woman carrying red touring paddle board on the beach

What Is A Touring Paddle Board? The Red Paddle Co Guide

Written by Alex Clasper / May 2022

There are plenty of different types of SUP out there, and so it’s not surprising if you’re a little unsure about the difference between them all. When looking for the perfect paddle board to suit your requirements, you’ll want to ensure that you know the difference between each design style. The 5 main types of SUP are:

In this blog we’ll look at what a touring paddle board is, and how this differs from other sups.

A touring paddle board is designed for longer expeditions or for taking lots of gear with you. This makes it a suitable choice for all-day or multi-day SUP trips. Generally speaking, touring paddle boards will have a pointed nose, known as a displacement hull. This means that they track straighter and quicker across the water.

Touring paddle boards are longer and slightly narrower than all-round paddle boards. This makes them quicker, however it does make them more difficult to balance on. For this reason, they aren’t the most ideal SUPs for beginners to learn on. Touring paddle boards are intended for those who have the necessary skills and experience to cover longer distances or to paddle at speed. They are designed to enable you to cover distance more efficiently and without getting too tired. As they track straighter and quicker you can do more strokes before needing to change sides, and do fewer strokes to achieve a smooth glide.

Find A Touring Paddle Board With Red Paddle Co

The perfect touring paddle board needs to be safe, durable and efficient. As the world’s leading inflatable SUP brand, our touring paddle boards have been carefully designed and tested thoroughly to ensure riders experience the best performance out of them. We have a range of touring paddle boards to suit riders of different sizes and experience levels. There are two main features that provide our touring paddle boards with enhanced speed and control. These are:

V-Hull

We developed the V-Hull concept using real world paddling conditions, as well as conducting thorough testing in Plymouth University’s COAST Lab. When paddling into chop and / or side winds using the V-Hull you can improve tracking by altering your position on the board. For example, by standing further forward on the board you can engage more of the board’s waterline length, preventing it from being pushed sideways.

The V-Hull also allows the touring paddle board to cut through chop more effectively by reducing slamming and allowing riders to maintain glide speed. If you stand a little further forward on the board, you’ll see the water shedding off the side of the board, as it maintains its speed and tracking in challenging conditions. Equally, if you step further back, the nose will lift a few centimetres, presenting more of the flat hull to the water.

Twin Fins

In addition to the V-Hull design on our touring SUPs, we have developed a specialist twin fin system that improves tracking, stability and durability. The front of the fins are angled slightly more towards the centre line of the board which ensures straighter tracking whilst helping paddlers to save energy by ensuring long-distance efficiency. In addition to this, the advantage of having two fins rather than one is that there is greater stability for loading gear, which is essential when paddling long distances. Twin fins provide outstanding durability, giving you peace of mind that board damage will not jeopardise your paddling tour.

In addition to the V-Hull and twin fin system, our touring paddle boards benefit from the following high performance features:

Drawn-Out Nose Section:

This provides an exceptional level of glide across the water, enabling you to reach higher speeds than with our Ride range

Sleek Shape:

A streamlined shape is essential for ensuring our touring paddle board cuts through the water cleanly

Ergonomic Tubular Handles:

These provide a cushioned, comfy grip when carrying your touring paddle board

Adjustable Cargo System:

Touring paddle boards are designed for multi-day adventures and so it’s essential you can carry gear securely and with ease

ATB Transformer Board Bag:

Pack your SUP into a compact backpack and take it with you on your adventures across the globe!

For further guidance finding the perfect touring paddle board to suit your requirements, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. If you don’t think a touring paddle board is right for you, but would like to look at alternative inflatable SUPs, we can talk you through the best options available.