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Red Paddle Co. pushes its inflatable SUP boards to the limit in new video

By Kraig Becker April 19, 2017

Board Vs ... The Final wrap up!

Over the past few years, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) has become one of the fastest growing sports in the outdoor industry, and for good reason. Not only is it a lot of fun, but it happens to be a great workout, too. Perhaps the biggest challenge that any would-be paddler faces when getting into the sport, though, is figuring out how to transport their board to and from the water, and how to store it when they get back home.

Fortunately, there are a number of companies that make inflatable SUP boards that can be carried in the trunk of any vehicle and can usually be stored in a closet or under a bed, although the durability of those inflatable boards have often been called into question. Now, thanks to a new video from Red Paddle Co., we can get a first hand look at just how tough an inflatable truly is.

In an effort to demonstrate just how durable its SUP boards are, Red Paddle Co. launched the “Board Vs.” challenge. As the name implies, this series of tests pit one of the company’s popular inflatables — in this case the Ride MSL — versus some seriously tough conditions to see just how Previewmuch pressure, weight, and impact it can withstand. The thought being if the board could survive these extreme challenges it will probably hold up to anything the average boarder will throw at it as well.

In the Board Vs. video embedded above viewers can watch as the Ride MSL goes head-to-head with a Land Rover, a 9-ton tractor, and 22-ton excavator. They’ll also see it dropped from a 50-foot crane, face off against a ninja, and take on a number of other cringe-inducing tests of its durability. If there was any doubt about the toughness of an inflatable board before, this clip should put those fears to rest once and for all.

Of course, we already knew that Red Paddle Co.’s boards were tough as nails when we first took a look at them awhile back. This video only reaffirms what we knew then; these boards are built for the serious SUP-er and provide the performance of a standard model, along with the convenience of easy storage and transportation.

Find out more at redpaddleco.com.

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Kraig Becker is a freelance outdoor writer who loves to hike, camp, mountain bike, trail run, paddle, or just about any other…

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