Hi Shawn,

There’s actually quite a few options when it comes to inflatable race SUPs (brand like SIC, Badfish, and Starboard, to name a few), but the Ketos probably has the best inflatable V-hull designs we’ve seen so far. Other V-hull designs we’ve seen include just an added piece of plastic under the nose; this does cut some water, but it doesn’t taper into the rest of the board, making it less fluid dynamic. The Ketos, on the other hand, has a V-hull that starts just back of the rocker and subtly blends into the rest of the board’s shape, which not only allows it to cut water, but also allows that water to freely slide away from the board and massively reduce drag.

As for the Red Paddle Co. 14′ Elite specifically, our team has not yet been able to test it out and can’t truly compare it against the Ketos. However, one of our partners has raced with it and wrote about his experience in this blog post. The main unique feature on the 14′ Elite is that it has a variety of stiffening systems, which should make that plastic V-hull just bit more effective than others that are similar since it won’t flex in and out of the water as much. Personally though, I’d expect to still be partial to the Ketos’ V-hull design just for the sheer fact that it felt the most similar to other epoxy race SUPs that I’ve ridden over the years; not to mention it’s a great price for the racing category.

Are there any other contenders in this class/length to also consider? Just wondering how the Ketos compares to some of the racier Red Paddleboards as well (or others).

Thanks!