Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact iSUP Review: Overview
The Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact is a large board in a relatively small package. This 12’ all-around paddle board comes as a complete package that fits into a bag half the height of a typical iSUP bag. While it does shrink down into a smaller package, the 12’ Compact kit is still fairly heavy, but provides great performance on the water and blends the usability of an all-around iSUP and the performance of a touring paddle board.
— Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact iSUP Review Summary and Ratings –
Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact iSUP Review
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Construction & Durability
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Features and Versatility
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Stability
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Speed
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Maneuverability
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Tracking
Overall Score
The 12’ Compact packs a large and performance-oriented all-around paddle board into a small package for easy transportation.
Pros
- Compact design fits into a smaller package
- Full 12’ length provides great stability and high-quality paddling performance
- MSL Construction is time-tested for reliability
- PVC Stringers and RSS Battens keep the 4.7” thick board comfortably rigid
- Thinner profile improves stability and keeps the relatively large board feeling playful
- TItan II hand pump is fast to inflate the board
Cons
- Total kit weight is quite heavy for a compact iSUP
- Paddlers over 200 pounds will flex the board, but can still have a good paddling experience
- The five-piece paddle leaves a lot of room for improvement
Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact iSUP Review – Construction and Durability
The 12’ Compact iSUP uses Red Paddle Co’s PACT MSL construction to create a high-quality inflatable paddle board that is lighter weight and can fold for compact storage while still maintaining Red’s high standards of quality.
The 12’ Compact uses Red Paddle Co’s PACT Technology construction – which is a variation on its MSL (Monocoque Structural Laminate) construction used in most of their other inflatable paddle boards.
The PACT construction uses a slightly different drop stitch core to reduce weight and allow for easier folding compared to the core’s used in boards like the 10’6 Ride MSL. The core still uses two base layers of fabric connected with thousands of fibers to give the 12’ Compact its 4.7” thickness and to keep the board flat on the top and bottom.
The outer PVC shell is made with Red’s PACT MSL material. While Red doesn’t go into much detail about this (or really any of their materials). Red does say that this material was chosen for its ability to fold into a compact form, so I do believe it would be fair to say that it is likely a slightly thinner material than the PVC used in their regular MSL boards.
The edges of the board are still bonded together with a heat-pressed, glued, inner rail band and a larger outer rail band for additional protection.
It can be challenging to keep a 4.7” thick iSUP rigid, especially over a longer span like 12 feet. To help with this, Red implemented two stiffening systems. The first is the Quad Stringers that run the length of the board on both the top and bottom. These additional layers of PVC provide extra tension and rigidity to the board when inflated.
The 12’ Compact also comes with Red Paddle’s Rocker Stiffening System (RSS) Battens. These plastic bars are inserted into dedicated pockets on the rails of the board prior to pressurization to help stiffen the standing area of the board.
With all of the final components added to the board, the Red 12’ Compact weighs in at 21.5 pounds. This is pretty heavy for a compact-style iSUP, but considering its size, that’s actually fairly light. Red does state a maximum inflation pressure of 22 PSI, however this is generally “overkill” for most paddlers (who will be comfortable between 15-18 PSI), and while some hand pumps – like Red’s Titan II – do go this high, most electric SUP pumps stop at 20 PSI.
In our static bend test we inflated the 12’ Compact to 20 PSI and, with the RSS battens inserted, placed 170 pounds of weight on the standing area of the board to measure how far it bends. The 12’ Compact had a final result of 1.93” of bend. This is a bit more than our current running average of 1.62” of bend across over 120 iSUPs tested. It’s also about 0.2” more bend than the average of other 4.7” iSUPs like the Red 10’6 Ride MSL and the Honu Byron.
Red claims the RSS battens add 40-50% stiffness, however in our bend testing we’ve found the actual increase in rigidity to be closer to 10%. That’s definitely not nothing, but it’s a far cry from the claimed increase in rigidity. I would recommend using the RSS Battens with the 12’ Compact, though, as they do add some rigidity and help smooth the overall feel of the board on the water.
While on the water I could tell there was some flex in the Red 12’ Compact, but it wasn’t always a bad thing. While I could tell the board was bending when just standing on it and paddling normally, I didn’t feel like the board was soft under my feet. It also didn’t change its shape during regular paddling, so while it was slightly bent, it didn’t flop around.
Bouncing on the board did generate a moderately high amount of flex, and I could feel the board flex and bend when walking on it and lifting the nose out of the water. But when I stopped bouncing or walking, the 12’ Compact had a very clean feeling rebound. There was no springy-ness nor did I feel like I was being bucked around.
Overall I think Red has done a great job building this “compact” iSUP. It’s a rather large all-around board when inflated, and does fold down into a smaller package. It’s still quite heavy as a full kit and has a moderate amount of flex, but the paddling experience is still comfortable, even when paddling in windy and choppy conditions.
Specifications
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 12’ 0” |
| Width | 32.5“ |
| Thickness | 4.7“ |
| Weight | |
| Max Capacity | 265 pounds |
| Board Weight | 21.5 pounds |
| Kit Weight (SUP & accessories) | 37 pounds |
| Buying Info | |
| List Price | $2199 |
| Warranty | 5 years |
| Returns period | 30 days |
Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact iSUP Review – Features, Accessories and Versatility
The Red 12’ Compact iSUP is somewhere between a large all-around paddleboard and an adventure touring iSUP. It has enough space for an adult and a smaller passenger or pet, and enough capacity to load up for an overnight trip. The built-in feature set seems to be set up for either case, and more casual paddling as well.
The Red 12’ Compact does include a full kit of accessories along with the board itself. Inside the box you’ll also find:
- Compact backpack travel bag
- Titan II double-chamber hand pump
- 5 piece compact paddle
- Coiled ankle leash
- Two 6” semi-flexible fins
- RSS battens
- Repair kit
The only thing you’ll need to add is your PFD / Lifejacket and any items you wish to bring with you. The whole package does fit into the compact backpack, but does not leave any room for additional items in the bag.
The entire kit weighs a total of 37 pounds. That’s quite heavy for a compact paddle board, and you do feel it when carrying the kit around. The compact bag does have padded shoulder straps, but the overall shape and weight makes it uncomfortable to carry for long periods of time.
A good chunk of the kit weight and size is the Titan II Pump. While I would argue the Titan II is one of the best hand pumps available on the market, it is neither small, nor light – it weighs 6.5 pounds on its own! For reference, the Swonder Seawolf battery electric pump is 1.5 pounds lighter and takes up less space.
Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact iSUP Review – Paddle
Included with the 12’ Compact is Red’s 5 piece compact paddle. This paddle breaks down to fit into the smaller bag, but suffers from many drawbacks because of that.
The Red 5-piece paddle has a carbon fiber shaft and a nylon paddle blade. While it fits neatly into the 12’ Compact’s travel bag, it’s not the best compact paddle we’ve used.
Even though the paddle shaft is carbon fiber, the entire paddle is moderately heavy at just over 32 ounces, but more importantly it has a huge amount of flex when in use. Some flex is appreciated in a paddle as it helps reduce muscle fatigue, however too much flex means you are losing power and have to take more strokes to move the same distance or speed compared to a more rigid paddle.
The blade has a medium to medium-small size with a classic teardrop shape. While not my personal favorite blade shape, it does typically work fine for casual paddling. However, the 5 Piece compact paddle blade has two issues. First there is very little rake angle (the angle the blade meets the shaft). This further reduces the amount of power you can transfer into motion. Second, the blade’s power face (the side you paddle with) is nearly flat which encourages the paddle to wander from side-to-side and flutter as you pull against it in the water.
The handle section also has a qualm and an issue. First is the qualm – the leverlock adjustment system. Leverlock systems have a lever built into the handle that applies or releases tension in a rubber stopper at the bottom of the handle section depending on if the lever is closed or open. The issue with this system is its complexity. It’s more difficult for users to adjust and maintain, and is more prone to failure from something as simple as a bit of sand in the mechanism or if the rubber stopper becomes damaged. A simple compression collar is just as effective at setting the paddle length, weighs less, and is far easier to maintain and repair if needed.
The bigger issue, though, is with the amount of adjustment available in this paddle. Because of the size of the segments, the paddle adjustment is extremely limited – especially for paddlers under 5’8”. I’m 5’9” and I have to use the paddle near its shortest position. You can remove one of the middle sections of the paddle to shorten it, however doing so leaves a sizing gap of about 6”. So if you are between 5’2” and 5’8” it will be very uncomfortable to use this paddle.
Lastly, the push-button connections between the individual sections are extremely loose. There is a very noticeable, and annoying, amount of play throughout the paddle.
I’ve spent most of this section pointing out the (many) flaws of this paddle. In the end it is adequate for casual paddling for short periods of time, and it does break down into a small size to fit in the bag. But, I also find it to be a big let down from such a high-quality SUP company like Red Paddle Co. I challenge Red to come up with a better compact paddle. I know they can do it, and with the extremely high cost of this paddle board kit, I would expect it to be better than this.
Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact iSUP Review – Stability
The Red Paddle CO 12’ Compact iSUP has several design features that give it superb stability on the water.
At 12’ long and 32” wide, the 12’ Compact is a sizeable paddle board. It’s got the width of an all-around and the length of a board more touring-oriented. Additionally, the narrower 4.7” profile of the board helps lower your center of gravity to improve stability. The nose and tail are both fairly broad and the midsection of the board is kept perfectly parallel to allow the RSS Battens to slide into the rails.
All of this together gives the 12’ Compact excellent stability. It feels great while standing and paddling normally with no rolling or twitching feeling. I could feel the board flexing a little bit, but the quad stringers and RSS battens help smooth that out and prevent it from having a springy feeling under your feet.
The wide outline and extra length of the board make it easy and comfortable to hold on its edge, and when the board does rock side to side in choppy conditions, it smoothly dips and resurfaces with control.
I did also paddle the 12’ Compact through some choppy conditions with winds in the 15-20 mph range and I felt very stable while paddling. I was even able to keep the board edged slightly downwind to let the choppy waves more cleanly pass under the board while I paddled.
Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact iSUP Review – Speed
The 12’ Compact cruises very efficiently at moderate speeds, but its flexibility keeps it from achieving high sprinting speeds.
In our speed testing I noticed that the 12’ Compact’s more generous bend in both the board and the paddle made it difficult to reach higher sprinting speeds than I had anticipated I’d hit.
While sprinting I was able to sustain speeds around 5.1 MPH and could reach a maximum speed of 5.6 MPH. This is a bit low for paddle boards of this length, but when you consider the loss of length and power transfer from the board’s flex it does make sense that I wasn’t able to reach higher speeds.
However, neither the board’s nor the paddle’s flex made as much of an impact while at casual cruising speeds.
When paddling at a comfortable pace of around 25 strokes per minute, the 12’ Compact iSUP cruised along at a brisk 3.7 MPH. That’s a little higher than a typical all-around paddle board, but not insanely fast – about exactly where you would expect a 12’ x 32” board to sit on the speed scale.
Once you are cruising along, a single paddle stroke moves the 12’ Compact around 21.5 feet before it begins to slow down, giving it a gliding ratio of 1.8 board lengths per stroke. Again it’s a little bit better than a typical all-around board, but low for a dedicated touring SUP.
When I was looking for it, I could feel the board flexing while cruising, but I don’t think it really made a huge difference in the board’s speed or efficiency.
Overall I think the Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact has exactly the speed performance that it was designed for and any paddler would expect from a board this size and shape whether it is a compact SUP or a standard-folding board.
Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact iSUP Review – Maneuverability and Tracking
Similar to its speed performance, the 12’ Compact has a blend of maneuverability and tracking between a typical all-around and touring iSUP.
In our maneuverability stress test we use a basic forward sweep stroke (paddling in an arc from nose to tail) to turn the board in a full 360° circle. While this isn’t a typical maneuver most people will do, it does a great job of highlighting the differences between board designs and their maneuverability.
The 12’ Compact completed this stress test in an average of 9 paddle strokes. That is a much larger turning radius than your typical all-around iSUP (generally 6-7 strokes) and is much more in line with a standard touring-style paddle board. However, when using reverse sweep strokes, the 12’ Compact completes the same test in just 4 paddle strokes on average.
Turning in smaller quantities was fairly easy, though, and I didnt’ have any problems turning up to around 90° with simple strokes or with any steering input on the board.
Stepping back to the tail of the board for a quick pivot turn was also fairly easy. There was some noticeable flex while walking on the board, but it was well controlled and the tail remained quite stable even as I reached the rear of the board. Once the nose was out of the water I could easily and smoothly spin the board around in a full circle with just a couple of strokes.
When testing the 12’ Compact’s straight line tracking ability, we paddle toward a distant object and take 10 strokes on a single side. We then measure the difference between the original target and our new course at the end of those 10 strokes. The 12’ Compact did very well here deviating an average of just 14° after 10 strokes. That’s on the upper end of performance for an all-around paddle board, but not quite to the level of tracking performance we’d expect in a touring SUP.
The 12’ Compact’s length and its twin fin system both contribute to its maneuverability and tracking performance. The longer a paddle board is, the harder it will be to turn. The more surface area, depth, and rearward position the fins have, the better it will track straight as well.
On the bottom of the 12’ Compact we have twin Two-Tab / FCS style fin boxes, and the board kit comes with twin 6” semi-flexible D-shaped fins. The fins can be connected either with the standard grub screws in the fin box or with the attached plastic “key” that slides through the fin box and fin to keep the fins from sliding out during use.
I think this fin setup does wonderfully for this board. While the maneuverability is a bit slow, it tracks very well. These shorter, semi-flexible fins also make the 12’ Compact easily usable in shallower water conditions, and if you do happen to strike something under the surface the fins will bend rather than stop the board completely or potentially rip the fin boxes from the board.
With a 12’ paddle board, you do typically expect it to favor tracking performance over maneuverability, and the 12’ Compact does this wonderfully. In moderate side-wind conditions I had no problems keeping the 12’ Compact running exactly where I wanted to go.
Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact iSUP Review – Warranty and Customer Support
Red Paddle Co. offers a 5 year warranty on all of their iSUPs, however you must register your board within 3 months of purchase in order for the warranty to take effect. Because Red Paddle Co is primarily a retail brand, return periods will vary based on your chosen retailer. Green Water Sports provides a 30 day return period for unused equipment. If you purchase directly from Red you’ll also have a 30 day return period for unused equipment. If you have any questions about the 12’ Compact or any other Red Paddle Co product you can reach Red via their website chat, email, webform, or phone. You can also reach out to Green Water Sports via their website chat, webform, email or phone.
Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact iSUP Review – Overall Impressions/Review Summary
The Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact is a high-performance crossover all-around / touring iSUP in a small package. The overall size of the paddle board is massive for a compact SUP, and the board’s performance makes it just as capable of a three-day excursion as a dedicated adventure-touring SUP, without losing its ability to be a great all-around board for casual days near the beach. It is a heavy kit overall, but by swapping the large Titan II pump for a smaller battery-powered electric pump, the kit weight can drop significantly. I would like to challenge Red Paddle Co to develop a higher-quality 5 piece paddle. We know they are out there, and for the high price of this board package, the paddle is a big let down.
Who should get the 12’ Compact iSUP? Anyone who wants a very versatile and capable inflatable SUP and has limited storage and transportation space.
Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact iSUP Review – FAQ
How small does the Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact iSUP pack down?
The 12’ Compact folds in half and rolls into a bag that is roughly 50-60% of the size of a standard iSUP bag. The bag is roughly 24” x 18” x 15” when packed and weighs 37 pounds with the full kit of accessories.
Can I paddle with a passenger or pet on the Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact iSUP?
Yes. The Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact has a recommended rider weight capacity of 265 pounds, however this weight limit can be stretched to closer to 300 pounds when the weight is evenly distributed. It’s a great option for a parent and child or pet.
Can I use a kayak seat with the Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact iSUP?
The 12’ Compact is not designed to work with a kayak seat. However if you have a kayak seat that has extra long straps or can strap around the board, then there is no reason why you couldn’t use a seat with this paddle board.
How long does it take to inflate the Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact iSUP?
With the included Titan II hand pump it takes about 8 minutes of pumping to inflate the 12’ Compact.
Is the Red Paddle Co 12’ Compact iSUP a good value?
There’s no way to put this gently - the 12’ Compact is expensive. It’s the most expensive compact paddleboard on the market that we are aware of, it’s also the most unique compact iSUP on the market. However it is built extremely well, carries a 5 year warranty, and performs excellently on the water. Whether or not it is a good value will come down to if you are looking for this crossover-style iSUP in a small package, or just wanting an all-around board. For the former, it’s a great choice, but for the latter, you can save a significant amount of money with options like the iRocker 11’ Ultra compact iSUP.