They were slower and harder to control
One of the primary complaints of some users of inflatable boards was lack of rigidity and a mushy feeling when paddling. They did not feel like a regular hard board. Being less rigid meant they were slower and harder to control. With some boards the more air you pumped in the harder and more rigid the board became but when you reached a certain point it would just start to balloon out rather than stiffen up. Some manufacturers have addressed this issue and have developed some amazingly rigid boards. One way they have accomplished this is by adding vertical strands that connect the lower and upper portions of the board. These strands pull the two layers together, when the board is inflated, and help reduce the movement of one layer opposite the other, tying the layers together within the air chamber.There are some boards today that are surprisingly rigid and can take the weight of two people while suspended without bowing. This is thanks in part to high thread counts between layers such as the new line of boards by Sevylor that span the range from surfers to race boards.
Red Paddle Co., a company that only manufactures inflatables, has some of the most refined and stiffest inflatable boards on the market. It can make this claim thanks to not just a high thread count holding layers together but by manufacturing its boards with multiple layers of PVC, laminating them together in special molds that allows them to laminate with a slight rocker, just as some composite boards have. Add to this a triple layered rail and its RSS or Rocker Stiffening System comprised of stiffening battens that are inserted into pockets on the rails and you have an inflatable kayak with the physical characteristics of a composite board including rocker and board thickness along with the stiffness and handling of a hard board. Because of the unique design and manufacturing process John Hibbard, the co-founder of Red Paddle, says his customers have “an authentic non-compromised paddling experience.” He points out that by choosing the right inflatable you can not only keep up with your friends on hard composite boards but can even out accelerate them. The models of inflatable race boards are as light—or lighter than—much more expensive high-tech composite boards and because they fold up in their travel bags you can sail or fly to your next SUP race and actually be a contender.
No matter if you are inflating a board to paddle ashore for groceries, taking an evening paddle around the marina, morning exercise, or entering races across the globe, a little research and the right inflatable board can get you SUPing wherever, whenever.