No slouch – Redwood Paddle Source Pro 8’6 x 31” x 127L

At 31” wide you’d expect a high-performance surf SUP to not be all that. But look again and you’ll see there’s more to Redwood Paddle’s Source Pro 8’6 than meets the eye.

First off you’ll not miss the super high end brushed carbon finish, punctuated by red foot pads and decal that give the Source Pro a suitably chic look. Secondly is the board’s shape, with its high-performance nose, pulled in tail and 127L worth of volume. As is usually the case dimensions alone tell you nothing. It’s not until you step aboard most steads do you really get to know what’s under the hood.

As much as the Source Pro isn’t tricky to keep yourself stable it will test progressing paddlers, particularly in choppier waters. Anyone with experience, however, will get to grips pretty quickly. Due to its reduced thickness tail you do pilot out to the peak with the rearward area of the board underwater – particularly if you’re a bigger boned individual, although this isn’t uncommon with similar SUPs. That said it does push through mush and climb oncoming whitewater efficiently as long as you hammer down and go for it.

Redwood Paddle’s Source Pro 8’6 doesn’t require the most critical of wave take offs but it doesn’t roll in from way out back either. Good positioning is still therefore key. Once into some juice riders will see just what the 8’6 is made of.

Fast, loose, yet grippy through bottom turns it keeps speed pretty well with good input from the rider. Utilising those knife-edge rails see the Source Pro slingshot from one turn to the next with plenty of response to keep even the most demanding of riders happy.

We were especially blown away by the Source Pro’s smaller wave performance. Rather than simply ‘dog’ and less than engage, with some ‘working’ from the pilot, it does its thing in cruddy waves as well as the good stuff, proving sometimes you do only need a one board quiver for all your surf slaying antics.

Conclusion

Redwood Paddle’s Source Pro 8’6 took us by surprise. Having driven a multitude of high-performance surf SUPs, through all manner of different wave environments, we were expecting this to be a similar story. Yet that isn’t the case. Loving good quality waves, but also less than average swells, the Source Pro is a true all-rounder for the discerning surf SUPer who wants an efficient wave machine for multiple environments. It looks great and offers plenty of bang for buck also.

Price: 990 Euro

Info: https://redwoodpaddle.com/gb/sup-boards/439-source-pro-7-9-carbon-brush.html