Red Paddle Co Voyager+ MSL Review

The Voyager+ MSL is a standout with its fast and efficient touring design built for high-end performance, thus winning a notable award from our tester for its touring capabilities. As one of the longest and narrowest boards in our lineup, this won't be a favorite among first-time paddlers, but experienced folks will definitely notice the quality and thoughtful design. Of course, these premium components come with a premium price tag — the Voyager is by far the most expensive of the boards we tested and one of the pricer inflatable boards on the market. All of our testers took a little bit to get acclimated to this board, as it vastly differs from any of the other boards we tested. But once they got the hang of it, there was lots of fun to be had.

Performance Comparison

Stability

Measuring 30 inches wide and six inches thick, the Voyager+ MSL is significantly narrower and a bit thinner than the sturdiest competitors in our lineup. In addition, its fin configuration, which consists of two large FCS Connect Touring Fin on either side, is a bit less stable than other boards with a full three-fin setup.

That being said, our testing crew's intermediate and advanced paddlers were more than happy with this board's stability, and even our beginner testers warmed up to the board once they adjusted to the narrower width. The key to keeping this vessel stable is to maintain its forward momentum. As it slices through the water, the forward momentum keeps it tracking in a straight line and stops it from tilting over. Like riding a bicycle, once you lose momentum or slow the speed, the stability can be compromised.

Unique to Red Paddle, the Voyager has an RSS stiffening system that allows users to customize the rigidity. You can insert two stiffening strips into individual pockets on each side of the board, which help prevent flex and help maintain a rigid rail edge to slice through the water more efficiently. These are used by pumping the board to one PSI, inserting the strips and then pumping to the appropriate PSI. We did notice a significant difference when we inserted these strips into the board. When using this board, we would recommend either pumping it toward the higher end of the recommended PSI or using the stiffening strips (Red calls them battens). The instructions recommend inserting the battens if you are over 165lb to help maintain the rigidity of the board.

Glide Performance

Although it is tough for an inflatable SUP to match up to the performance offered by a classic rigid board, the Voyager comes very close. With a long, narrow shape, pointed nose, and tapered rear end, it is built for glide efficiency and speed. Other top-of-the-line components, including an FCS Connect Touring Fin, a built-in nose runner fin, and an RSS stiffening system, help this vessel easily slice through the water, making longer paddle missions easy even in windy or choppy conditions.

While the Voyager succeeds as a touring board with excellent speed and efficiency in open water, it lacks some versatility to take in other waters where its length can't be fully utilized. When paddling down a meandering creek or through choppier water, a more stable and maneuverable board would be more beneficial than the Voyager's touring profile.

Maneuverability

The Voyager is fantastic at covering long distances quickly and efficiently when the course is relatively straight. Even in rougher or choppier waters, its tracking skills make it great for touring but become a downside for maneuverability. The long and narrow shape makes executing quick or tight turns exceptionally difficult.

The Voyager is not designed as a general all-around board. It is specifically meant for touring and is built to get up to speed and track in a straight line. We found it took quite a bit of effort to turn this board a full 180 degrees. If you are looking for an inflatable SUP with exceptional glide and don't care about navigating tricky terrain, then this is a great board for you. But if easy turning and maneuverability are essential factors, we suggest looking at other all-around models for better performance in this metric. Shorter boards with less extreme front-end tapers will provide more versatility and can pivot and turn across the water more easily.

Ease of Use

The front and rear handles, dual side handles, and burly middle handle make portage with one or two people easy, and the relatively low weight also allows the Voyager to be easily transported. The two removable fins are easy to put on and take out, and the board rolls up surprisingly well for its size.

The Voyager+ MSL also comes with a unique backpack that is well-designed and comfortably accommodates the board and extra accessories. This carrying bag includes wheels, a nice addition for leisurely strolls down to the lake on paved trails, parking lots, or the airport. However, if you're planning on more remote lake experiences, they are a bit much, and the backpack straps aren't as comfortable as those on other models. The board alone weighs 29 pounds, which does not make it the most carry-friendly of the inflatable models. While it is on the heavier end, for being 13 feet long and nearly 30 pounds, it is fairly easy to carry once inflated. The length is the hardest part to navigate, making turns around corners or between cars a little tricky, but overall far easier than we expected.

Even though it is one of the larger boards in our lineup, the Voyager scores at the top of the charts for ease of inflation, thanks to its dual-chamber pump system that outpaces most others. This pump, which comes with a universal fitting and several other nozzles, became the pump we used to inflate almost every other board during our testing — it is just that much better. The dual-chamber system is adjustable such that both chambers can be utilized to quickly add higher volumes of air to the board, and then just one chamber can be utilized to bring the board up to the proper air pressure. While most of the pumps included in our lineup have a similar two-stage adjustment system, the dual-chamber system's extra volume and the overall build quality of the one that comes with the Voyager definitely stand out. We were shocked at how quickly and easily a 13-foot board could be inflated.

Construction Quality

This is a very well-made board that boasts reinforced taped rails and fiberglass RSS rods for added stiffness. The included pump is excellent and makes inflation easier and faster.

Additionally, the Voyager has several high-end features like dual cargo systems, five built-in grab handles, and several built-in M8 screw mounts for additional accessories like GPS mounts, cameras, or fishing rod holders. With proper care, this board should have no problem sticking with you for a long time.

Should You Buy the Red Paddle Co Voyager+ MSL?

The Voyager+ MSL is not cheap. Additionally, this board doesn't include a paddle (which many others do), so you'll have to factor in more bucks for a SUP paddle to match the high performance. That said, if you're already in the market for a board of this caliber, the added cost of compatible components won't surprise you. And, at the end of the day, we don't think you'll be disappointed, bank account balance aside.

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