As a person who must spend a good amount of time enjoying water during the year, I can tell you that I have tried many and various inflatable stand up paddle boards and have seen many others.
Those boards are meant to reshape what we know about water sports; they are extremely portable since they can be rolled up and fit in one bag along with their featured accessories, as they also offer a great deal of choices and specifications to meet everyone’s need.
Inflatable paddle boards are so much easier to store and handle than an authentic ones especially when it comes to practicality. This time; we are going to review one of the strongest iSUPs presented to us by the Red Paddle Co and which is featured with their unique RSS technology; the Explorer+.
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Measurements
Red Paddle Co Explorer inflatable paddle boards comes in two different sizes with the same great design and qualities; the first one (Explorer+) and which I’ll be targeting for the rest of the review is 13’2″ feet long, 30 inches wide and 5.9 inches thick. The smaller version (Explorer) is 12’6″ feet long, 32 inches wide and 5.9 inches thick.
With these measurements I’m pretty sure you can guess that this board is meant to hit high speeds and allow you to explore any lake or river out there without rethinking it for a second.
The Explorer+ 13’2″ is designed for advanced paddlers given its large volume and buoyancy, however, if you are an intermediate or a beginner you could go for the smaller version. One of the best things about the Red Paddle Co Explorer+ is its narrower width which makes a great race inflatable paddle board of it allowing it to cruise faster with less water resistance. Also, its high sides make it one of the unbeatable inflatable paddle boards on the market; a 6 inches thick iSUP board is the best you could find anywhere.
Not only that, I have to mention that the two Explorers come in an authentic design which sometimes can make people confused: “is it a hard board?”; I got this question at least 3 times.
To sum it up, these two boards are quite what anyone is looking for if you’re seeking something different and challenging, yet, reliable and durable.
Quality
The Red Paddle Co is known for the MSL fusion which stands for Monocoque Structural Laminate. This process involves fusing a second layer of hard-wearing polymer to the drop-stitch core at the raw material stage, removing hand gluing errors.
You can see for yourself that this board looks like one single piece of how minute was gluing it together. Moreover, the airtight coating technology makes the Explorer+ one of the stiffest iSUPs you could ever try; it’s extremely stiff once fully inflated and that can go up to 20 PSI.
This board is designed to be the ultimate risk taker and the Red Paddle Co had its own way to prove that; you’ll find a video where one of the company’s iSUPs is being run over by a huge tractor; yes, and guess what? Nothing happened to it.
The Red Paddle Co is making their point very clear; you can trust an inflatable product if it’s made the right way.
Features
Both the Explorer & Explorer+ are made with same great and functional options and features; on this part of the review we are going to have an in depth look at what you should find and expect from both.
- The first thing that would get a lot of you all hyped about the Explorer+ 13’2″ is probably the complete bungee system which will allow you to bring all of your stuff with you on board (snacks, sunglasses, camera, bottle of water ..etc); it’s highly functional especially for such a big board where you can use the provided space comfortably. You’ll find 6 D-rings that are connected with a bungee cord on the front (the Explorer 12’6″ has only 4), and another 4 the same way on the back. Also, a D-ring for towing and another one for safety leash attachment.
- The Explorer 12’6″ is featured with an EVA deck pad that covers half of it’s back while the bigger version has a smaller pad in addition to a set of 3 textured, rubberized grips covering a 12.5 x 8 inch area on the back. Those grips work like magic preventing your cargo from slipping or sliding around.
- Now hear this; the Explorer+ 13’2″ is featured with the Rocker Stiffening System (RSS) that belongs to the Red Paddle Co only. This system uses two removable fiberglass battens that you can easily insert in the pocket sleeves on the sides of the board to increase its rigidity. These battens will prevent your weight from taking the board down which is similar to the ones we find on hard boards. Sadly, the Explorer 12’6″ lacks this feature.
- Both the Explorers are featured with a 9-inch deep water flexi-fin which you can replace with any other fin of your choice since the US box fin system’s size allows it. The featured fin is designed to deliver a very smooth water tracking as it is also structured in a way to keep it from damage in case it bumped to rockery shores or so.
- Again, both the Explorers are featured with a nose runner fin that increases tracking and straight line performance in side winds. Another Two rear fin side runners of the same size are located on the back to prevent “tail drift” when the board is loaded with gear.
- Finally, you’ll find 5 carry handles that are covered with rubbery material for extreme comfort carrying the inflated board; they’re very rigid and fun to use.
Packaging
To start with, this package is lacking one thing; a paddle, but that shouldn’t be so bad because the Red Paddle Co provides a variety of paddles from which you can choose one. As for the rest of included items, they’re as following:
- You’ll find a carry backpack which will make life a lot easier for you. the Red Paddle Co is known for their quality bags that don’t actually have a match for their awesomeness. The bag has integrated wheels for extreme transportability and is super comfy when you need to put the board on your back. The front loading system makes packing and unpacking super simple while the internal straps make sure the board stays put while in transit. This bag is the ultimate solution for travel and storage.
- A Titan pump with a new Dual Cylinder system which will allow you to inflate the board faster than any time before. You can pump the board up to 20psi max.
- A Vamo 10′ Black Coiled leash.
- A repair kit.
- A waterproof phone case.
- The RSS Battens ( Explorer+ 13’2″ ).
- The previously mentioned removable fin.
Performance
Both the Explorers are built to answer the needs of speed seekers and I assure you that you won’t be disappointed. These boards glide fast and smoothly in flat water and they’re really responsive. However, you might experience more stability on the Explorer 12’6″ thanks its 32 width. Also, riding the Explorer+ 13’2″ with extra cargo on board didn’t affect its performance a bit. Further, I have to praise the narrow nose given to this boards; it makes water resistance almost inexistent.
Pros
- Red Paddle Co Explorer & Explorer+ are very well-engineered inflatable paddle boards that are designed to meet the highest quality standards.
- They’re featured with one of the best backpacks on the market.
- These paddle boards are designed to pick speed very easily.
- They’re some of the best race inflatable paddle boards on the market.All things considered.
- The RSS system featured on the Explorer+ is something you won’t find anywhere else.
Cons
- Red Paddle Co Explorer & Explorer+ inflatable paddle boards feature a hefty price tag. You’ll have to shell out some serious dough to get one of the paddle boards.
- These paddle boards don’t come with a paddle which could have been great especially considering their price tags.
Red Paddle Co. Explorer+ – More Images
