They are the fastest in their class: narrow race-iSUPs. Made for SUP races in the inflatable class and as extremely sporty training and fitness boards. Which one will put you on the podium and which one has the widest range of use? Here is a comparison of the first three, with more to follow soon.
For the purchase decisionthe board length comes first. If it is to be used in special classes up to a maximum of 12' 6'', there is of course no way around it. Otherwise, the rule is: "As long as permitted" - in the vast majority of cases this is 14 feet. We have therefore chosen all boards in 14 foot length, which is a whopping 4.26 metres.
Choosing the right width different factors come into play:
* Body weight
* Body height
* Riding ability/balance feeling
* Territories and conditions
On a mirror-smooth lakeeven a 24 inch narrow inflatable goes surprisingly well. But don't let that fool you. Even when there is absolutely no wind and no motorboat waves (which is also unrealistic), the choppy wave at the mass start is worse than most of the wind waves you experience in training. As an iSUP paddler, you will often ride behind the faster hardboards in the race, "riding free" in a mixed field to the front is probably reserved for only a few world-class athletes. You will therefore have to live with the wake of numerous other paddlers throughout the race. Taller paddlers need more stability than smaller ones, lighter ones less than heavier ones. For top places in races, however, 26 inches is certainly the maximum, with 27 inches or more in width, a board can be considered a touring shape.
When comparing with hardboards, you will quickly realise that a similarly wide and similarly shaped iSUP is more tippy than the comparable hardboard. This is partly due to the continuous round edges in the water, the greater thickness and the higher standing position. On modern hardboards you stand just above water level, on an inflatable you stand significantly higher (you therefore also need a longer paddle). A 25 mm inflatable is therefore certainly at least as wobbly as a 24 mm hardboard. While widths of 23 to 24 inches have become standard for hardboards in SUP races, even the sportiest race inflatables are not less than 25 inches (one inch is equal to 2.54 centimetres).
First observations "on land"
The three boardsin the test are very different. Red Paddle and Fit Ocean upgrade their "inflatables" with every conceivable means for maximum stiffness, while SIC relies on conventional inflatable technologies with additional stiffening straps made from stiffer foils and, above all, solid board thickness.
Here are the technical data(thickness and weight measured by us - thickness without the EVA deck and weight inflated, with stiffening tubes, but without fin)
Fit Ocean 14' x 26'' - 9.2 kilos - 14 centimetres
Red Paddle 14' x 25'' - 11.7 kilos - 16 centimetres
SIC 14' x 26'' - 10.5 kilos - 17 centimetres
The measures at Red Paddlelook very elaborate and technically clean. These designs have already been in use for several years. The "stabiliser", which is designed to provide rigidity between the standing position and the bow, can be finely adjusted to the exact pre-tension using a thread. A small drawback of this design is that it lacks the classic carrying handle in the centre of the board; the side handles make it difficult to hold the board high enough when carrying it with a relaxed, long arm.
At Fit Oceanthe carbon tube with a square cross-section is screwed to glued inserts. This reinforces the stance area in particular. Unfortunately, the handle adapter that can be attached to the carbon tube was missing on the test board.
With SIC, additional glued-on longitudinal strips on the deck and underside provide increased rigidity. Assembly is much quicker here, the deck is free of interfering components and also offers space for luggage - we will come to touring suitability later.
Practical test
How should you test a raceboard? Admittedly - not an easy task. You can hardly simulate a long distance of 10 kilometres with three boards. Just sprint 100 metres once and that's it - but that also seems too easy. Two, perhaps even three factors seem particularly important to us:
- 1. maximum speed. It doesn't matter how much power you need. This is important for starts in long races, for the final sprint and for pure sprint races.
- 2. speed and effort over long distances. We pursued two approaches during the test. Firstly, how "easy" the board paddles at a constant speed and secondly, how fast it runs with the most constant paddling power possible.
- 3. how stable is the board, especially in side waves?
- 4. how well is the buoy doing?
What speeds are used?
We took countless GPS measurements (maximum sprints of around 100 metres and middle distances of around 500 metres), went on "long runs" with the three boards and regularly swapped the boards. The GPS recordings are a good support, but cannot always be used one-to-one. Even the lightest gusts of wind influence the result. A solid result only crystallises after numerous cross-checks.
On the "long haul" we concentrated on speeds between around 8 and 9 km/h.
Naked numbers don't tell the whole story, but only in comparison with the same paddler, the same conditions and the same measuring device. A stronger paddler may also achieve over 12 km/h on the iSUP; experience has shown that a different measurement method (Suunto, Garmin, Polar, tracking apps) can lead to slight systematic deviations upwards or downwards. What matters to us, however, is the difference between the boards. And this was quite clear after the test marathon.
On the "long haul", we concentrated on speeds between around 8 and 9 km/h. Experience has shown that this is a range in which paddlers on 14-foot inflatables can find themselves in long-distance races.
The most important thing: the practical results
Test Red Paddle:
Red Paddle has given the board all the refinements that can currently provide more rigidity. Firstly, the two "sail battens", which are pushed into the side pockets and thus reinforce the standing area, and secondly the carbon rod, which is pre-tensioned via a tension lever and thus prevents the bow from bending upwards even with strong paddle pressure and high speed. This works very well, the board shows no significant tendency to bend up at the front even when paddling hard. The narrow tail and the narrow width ensure really good speed on all courses, only the required paddle pressure seems slightly higher than with the Fit Ocean, especially at medium speeds of just over 8 km/h. However, very high speeds are also possible on the Fit Ocean. However, even very high speeds can be maintained for a long time on the Red Paddle. The board also feels stiffer underfoot. Even a heavier rider can stand firmly on it and the water position of the board hardly changes, even when sprinting hard. However, this rider should have a good sense of balance, as the thicker and narrower Red Paddle has a noticeably greater tendency to roll in the event of sideways waves or incorrect loading. It turns further to the side, so you won't find a stopping point as quickly as with the thinner Fit Ocean or the wider SIC. In manoeuvres at the buoy, when the step goes far back, the narrow tail is pushed deeper into the water and causes a clear guide - which unfortunately counteracts really good turning characteristics. This means that you need about two paddle strokes more for a full turn than on the Fit Ocean or the SIC, which turns even better. On top of that, you are noticeably less stable on the narrowest stern by far.
Conclusion:The Red Paddle offers maximum stiffness even for heavy riders and a lot of performance with powerful paddle use. At top speed, it is pretty much on a par with the Fit Ocean. However, longer sprints require a little more concentration and fast buoy turns require very good riding skills. Over long distances, it requires a consistently high speed with a little more energy input. Nevertheless, it is a fast, sporty board that is good for top placings in iSUP races: a real racing specialist with chances of winning, especially over long distances, but with the least "everyday suitability".
Test SIC:
The SIC comes as a classic shape without any bars and battens that need to be screwed in place and therefore has some advantages, but also a few limitations. The board is the quickest to set up and the most stable in this group thanks to its 26 inch width - plus a wide tail and a wide nose. This makes it ideal for regular training, fitness and as a very sporty touring board, as it even comes with a small pack net. In a race comparison, it proves its worth in difficult conditions when you can no longer go all the way on a narrower Red Paddle - because it gets too wobbly or you don't have the practice - and you can go 100 per cent further on the SIC. Race beginners in particular should not forget that falling off once in the race costs at least 20 seconds and the connection to the group. At the buoy, the board also proves to be safe and quick to turn. Compared to the Red Paddle, you gain a few metres with every turn. The SIC is therefore also a candidate for good placings in sprint races or technical races on the sea - whenever safety and turns are important in addition to good speed - the board is fast. On long distances on smooth water, however, the 26 inch width and the larger dimensions at the front and rear cannot be argued away. Either you have the power to push a little harder on every stroke than on the other two boards, or you lose out slightly (we're talking about 0.2 km/h maybe on the other two boards - just to illustrate the dimensions involved here, but that adds up over a race duration of an hour).
Conclusion:A stable race board for difficult conditions, for heavier, powerful paddlers or for technical races and ocean races. With its wide outline and chunky nose, it requires more paddle pressure on flat water and is not quite as fast as the other two boards, especially over long distances. In sprint races or technical races with lots of turns, it will probably make the most of its good tipping stability, especially at the start and in buoy manoeuvres. Particularly good for race beginners, but also conceivable as a very sporty touring board.
Test Fit Ocean:
The Fit Ocean board has a carbon strip with a square profile screwed onto the standing area for reinforcement. This effectively and noticeably stiffens the comparatively thinner board in the centre section. Even when "rocking" on the board, it is particularly stiff under the feet of an 80-kilo paddler. The lightweight board accelerates very quickly, the nose is always in the water at normal, medium and fast long-distance racing speed, a good standing position is about half a foot length in front of the handle. The board is just as fast as the Red Paddle. However, it is more stable - although it reacts just as easily to weight shifts, it stops the tipping movement early - it simply doesn't tip to one side as much and finds a noticeable hold sooner. Only at maximum sprint does the board visibly bend up at the front and the carbon nose can only be kept completely in the water by stepping forwards. However, it continues to hold very high top speeds very well. The board is also convincing in turns: a relatively moderate step backwards is enough to get the nose free and the board turns very quickly on the comparatively wide tail and you are relatively safe. With the carbon nose glued on, the board feels more like a real hardboard (the finish of the carbon nose on the test board was okay, but not impressive, it was a used board with many kilometres on it). With this unique nose construction, water is not pushed under the nose and to the side, but really cut up in the literal sense of the word. This means that the board requires noticeably less paddling power, especially at medium speed, and it feels like you could even choose a slightly larger paddle than on the SIC, for example. The combination with the good manoeuvrability makes it an outstandingly suitable race inflatable for various conditions; we would not recommend a rider weight significantly higher than around 80 to 85 kilos. In our sprint tests, it was the same as the Red Paddle or even slightly faster. In any case, a full sprint is easier to pull off due to the improved stability, which is also reflected in the average speed over 200 metres.
Conclusion:The Fit Ocean sets new standards with its carbon nose. For the first time, an inflatable with a nose that sticks through the water like a real hardboard. Together with the extremely slim shape in the front third, this not only ensures a sporty look when paddling, but also a lighter paddling feel - less pressure at the same speed. Over long distances, a slightly higher speed is possible or the same speed with less effort - especially at medium racing speeds. The combination of tipping stability and performance made it the favourite in the test for paddlers up to a good 80 kilos. Also conceivable as a very sporty touring board.
Who has tested?
Two independent paddlers were mainly involved in this test.
Sonja Duschek, 60 kilos and very successful with numerous German championship titles in sprint and long distance from 2010 to 20145, as well as overall victories in the German SUP Challenge and German SUP Trophy; also regularly tests for SUP Magazine.
Stephan Gölnitz, 79kg, active race paddler from 2010 to 2015, then mainly on the water as a tester for SUP Magazine. With podium places at German championships in sprint and long distance, as well as an overall victory in the German SUP Challenge 2013, he also has sufficient expertise on race boards.
Stephan Gölnitz
Deputy Editor in Chief surf
