13'2" Voyager+ Touring Paddle Board Package Reviews

5 Rating 2 Reviews

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About Red Paddle Co:

Once upon a board, Red Paddle Co-founder, John Hibbard, realised there might be a better way of doing things. It was 2008 and paddleboarding was just getting going. As he paddled along on a heavy composite SUP, he had this crazy idea that it could be made better with an inflatable board.

It wasn’t just a hunch either. Having spent over a decade as a full-time, sponsored competitor on the professional windsurfing world tour, John was getting pretty weary of pleading with, and generally avoiding airline check-in staff due to the mountain of cumbersome windsurfing kit required for his numerous international trips (it was tough, but someone had to do it!). A problem, he realised, that every paddleboarder the world over would have to face if they wanted to travel anywhere with their standard hard board.

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“The Voyager 13’2” wasn‘t on my original short list. As a fairly new paddler I thought the change from a 10’8”, 34” all-rounder would be too much and was looking at the 12’6” or a Sport. But I wanted 30” width, and a V hull, and a speed tail, and neither of the ones on my short list ticked all those boxes. I kept dithering and talking to people, and the Voyager 13’2” kept being mentioned by people who had made real use of it and loved it. Once I ordered my Voyager I still had the feeling that I might have chosen something beyond my ability to handle. From the very first outing I loved this board – and that’s not the sort of thing I often say. I expected the narrowness to make it feel unstable – but once I got over my initial nerves it didn’t. I expected it to be incredibly difficult to turn – I can’t do a step back yet. It was nothing like as difficult as I expected. It is heavy to carry, whether inflated or rolled up – saves me a gym subscription :-D. The battens were difficult to insert but they are getting easier, though they still bite me occasionally. On the practical side it’s usually surprisingly easy to roll up and pack away, although if it has been in cold water it does lose some flexibility and needs to come back up to temperature. It’s had a dozen outings now, canal, river, and estuary and I’m getting more of an understanding of what I like about this Voyager. On my first outing it felt heavy in the water at the 17 psi I used for my old board. Taking that up to 20 psi made it feel lighter. People tell me that the 12’6” is more stable. I have paddled one and I still feel more stable on my own board. I think that’s because the V hull means that the lateral movement is more continuous and takes less effort than a flatter board so it’s more predictable. It’s as though the board is telling me what it wants to do. The narrower width is helping me improve my paddle stroke. And it loves a good head wind. If I point it into the wind it bites into the water and sticks to its heading. The board and I have quite a few plans now and I think I’m going to find it difficult to adjust when I need to paddle another board.”

7 Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Tested on the Ammersee in Bavaria in summer and on the lake constance in winter. The capability of holding its track is noticeably better than the predecessor. Didn't expect such a remarkable difference, lateral drift with wind from the side is also a lot reduced. New Titan pump is a real progress, bayonet connection seems finally to be tight for lifetime. Expecting to have a lot of nice experiences with the new one...”

3 Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago