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Check Prices<\/a>\n The Red Paddle Co Sport 11’3 has been in the Red Paddle Co range for quite a few years now. The Sport range initially started out with the Sport 11\u20190, a sleek and speedy machine that felt like a rocketship compared to the all-rounders in Red\u2019s Ride range, but at just 30\u201d wide was less suited to inexperienced paddlers unless they were sub 160 lbs. So Red pumped the design up a bit to create a more stable board, adding 2 inches of width and a tiny bit more length, and instantly had a major hit on their hands with the Sport 11\u20193. For 2025 the board is aligned in Red\u2019s Futures range, and is built using Red\u2019s new MSL800 manufacturing process to reduce weight and increase stiffness.<\/p>\n So how would the board fare in our review; would it still impress us or have other brands now caught up? All will be revealed in this review, but to keep you reading we are happy to confirm the following:<\/p>\n We think the Red Paddle Co Sport 11’3 would be a great SUP for:<\/p>\n Check Prices<\/a>\n The stability score shown here is a global rating, based on comparative performance to all other sizes and styles of paddleboards (other than multi-person boards).<\/em><\/p>\n As mentioned in the introduction, the Red Paddle Co Sport 11\u20193 was designed to be a more stable version of the highly successful Sport 11, and Red absolutely achieved this goal. The 2\u201d extra width has been intelligently applied, increasing the overall volume in front of and behind the standing area, widening the tail yet maintaining those smooth harmonious lines in the plan shape which give this board such a beautifully well balanced feel. Red Paddle Co\u2019s smaller boards also benefit from using 4.7\u201d dropstitch, putting the rider closer to the water than on 6\u201d boards which instantly makes a positive difference to the feeling of stability.<\/p>\n So don\u2019t be fooled by what may seem like a low score for this section, our stability ratings are global, to give you an idea as to how the board being reviewed compares with the most stable and least stable offerings on the market. Stability is the most fundamentally important aspect of choosing a board – if it\u2019s not stable enough for you to paddle comfortably, other parameters are pretty irrelevant! Ultimately, a 32\u201d wide board like the Sport 11\u20193 can never offer the stability of a 34\u201d wide board, but we can certainly confirm that compared to other 32\u201d wide boards, the Sport 11\u20193 scores really well. In other words, it\u2019s extremely stable for its size.<\/p>\n Red Paddle Co\u2019s suggested maximum rider weight of 240 lbs for this board seems pretty much spot on. However, we\u2019d throw in a corollary to this recommendation; if you are up around 240 lbs and tall with it, particularly if you have the athletic male physique of broad shoulders and lots of upper body muscle, then you probably need a wider board – especially if you\u2019re new to paddleboarding, or have any balance issues. Check out Red Paddle Co\u2019s new 11\u20196 Ride which absolutely excels in this department, earning one of the highest stability scores we\u2019ve given out for a long time; a massive 9.7\/10.<\/p>\n Over the many years that we have been reviewing paddleboards at supboardguide.com<\/a>, we have experimented with numerous different methodologies for speed testing, involving various hardware and software solutions. However, none have proved replicable; even using the same rider in the same conditions the numbers would vary from day to day, and of course when using different riders, or even just a different paddle, the results would change significantly. For this reason, while we still test all boards in cruise mode, fast cruise mode and then push them as hard as we can, we no longer give \u2018absolute\u2019 speed data (ie 5.5mph etc) – which ultimately doesn\u2019t really matter unless you\u2019re specifically looking to compete – and now report more on the general feel of the board when asked to perform.<\/div><\/div>\n The Red Paddle Co Sport 11\u20193 isn\u2019t quite so performance-orientated as its smaller brother the Sport 11, but still possesses a very decent turn of speed thanks to that \u2018touring-esque\u2019 plan shape and a beautifully balanced volume distribution. The hard release edge on the tail also plays its part; it\u2019s noticeable that the wake is significantly reduced compared to other boards with otherwise similar tail shapes.<\/p>\n The Sport 11\u20193 undoubtedly has a faster cruising pace than wider \/ more round-nosed all-round paddleboards of similar length. In this mode it just slips very easily through the water, and is very forgiving of less-than-perfect technique.<\/p>\n The Sport 11’3 thoroughly enjoys this sort of paddling, and is very happy to be pushed along at a decent pace. It\u2019s a great board for anyone wanting to use their paddleboard for fitness and working up a bit of a sweat.<\/p>\n You do start to notice that extra width when you push really hard, but thanks to that beautifully well balanced feel, the Sport 11\u20193 is still happy to be driven at a good pace. As a useful comparison, it\u2019s not that dissimilar in dimensions (particularly width) to Red Paddle Co\u2019s excellent all-round board, the Ride 10\u20196 – but the Sport 11\u20193 is both significantly faster, and significantly easier and more enjoyable to paddle fast.<\/p>\n If speed is your main goal then you\u2019re probably going to need to look at something longer, and Red Paddle Co have an embarrassment of riches in this department. The Sport 12\u20196 is a classic design offering good user-friendliness and significantly more performance, while the Explorer range offers more speed and more stability. But if you are wanting to stick with the sub sub-11\u20196 board class, then the Sport 11\u20193 offers one of the best combinations of speed and stability that you\u2019re going to find.<\/p>\n Tracking ultimately comes down to board length; a longer board will almost always track better than a shorter board of the same general width. So our tracking scores are intended to show how a board compares to other boards of similar size. In the case of the Red Paddle Co Sport 11’3 the scores compare to other boards in the 10\u20196 – 11\u20196 all-purpose\/touring category.<\/em><\/p>\n The Red Paddle Co Sport 11’3 tracks very comfortably, benefiting from the long straight section in the plan shape and the wider tail, both of which play their part in locking the board onto its course. The large stiff fin with its high-area touring shape also helps keep the board on track. Overall, the tracking performance compares well to other boards of this size, especially those of a more rounded plan shape.<\/p>\n Maneuverability scores are based on comparative performance to boards of a similar general length and style. In the case of the Red Paddle Co Sport 11’3 the scores compare to other boards in the 10\u20196 – 11\u20196 all-purpose\/touring category.<\/em><\/p>\n This is perhaps the only area of performance where the Red Paddle Co Sport 11’3 isn\u2019t scoring significantly above average for its class. The board design is more about straight line paddling – it\u2019s that old trade-off of tracking vs manouevrability. However, it\u2019s never too much of a problem with sub-11\u20196 boards – they\u2019re still small enough to be turned without too much effort. It just takes a few more strokes! The reduced thickness also makes the board feel a lot more stable in the turn when you\u2019re really cranking some force on that paddle.<\/p>\n One area of manoeuvrability that the Sport 11\u20193 does get a good thumbs-up from our reviewers is with stepback turns. The wide tail makes it very easy to move back on the board, and the board feels very responsive and ready to spin.<\/p>\n As always, if you do want to improve the turning performance, changing to a smaller\/more swept-back fin placed right at the front of the finbox will loosen up the feel of the board quite a bit.<\/p>\n To understand more about turning styles and how to do them, check out our how-to video<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Red Paddle Co have been at the forefront of iSUP construction techniques, and were the pioneers of the \u2018fusion\u2019 construction model, whereby layers of PVC are fused directly to the dropstitch substrate with heat and pressure. Many brands now use a similar process, but Red has had longer to perfect and refine it than anyone else. For 2025 they\u2019ve introduced some new construction labels, and the Sport 11\u20193 features their MSL800 process.<\/p>\n Inside the board<\/strong> Top and Bottom Skin<\/strong> Side Construction<\/strong> Extra Stiffening Systems<\/strong> Overall<\/strong> Normally we\u2019re a bit reticent about paying too much attention to brand warranties, because they\u2019re worthless if the brand were to disappear from the scene! But when a brand has been around for 17 years and is showing no signs of slowing down, we feel that the 5 year warranty offered by Red definitely has value and meaning. Just remember that you do need to register your board to get this warranty!<\/p>\n Board Stiffness: 1.26\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n The 1.26\u201d deflection in our 150lb bend test is a reasonably good result for a board of this size, considering the thinner dropstitch being used, which inevitably takes a toll on overall stiffness. We\u2019d expected to find just slightly less flex because of the RSS batten system, but what we\u2019ve noticed with this system is that it doesn\u2019t necessarily reduce the overall deflection in a board, but instead puts more rigidity into that central standing area. So rather than the board \u2018hinging\u2019 in the middle when under load, it holds its shape through that center area but hinges in front of and behind the battens when we put it under the spot loading in this test. Anyway, where it counts is on the water, and the board definitely feels pretty rigid underfoot in that environment.<\/p>\n Check Prices<\/a>\n The Red Paddle Co Sport 11’3 comes in just the one colorway, featuring Red\u2019s favored palette of elegant shades of blue. We really like the EVA deck pad configuration; with its various grades of grip. The \u2018Red\u2019 embossed area gives good grip and is comfortable underfoot, while in the tail area (including the kick pad) has the diamond-cut extra grippy stuff, giving excellent traction underfoot whether you\u2019re wearing neoprene shoes or paddling barefoot.<\/p>\n The Sport 11\u20193 is relatively light on fittings and features. On the nose we find a well padded carrying handle, plus a screw-in (M6 thread) action camera\/accessory mount point. Next up are the three webbing cargo straps, attached to steel D Rings. The straps are not the full width of the nose, so the actual cargo carrying space isn\u2019t huge, but should be more than enough for most day adventures. Having the D rings does mean that it\u2019s easy to replace the webbing straps with criss-cross bungee or indeed any other type of storage fixing should you so choose.<\/p>\n We really like Red\u2019s little trick of putting the extra fixing point on the strap nearest the rider, creating a small loop perfectly sized for holding a water bottle.<\/p>\n Other than the central carrying handle, that\u2019s pretty much it on fixings, until you get right back to the stomp pad on the tail. Behind that is the rear carrying handle and the leash fixing point.<\/p>\n We\u2019re slightly puzzled by Red\u2019s approach to handles. While all three of the handles on this board are absolutely fine, they\u2019re each of a slightly different type and feel, with different mounting systems. This seems just slightly over-engineered. Not that it interferes in any way with the performance or rider comfort, we\u2019re just curious as to why so much attention has been paid to this particular area of development!<\/p>\n So overall, it\u2019s a relatively minimal set of deck fittings compared to most other boards of this type. We suspect that Red Paddle Co has simply decided to major on keeping the board weight as low as possible.<\/p>\n On the underside we have the single fin configuration. The central US-style finbox is full length, rather than the split style now found on most other leading brands because it makes a board easier to roll up. Red have been developing their own bespoke twist-on US finbox mounting system over the past few years and have now rolled it out on some of their other models, and it\u2019s very clever, even better than the split style finbox system. However, until Red have this on all their boards, or adopt the split box system on boards they\u2019re not going to put the twist-on system on, they\u2019re looking a little bit behind the curve in this department. (The split finbox does also retain the advantage of no additional parts to lose or break). It\u2019s only a minor detail and doesn\u2019t impact on the performance of the board at all, but having become so used to split style US boxes now it\u2019s quite a shock to encounter the \u2018old\u2019 style!<\/p>\n Included Accessories:<\/strong><\/p>\n Red Paddle Co boards come with the \u2018ATB\u2019, the most heavy-duty and feature-rich carrying bag that you will find in the iSUP arena. It\u2019s super durable and extremely voluminous, but what really makes it so great is that the hip belt and rucksack straps can easily be detached, turning it into a super practical piece of luggage for air travel. On a recent long haul flight we took board, paddle, two wetsuits and everything else needed for a 3 week back-country adventure, all in the one bag to check in. And stayed within the economy class weight limit!<\/p>\n The Titan II pump meanwhile, is also a classic. Red was the first brand to introduce double chamber pumps and they remain the easiest and most efficient way to inflate a board by hand.<\/p>\n The Sport 11\u20193 is not packaged with a paddle as standard but can be purchased with any of the main Red paddle range.<\/p>\n So how best to describe the Red Paddle Co Sport 11\u20193? Red markets it as a \u2018step-up from an all-rounder\u2019. But we\u2019d actually say that in many ways it is the perfect all rounder. If you\u2019re looking for a board that has plenty of stability and user-friendliness to learn the basics on, but can then take you smoothly and easily along the journey into better paddling, and going further and faster, then here it is. This may well be the only board you\u2019ll ever need!<\/p>\n And yes, to acknowledge Red\u2019s marketing, for sure it is also a perfect step-up from the ubiquitous rounded-nose 10\u20196 x 33\u201d learning board that most people start their paddleboarding career on. If you want to stay in that general size and stability of board but you want a whole heap more classy performance, the Sport 11\u20193 will fill that role perfectly.<\/p>\n Overall, the Sport 11\u20193 merges the roles of beginner\/general-purpose board and small tourer perfectly, in a really high quality package with a delightfully smooth and classy feel. Yes it\u2019s a bit light on fittings compared to the competition, but other than that it\u2019s a real standout in every way, and the upgraded construction and reduced weight for 2025 have done it absolutely no harm at all!<\/p>\n Happy paddling! We hope you enjoyed this review of the Red Paddle Co Sport 11’3. If you have any questions or comments please leave us a comment below!<\/p>\n Check Prices<\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n
Red Paddle Co Sport 11’3: Spec Sheet<\/h2>\n
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Performance Review of the Red Paddle Co Sport 11’3 Stand Up Paddle Board<\/h2>\n
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Overall Score: [9.7\/10]<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Stability Rating: [8.2\/10]<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Speed: 7.6\/10<\/strong><\/h3>\n
SUP Board Guide’s Speed Testing:<\/strong>
\nThe speed score given above is a comparative rating to other sizes and styles of paddleboards, whereby 14\u2019 raceboards would be scoring in the high 9s, and the widest all-round boards or surf-orientated shorter boards would be in the 5s or below. <\/em><\/p>\nCruising<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\nPaddling at a relaxed pace, around 30 strokes per minute.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\nFast Cruising<\/strong><\/h4>\n
SUP Board Guide’s Speed Testing:<\/strong>
\nPaddling at a harder pace, but still comfortably aerobic so it\u2019s sustainable over a good distance, with a cadence in the low 40s.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\nGoing Hard<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\nReally gunning it, 60+ strokes per minute.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\nOverall<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Tracking: 9.2\/10<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Maneuverability: 8.7\/10<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Construction Quality: 9.8\/10<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\nAll iSUPs may appear to be very similar in how they\u2019re built, but this is far from the truth. There are three main areas of construction to consider when you\u2019re comparing paddleboards. What\u2019s happening on the inside, how the top and bottom outer skin are constructed, how the sides of the board are constructed. Some boards also have additional stiffening mechanisms or materials added to give the board further rigidity. We\u2019ll work through these below.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\n
\nThe drop stitch used inside the Sport 11’3 is quoted at 4.7\u201d thick, but actually measures 5\u201d. The drop stitch is X woven, which is lighter than the traditional \u2018V woven\u2019 dropstitch yet still offering excellent rigidity.<\/p>\n
\nAs mentioned earlier, Red pioneered the fusion process and the new MSL 800 process is a further refinement of that. Red are reticent about giving too much away about how they make their boards, but we do know that they use a special method and set of materials to bind their reinforced PVC layer to the underlying fabric layer. The exact specifications, materials and thicknesses are unique to Red. Apparently the process name refers to the weight saving rather than the weight – it\u2019s 800 grams\/square meter lighter than their previous MSL material.<\/p>\n
\nWhereas most brands utilise side panels to connect the top and bottom layers, Red have a different approach, they bring the top and bottom layers together to create that \u2018monocoque\u2019 construction. It\u2019s a labour intensive process but over the years it has undoubtedly given Red boards performance and rigidity advantages as compared to the side-panel construction approach. However, the introduction of PVC welding technology when building those side panels has allowed those other brands to close the gap significantly. Red can\u2019t easily utilize welding in their construction process, so their seam fixing remains 100% glue-based. It will be interesting to see if they change their approach in this area over the next few years.<\/p>\n
\nRed Paddle Co introduced their RSS (Rail Stiffening System) in around 2014, inspired by the battens used in windsurfing sails. The RSS batten slides into a pocket built onto each side of the board adjacent to the standing area, to minimise the flex through that area of the board.<\/p>\n
\nThe Sport 11\u20193 has definitely benefited from the weight saving due to the new MSL 800 construction, and is as well constructed as we have come to expect from Red Paddle Co. It\u2019s very noticeable that Red\u2019s seams and general finish tend to be more accurate and well-aligned than we see from pretty much any other brand.<\/p>\n![\"Red](\"https:\/\/www.supboardguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Red-Paddle-Co-113-Sport-bend-2.jpg\")
SUP Board Guide’s Bend Testing:<\/strong>
\nTo ascertain the rigidity of each board we review, we have been using our own specific laboratory bend test process since 2021. The board is inflated to its maximum recommended PSI and positioned exactly on our measuring jig. 150lb weight is then applied to the standing area to see how much bend it causes. While this isn\u2019t an exact replication of the weight distortion that occurs when a rider stands on a SUP board in the water, it still gives a very useful comparative tool in determining the relative stiffness of the various board construction processes.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\nFeatures\/Accessory Review: [9.1\/10]<\/h3>\n
Features:<\/h4>\n
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Summary Review of the Red Paddle Co Sport 11’3<\/h2>\n
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