Red Paddle Co Sport Plus Range - Review

[@shihb]

Sport plus 14 or the Starboard Sprint Airline 14x29 -- gonna be a tough choice. Which would you recommend for fast, recreational, non-racing?

[@TheSUPCompany]

Thanks for watching. You are right... a tough choice. The Sport 14 Plus covers a broader range of use than the Starboard Airline Sprint and is a very capable and overall rigid board. While the Starboard Sprint Airline (and we are huge fans of Airlines) is billed a being a flat water biased board, it is surprisingly capable, particularly in the chop. The Airline Sprint is also a little quicker with easier glide and is more rigid due to the Airline system. Worth noting that the Airline Sprint really rewards with rail input and performs best when kept flat while the Sport Plus with its more parallel outline is less technical in nature which for most is a good thing. Often overlooked is the how these boards pack down; the Airline due to the large EVA rails on the boards standing area mean that it has to be folded and not rolled resulting in a larger 'square' flat board bag. This results in a bag so wide that when on your back or rolling on the wheels you cannot walk through doorways without a side ways shuffle. The Sport Plus does not have this issue fitting easily into what have to be the best board bag on the market along with best pump. Hope this helps. Both of these models are available to demo at our Woodmill test centre in Southampton.

[@iainhall85]

Great review, if the 14' isn't going to be super rigid because of the thickness are you better going for the elite which is only an inch narrower?

[@TheSUPCompany]

Thanks for watching. The Elite is certainly the stiffer model with the Forward Flex Control (FFC) across the nose (in our opinion, the Elite is actually the most rigid board on the market where the FFC is present on the board), so it would almost be unfair to compare it directly to the Sport Plus. Even more so as the Elite 14ft actually drops to 26" for 2024 with a new overall outline and rocker profile. It's not so much, that the Sport Plus isn't rigid for what it is, it is just that there are more rigid boards at 14ft due to them using secondary features to provide this. While we are talking about the new Elite and the Sport Plus in the same breath, it is worth noting that these models feature the new MSL800 drop stitch from Red Paddle Co. Red say this material is stiffer and lighter than previous materials. We can certainly confirm it is lighter as the Elite by direct comparison is over 1kg lighter, meaning better acceleration and easier to maintain levels of glide easier.

[@iainhall85]

@@TheSUPCompany thanks for the detailed reply! A lot to think about, I'd be looking for a "introductory" board for 14ft racing but concerned the elite may be too much right away so may make sense to take advantage of the extra width of the sport 14+. Do you think the sport would be outgrown very quickly or likely to be sufficient for a while?

[@alexanderruchkov8440]

@@TheSUPCompany Have you ever got your hands on SIC 23 RS AIR 14’0 x 28.0″ CFL and how is it in comparison to this one?

[@giorgoslouverdis7600]

Good review m8! Compared to voyager the new sport ? Waiting this year for an upgrade to voyager line but third year the same model (12.6-13.2 at least)

[@TheSUPCompany]

You are not wrong on the Voyager... over due an update and we hear on the grapevine a number are in the works for 2025. Some good deals to be had in the meantime on the current Voyager line up. We are expecting the new MSL800 dropstitch as used on the Sport + range to feature in the new Voyayger line as well as some other differences.

[@giorgoslouverdis7600]

@@TheSUPCompany so better to go for a sport+ 2024 than a voyager 2024 right? The minor upgrades don’t offer much (graphic, handle etc)

[@JudasBytes]

can I tow either of the 2 to a jetski?

[@TheSUPCompany]

You've lost us on this question... sorry. Can you please elaborate?

[@ChillTubed]

This isn’t a review as you don’t offer any criticisms so presume the board is perfect. No doubt a great piece if kit but I would still favour a gladiator elite which is cheaper, better constructed with woven DS and triple rails. Maybe stiffer as well. No need for the battens. This video is more an info piece rather than a review. Packages no longer include bag or pump, you have to now pay extra.

[@TheSUPCompany]

Thanks for watching although it sounds like you have not watched the video until the end. If you have not yet paddled the new Sport +, then we recommend reserving judgement as these new boards utilise the new MSL800 from Red which is both lighter and stiffer. All Red boards are also triple railed in construction and RSS battens certainly make a difference (on a 6" board they improve rigidity by 15-20% in the area used when compared to not). You are right that Red Paddle Cp boards are now available as board only. This means actually a prices lower than previous years. Adding a bag and pump (both hands down the best on the market) are chargable extras making a package price that is comparable with previous years. While our reviews are not paid for pieces of advertising (such as the majority of most 'magazine' style reviews from SUPconnect, SUPboarder etc), they are our views and a popular way of giving our viewers a overview of new models. Happy paddling!

[@minatotheshinobi907]

Easy there Russia fan boy with your Russian Gladiator paddle boards! Chilled you ain’t 😂

[@minatotheshinobi907]

Haha! Back in your shell fan boy. Of course it matters, certainly enough for Gladiator and their dealers to remove all trace of their Russkey ownership from websites etc. Look past your nose and the backside it’s stuck in to go research Wehai Black Sea Marine Co Ltd. Nitwit in a half shell 🙈

[@Aleks_iz_Gadykino]

​@@minatotheshinobi907🤣🤣🤣