Travel Light, Paddle True: John Hibbard on the Red Paddle Co Compact Range

Today, John Hibbard, CEO and Co-Founder of Red Paddle Co, discusses with TotalSUP the innovation behind their Compact Range. Known for pioneering high-quality inflatable paddleboards, Red Paddle Co has introduced the Compact Range to meet the growing demand for easy storage and travel-friendly options. The boards incorporate patented MSL PACT technology, ensuring they pack down smaller without compromising performance and paddling experience. John elaborates on how this range is designed to cater to the needs of all paddlers, from beginners to seasoned enthusiasts, making it ideal for storage, traveling, and expeditions. Our interview with John provides an in-depth look at the research, development, and unique features that distinguish the Compact Range in the iSUP market.

Hello John, welcome back to TotalSUP! What inspired Red Paddle Co to develop the Compact Range? In what ways does the Compact Range cater to the needs and preferences of different types of paddlers?

Hello Mathieu! Since day one we’ve always been focussed on delivering an authentic paddling experience. Making sure a board is stiff, durable, and great to paddle is the whole reason Red Paddle Co exists. To achieve this, we get involved in all of the details, right down to the manufacturer of our base fabrics – we didn’t just choose off-the-shelf material. In doing this we learnt a lot and tested a lot of options.

Once we realised that we had almost complete control over the material process, we started to think how we could maximise the material advantage i.e. what extra benefits could we bring to the experience – considering we were already ahead of the curve on paddling performance our attention turned to pack size but with one major caveat: we’d only go ahead with selling a Compact board if we could keep the authentic paddling performance we are so fixated on. It wasn’t until we nailed the performance part that we launched the Compact range.

The Compact range caters for the exact same paddling needs of our other boards of the same size, but with the added benefit that they pack down smaller, which makes travel and storage even easier.

Can you share insights into the research and development process behind creating the Compact Range, particularly the integration of the MSL PACT technology?

As described above, the devil is in the detail of the material and the way we put the board together. We don’t just cut a board out of a sheet of material and seal the edges – it took upwards of 20 prototypes to get the perfect balance between packability, durability and paddle-ability. So, what starts out as trial and error gets more and more defined as the design and testing process develops. There is no substitute to testing. We were breaking new ground so had to do a lot of testing the development. We didn’t just take standard material and fold it down the middle – that doesn’t work, although many are trying. If you do that, the lay-up of the material breaks down and the paddling experience gets worse the more you use the board. We want your 2000th paddle session to feel like your first and that required a complete rethink from the ground up.

What specific challenges did Red Paddle Co encounter during the patenting process of the MSL PACT technology, and how has obtaining these patents contributed to the uniqueness and success of the Compact Range?

The hurdles were in the designing not the patenting. Patents are a reward for innovative thinking and inventive steps. Some of the best designs/patents cover what appear to be the most obvious things and that’s the beauty of innovation – you have to look at the status quo and open your mind to new possibilities.

We’d been rolling boards up for years but no one, including us had contemplated folding and rolling, which seems odd now. The potential was staring everyone in the face, but it wasn’t until you start to challenge what you think is normal or possible that you get that eureka moment and then you wonder why it took you so long! It is therefore not surprising that since we launched the Compact a few have tried to copy it.

The thing a patent should signal to others is a challenge to better it but not copy it and instead find ways to get around a patent by employing clever design thinking – it’s about finding ways to deliver an even better experience through new inventive steps and not just about rinsing and repeating what others have done. When you buy a Red Paddle Co Compact you can be sure you are getting the exact authentic experience, we wanted you to have. It is not a compromised experience that has come from copying an idea – as mentioned above the devil is in the detail – unless you understand the details you will never hit the key points around packability, durability and paddle-ability.

What market trends or customer feedback influenced the decision to offer boards with specific dimensions such as the 8’10”, 9’6″, 11’0″, and 12’0″ options?

All of those boards have similar cousins in our non-Compact range, so the Compact versions allow you to achieve the same paddling experience with the added benefit of being able to pack the board into a smaller space. The 8’10” Opens up a world of surf travel as well as delivering our most Compact board. The 11’ is the sweet spot size for touring and allround use (I have 2 and love this shape). The 12’ allows for longer trips and bigger load-carrying capabilities.

Discover the Red Paddle Co Compact Rage:
www.red-equipment.co.uk