Red Paddle Co Voyager 12′ 6″ Inflatable Paddle Board Review
PROS
| 👍 Top Of The Line. Leading Edge Brand. |
| 👍 5 Year Warranty starting with 2020 models |
| 👍 Well Constructed |
| 👍 Super Stable |
| 👍 Glides Well |
| 👍 Inflates to 20psi |
| 👍 Max Air Pressure 25psi |
| 👍 Durable. Dependable. |
| 👍 Rail Battens For Extra Stiffness |
| 👍 Nose Runner Fin |
| 👍 Universal Fin Box |
| 👍 Titan Duel Chamber Triple-Action Hand Pump |
| 👍 Top Quality Carry Bag |
| 👍 5 Carry Handles |
| 👍 10 Storage D-rings |
CONS
| Great paddleboard. Little to dislike. |
| ❌ Expensive. Still a great value. This is one of the best inflatable paddle board brands on the market. |
| ❌ Package doesn't include paddle |
Read: How to choose a SUP paddle
Bottom Line:
Great for all around paddling, camping and exploration. A real workhorse of a paddle board. Can be used well for anything from an afternoon paddle to a week long expedition.
Great for beginners and very stable. Excellent for big heavy riders and carrying kids, a dog and heavy gear. One of the better touring inflatables you can buy. The Red Paddle Co Voyager is one of my favorite paddle boards and I paddle it more than any other board.
My Overall Rating:
(9.5 / 10)
Specs
- Length: 12’6″
- Width: 32 inches
- Thickness: 5.90 inches
- Weight: 27 lbs
- Max Weight Capacity: 330 lbs
- Warranty: 2020 models: 5 years with product registration
Red Paddle Co. Voyager 12’6″
My Viewpoint
A Stable Dependable Workhorse
Red Paddle Co. is one of my favorite iSUP brands. They are the only inflatable paddle board brand I know that has their own manufacturing facility. Red Paddle Co. boards are well designed and constructed. You can tell every detail about their boards has been examined, reworked and reworked again until it is as close to perfection as possible.
The Red Paddle Co Voyager is one of my favorite paddle boards
The Voyager 12′ 6″ is a high capacity touring SUP. It is very stable and would be fine for a beginner. It remains stable when riding chop or rough water.
It glides well and paddles good for its size. Tracking is good even when conditions are windy or rough. It is not super fast but once moving it glides well. And it glides well when loaded with gear.
A well-constructed stable touring paddle board great for everything from short afternoon day trips to long multi-day expeditions
It turns well for its size. But being a larger board it is not what you would call nimble.
The feel of this board in the water is secure and comfortably stable. Even paddling in chop or carrying a passenger you will feel stable. As expected with a Red Paddle Co. board it is very rigid. It feels strong and solid. There is a lot to like about this paddle board and few real negatives. My biggest gripe is that the package doesn’t come with a paddle.
Significant Features
D-Rings
There are 6 D-rings on the nose that make up the bungee cargo net. These are right in front of your feet when paddling for easy access. There are 4 D-rings on the tail for extra storage. There is also a D-ring on the rear carry handle for your ankle leash. And one on the tip of the nose for towing. With 10 total D-rings for storage, a large deck and plenty of float this board is great for camping or long distance touring with gear.
Carry handles
Typically there is one carry handle on the center of a paddle board. Right between your feet when paddling. However on the Voyager there are three. One in the center and one on each side. When paddling your feet are between these handles.
At first I didn’t like the idea. To much clutter around my feet I thought. But once your feet are planted on this touring board the handles are not an issue.
The three handles are in fact, handy. I prefer to carry the board with the handles near the sides. And they are perfect for pulling yourself up when you fall.
There is also a carry handle on the very tail of the Voyager for pulling it in and out of the water.
Deck Pad
The good looking diamond cut EVA deck pad is top quality. Comfortable and no chance of slipping. The deck pad extends all the way to the tail of the board.
Fins
The voyager has a nice unique fin set up. Tracking and stability are both very good on this board. So the effort Red has put into the fins has paid off.
The rear fin set up is a 9″ removable center fin with two very small side runner fins. The center fin was specially designed by FCS who are well known for making quality surfboard fins. The two very small runner fins on the sides are permanently attached. The FCS center fin installs and removes easily without the need for tools or screws.
Then there is another runner fin under the nose of the board. You don’t see these often. Red Paddle Co. says the nose runner fin helps the 12′ 6″ board with tracking in side winds.
Ram mount
On the tip of the nose there is an accessory mount that is compatible with Railblaza and Ram mount products. So you can secure a GoPro camera, mobile phone, paddle, fishing rod, etc to your paddle board.
RSS Stiffening System
There are two stiffening battens that slip into slots on the rails of the Voyager. These provide extra stiffness and displace the rider weight over the length of the board. These stiffening battens help give the Voyager superior glide even when loaded down with weight.
Construction
The construction on Red Paddle Co. boards are as good as it gets. These use the best materials and construction methods. These are the stiffest, most rigid inflatable paddle board you will find. Red Paddle Co. boards are renowned for their durability.
25 PSI
Because Red Paddle Co.boards are so well constructed they can inflate to a high 25 psi. Typically paddle boards inflate to 15 psi. So this is quite an improvement. This means a super rigid paddle board. These boards approach hard paddle board stiffness. The more rigid a paddle board the better the performance.
It is the high-density reinforced drop stitching that allows that allows this board to inflate to 25 psi. You will be surprised how rigid Red Paddle Co. inflatables are. This extra stiffness is a big reason Red paddle Co. boards perform so well.
Accessory Package
Red Paddle Co. has top of the line accessories. The Titan dual action hand pump is a nice paddle board pump. If inflates on both the down and up stroke.
The carry bag is one of the better paddle board carry boards made. You will have no trouble getting the rolled up board in and out of this bag. It has the look and feel of quality and should last a long time. There are nice wide shoulder straps for turning it into a backpack. Plus there are wheels for traveling along concrete of the airport.
Value
None of the Red Paddle Co. boards are cheap. But considering the quality you get I still have to say Red Paddle Co. boards are a great value. The boards are durable and should last for years. I have never heard complaints or disappointment from a Red Paddle Co. board owner.
Performance
Stability 
(9 / 10)
(9 / 10)Glide (8.9 / 10)
(8.9 / 10)Maneuverability (7 / 10)
(7 / 10)Surf (4 / 10)
(4 / 10)Construction (9 / 10)
Value (9 / 10)
Stability
The Voyager is stable enough for a beginner. It remains stable even in chop. You feel secure and comfortable on this paddle board regardless of your paddling experience.
Glide
The Voyager glides well. It even glides well when carrying a lot of gear. This paddle board tracks straight and true. Even in windy conditions the tracking is above average. And while it is not a super fast paddle board it certainly is not slow. It never drags in the water. And once moving, even with gear, it glides nice and smooth.
If you are looking for more glide check out the 13’2″ Voyager. The Voyager 13’2″ is faster however you will have to give up some stability. A beginner might not feel comfortable on the sleeker 13″2″ without some practice.
Maneuverability
The Voyager turns well for its size. At 12’6″ and 32″ wide you will never get a agile, quick-turning paddle board. Considering its size the Voyage maneuvers pretty good.
Best Application
The Voyager 12’6″ is an excellent touring board. Short afternoon paddles or multi-day camping excursions the Voyager’s performance is top notch.
Good for both the beginner and advanced paddler. Good for the 200lb+ paddler with plenty of float for a big guy. Or a paddler who is touring with a lot of gear, kid or dog. Great for carrying camping gear on multi-day excursions. Stable enough for a beginner. This board will make a lot of paddlers happy.
