst. Whereas a Red Paddle Co board with a max of 22 PSI (but only likely pumped up at 16 PSI for paddling) means you have plenty of room for expansion from heat!

And when pumping by hand pump, I promise you won’t over pump. It gets more challenging around 15 PSI so you’ll know you’re close to stopping and most electric pumps normally have an automatic cut-off.

Get an electric pump!

Sip a coffee or eat your breakfast while your pump does all the hard work? Yes please!!

Many SUP brands don’t offer their own branded electric pump because electric pumps can be unreliable. They often overheat and die within a year of use (which for a SUP brand, would result in hundreds of warranty claims… which is why they avoid selling them!) I have tested out the most expensive pumps on the market, and the cheapies. I had ALL my hopes set on the super expensive one, and yet the one that has lasted the longest is a no-brand one from Amazon! The one that I have had for 2 years and have just invested in again after the first one died is the Seamax Pump from Amazon. It’s a decent price, and so far - has proven to be a good egg (plus has over 1000 reviews so it’s not just me who thinks so!). The black version (no brand) is for some reason is $50 cheaper, but I’ve seen them in person and they’re basically the same product, so pick whichever you fancy but I’ve always stuck with the Seamax for some reason… maybe I just like blue!

Yes you can as long as it’s in a COOL location. As mentioned in an earlier question, heat and sun can severely damage your inflatable paddleboard, reducing its lifespan. To protect your board and ensure it lasts for many years, it must be stored in a cool dry place.

If you’re storing your board inflated, I recommend checking the PSI every month to ensure it stays at your preferred PSI rating for paddling. Sometimes after a month or two it may lose a couple of PSI so just give it a little boost with your hand pump.

MANY reasons.

1. The biggest reason…The boards construction. Red Paddle Co’s MSL construction is recognised as the industry’s leading construction process… and its EXCLUSIVE to Red. Red are the only inflatable paddle board brand in the world that produces their boards in our OWN, private facility meaning that they have complete control over the design process and no other board comes close. By looking at all the individual elements of the drop stitch process (which is how inflatables are made) they have been able to develop a refined process to improve all aspects of board production. If you’d like to geek out on all things construction, check out their website HERE.
   And if you’re wondering what the construction MEANS for you… it comes down to stability and stiffness. In summary, with inflatables the cheaper the board, the poorer the construction and the more unstable it will feel under foot. Whereas the more expensive the board, the better the construction and the more it will paddle just like a hard board. (Side note: with hard boards, the cheaper you go the heavier they are!)

2. Their lifespan - with this high level construction, comes increased lifespan of not only the board but the paddle, the bag and the pump. Red Paddle was one of the first major paddleboard companies on the scene in 2008 and so its very common in the UK (where they are from) to see 10+ year old Red Paddle boards still out and about on the beaches!! When you invest in Red, you can expect a product that will last you YEARS (and will always have a good resale value if you ever want to sell it!)

3. The quality of individual elements in the package - having tried and tested MANY different paddleboard brands and witnessed hundreds of paddlers purchase different brands in our community, the part that lets down most paddlers who buy a cheaper paddleboard brand is the details. The bag breaks down/rips, the paddle breaks (most likely at the adjustable end), or the hand pump is just way too hard to use as it has zero power. Therefore I have seen a multitude of times that these paddlers who spend less on a cheap board, then end up spending MORE money re-buying a new hand-pump, new paddle or new board bag… all, this time, from Red. The Titan pump which comes with ALL Red Paddle Co products is world renowned, award winning and most importantly… patented. So no other brand can offer it… but when you buy a Red board, it simply comes with it as standard! With Red you know you are investing in a product ONCE and that’s it. No need to replace parts or buy supporting add-ons. Better for your pocket, better for the planet.

4. 5 Year Warranty - it’s one of the only brands in the global market that offers this because Red feel SO damn confident that you won’t have any issues with your SUP. They also have the most amazing team who are so willing to help. If you have any small questions or queries, Sam from the Aussie team will help you. If your question needs to be taken higher, you will be chatting to someone in the UK team based in sunny Devon in the UK (which is where their HQ is).

Oooh this is a fun one!

So this is going to come down to the size of your dog/child as technically this is possible for ALL boards, however I would probably try to stay away from the SKINNY boards (so anything 30inches and under). Keep to boards that are 32 inches wide or wider, and over 10’6 in length.

A popular option is often the 10’8 Ride, or the 11’3 Sport. However if you’re seeking a family board for you + your child but also you’d like for your child to be able to paddle it on their own as they grow, go for the 10’6 Ride. Anything bigger would be too much for them to paddle.

If you want to discuss your individual scenario, give me a call 0421 298 844.

Absolutely! Firstly, with Red’s extremely stiff MSL technology (see previous question about why paying so much for Red to find out more about this), these boards aren’t going to ‘sink’ in the middle like the cheaper boards on the market.

Then when choosing the right board for you, check out the recommended weight limit. This is PURELY a guide, so if you’re not sure just give us a call 0421 298 844.

For those seeking the higher weight limit boards, check out the 10’8 Ride which has a weight guide of 120kg. This is an extremely popular board in our community.