Originally Posted by
M_R
Red is the Cadillac of the inflatables ( top of the line accessories, build in stringers to improve board stiffness, higher psi rating etc)
Inflatables are likely the better way to go unless you are ok lifting and transporting heavier solid boards, which obviously are better if you are going to be competing, doing 5 k + paddles each outing or heading out into the ocean or larger bodies of water where hull design plays a significant role in performance, which can’t really be replicated in an inflatable.
Now wrt inflatables, I bought a middle of the line one, loved it so much we ended getting a second cheap amazon one (both were less than a 1/3 of the cost of a R.E.D. Board) and both are excellent, in fact, the cheaper one is lighter and does not seam any less durable.
The cheap boards do come with cheap al and plastic paddles,so that would be a worthy additional investment, ( I bent the al paddle on my first outing, and then dumped $250 on a carbon paddle which was more than half the cost of the board and a worthwhile investment)
Cheap boards them self’s are generally good and of similar quality from the sample group I’ve seen , it’s the pump, paddle and backpack where you see largest variation of cost cutting.
On thing to note, this is not a good year to be buying one new as I’m pretty sure they are all made in China and Production due to corona has been affected, Amazon does not have inventory in half of the boards I looked at last year.
