Red Paddle Co 11’ Compact MSL 1000 PACT iSUP Review | 2025

Red Paddle Co 11’ Compact MSL 1000 PACT iSUP Review – Overview

The new 11’ Compact MSL 1000 from Red Paddle Co is a fun, sporty all around that is easy to pack and store thanks to its folding design.

This board has a classic all-around shape that’s great for cruising, light fitness and day-touring paddling, or just about anything else for an afternoon on the water. The MSL 1000 PACT construction is lightweight and durable, and the 11’ Compact comes as a complete kit with the Titan II pump and 5-piece carbon fiber/nylon paddle.

This is a board ideal for paddlers with storage and transportation concerns, van life/RVers, and those using public transportation. It’s best for paddlers under 200 pounds, but is capable for paddlers up to 240 pounds.

— Red Paddle Co 11’ Compact MSL PACT iSUP Review Summary and Ratings —

Red Paddle Co 11’ Compact MSL 1000 PACT Review – Construction and Durability

Red’s new MSL 1000 material is lightweight and strong for a compact, but fully functional, build.

Red Paddle Co’s MSL construction has been around for some time now, but that doesn’t mean it’s “old.” In fact, most iSUP brands have been trying to mimic MSL for years. Though you may see that term being used (incorrectly) Red’s MSL material and construction methods are still at the head of the pack.

The new MSL 1000 material for Red’s compact boards gets its name from being 1000g/meter lighter than their standard MSL (That’s 2.2 lbs per 10 square feet for those of us living without the metric system). The core is woven to give the 11’ Compact a 4.7” spec thickness rather than a more common 6” thickness.

Lighter materials traditionally bring up concerns for rigidity and durability. However, the 11’ Compact handles both of those issues quite well.

Inside the 11’ Compact is a custom woven drop stitch core material that, combined with a minimized inner layer of PVC helps shed the extra weight and makes the board easier to fold and roll when you are done paddling for the day. The outer layer of PVC material gives the board more rigidity and improves durability compared to a true single-layer construction.

The sides of the board are sealed up with two layers of glued, reinforced PVC material. Glued constructions are widely being replaced by welded seams for most companies as a more durable construction method that better resists heat. That works for most companies, however Red Paddle Co construction standards are insanely high. Because of this, they are able to use their own custom formulation glue, control the exact environmental conditions for the board construction, and control things as minute (but hugely important) as the pot life time once the glue components are mixed. Yes, this does take more time, and yes, it does cost more to produce. However, there is a reason that Red’s impeccable construction control has made them one of the most reliable iSUP builders in the world – it works. So in the case of Red Paddle Co, we don’t view a glued construction as an issue at all.

Once the 11’ Compact is fully built, it weighs 19.3 pounds and has a maximum internal pressure rating of 22 PSI.

The 11’ Compact does not get RSS Battens to help improve board rigidity like the 12’ Compact or the 9’2 Compact. Rather, it relies on four stringers – two on top and two on bottom – to help improve the 11’ Compact’s rigidity. I found this to be an odd choice since the 11’3 Sport does have the RSS Battens and it’s made with the heavier MSL 800 material.

We use a maximum of 20 PSI in our standardized bend test as a “house” maximum. With the 11’ Compact inflated to 20 PSI and 170 pounds of weight in the standing area, it deflected 1.93”. That is lower than our average of 1.6”. However, while the bend test gives us a base-level comparison between boards, how they feel on the water is more important (and not always in line with the bend test).

On the water, the 11’ Compact still had some flex. I’m not sure why Red omitted their RSS battens from the 11’ Compact as I do think they would help improve the rigidity of this board at least some amount (we’ve measured around 10% improvement with them in our bend test).

I could feel some flex in the 11’ Compact while standing and paddling normally and when walking on the board. Paddling fast does produce a significant amount of flex that impacts the board’s performance, but it does not impact performance at casual paddling speeds. Bouncing on the board did produce a high amount of flex as well. But, in all cases, the flex had a soft rebound and neft felt springy, tight, or combative.

Red lists the maximum rider weight capacity of the 11’ Compact as 240 pounds. At 225 pounds, my experience on this board would have me recommending it for paddlers under 220 for optimal performance, especially if you are a beginner.

Overall, Red’s MSL construction is built to last. While it’s not the most rigid iSUP we’ve tested, for a 4.7” compact board, the 11’ Compact is built well and will provide the right amount of support for most riders. Larger paddlers will feel more comfortable on the 12’ Compact.

Red Paddle Co 11’ Compact MSL 1000 PACT iSUP Review – Specifications

Specifications

Red Paddle Co 11’ Compact MSL 1000 PACT iSUP Review – Features, Accessories and Versatility

The 11’ Compact is an all-around board designed for people on the go who enjoy paddling for paddling’s sake. There are enough features for a day on the water, but fewer choices for specific accessories.

While the Red 11’ Compact is fairly light on extra features built into the board, it has everything you need for a day on the water without adding excess bulk or weight – which is ideal on a board meant for compact storage and easy travel.

The 11’ Compact comes with a great set of basic accessories:

• 11’ Compact MSL 100 iSUP
• Red Compact backpack
• Coiled ankle leash
• 2 x 6” flexible D-fins
• Red Paddle Titan II triple-action hand pump
• Waterproof phone case
• Basic repair kit
• Red 5-piece travel paddle

All of this fits into the Red Compact backpack, including the Titan II pump. This pump is a beast – both literally and figuratively. It’s quick to use, but it is large and heavy.

That brings me to the biggest con of the 11’ Compact. It’s technically compact in that it folds in half and fits into a shorter bag. But, the bag is nearly the same diameter as Red’s ATB Transformer bag (their standard bag), and the entire kit for the 11’ Compact weighs 32 pounds. Nearly 20% of that size and weight is the Titan II pump. It weighs 6.5 pounds with the hose. To bring that into scale, a standard dual-action hand pump weighs 2-2.5 pounds, and the Outdoor Master Cachalot 2S battery-powered electric pump weighs 2.9 pounds.

While the 11’ Compact does take up less room when folded into its bag, the overall weight is only a few pounds lighter than the Red 11’3 Sport MSL 800 kit. With construction like MSL 1000, the 11’ Compact is begging to be paired with a lighter and more compact kit option, until then I do recommend picking up a compact electric pump to make the 11’ Compact even more portable.

Editor’s Note: The 11’ Compact does come with a 5-piece compact paddle. However, we omitted it from our review for the time. Our paddle had a mechanical defect that prevented us from testing it. This defect is covered under Red’s warranty and once we have a replacement available we will update this section.

Red Paddle Co 11’ Compact MSL 1000 PACT iSUP Review – Stability

The 11’ Compact is built for all-around paddling and has good stability for most users in most conditions.

The 11’ Compact offers good stability for most paddlers up to about 200 pounds and OK stability for paddlers 200-240 pounds. This tracks well with Red’s recommended weight capacity for this board.

As a heavier paddler I did feel some flex and twitch in the board, especially in choppier and windier conditions that impacted the board’s stability, but overall I was still quite happy with the 11’ Compact.

In calm to moderate conditions the board feels comfortable with minimal rolling, twitching or flexing that I only felt when I was looking for it as I paddled through larger boat wakes. In rougher conditions I did feel these things more, but never felt unstable.

I found it easy to hold the 11’ Compact on its edge thanks to the parallel outline and thinner overall profile, and rocking the board side to side was smooth and predictable.

Walking to the back of the board for a pivot turn did feel less stable as I could feel it flexing a bit more, and the lower volume from the 4.7” thickness doesn’t support a heavier paddler quite as well.

Like in the construction section above, I do think that implementing Red’s RSS batten system on this board would help improve overall stability as it does reduce some of that flex during regular use. For paddlers under 200 pounds, you aren’t as likely to feel any of these “issues” and that’s likely how the decision was made for this board to eschew those battens. Heavier paddlers may feel more comfortable on the 12’ Compact, which not only has the batten system, but also has more volume and capacity.

Red Paddle Co 11’ Compact MSL 1000 PACT iSUP Review – Speed

The 11’ Compact packs small, but brings full size performance to the water.

All around SUPs are designed to do a lot of things well, but not specializing anywhere. The 11’ Compact is no different (other than its packed size!). On the water I found the 11’ Compact to have reasonable speed and efficiency performance.

In our sprinting test, the 11’ Compact averaged 4.9 MPH with a constant 75 strokes per minute cadence. Going as fast as possible, I was able to get up to 5.5 MPH. These are pretty typical speeds for a board this size, however I could really feel the 11’ Compact flexing during my sprints. That flex actually slows the board down quite a bit from its maximum potential.

But paddling at a cruising speed produced far less flex (to the point where I only noticed it when looking for it), and at a cadence of 25 strokes per minute, the 11’ Compact cruises along at 3.5 MPH with ease. It is also an efficient paddle board with a gliding ratio of 1.9 board lengths per stroke. That means that a single paddle stroke from cruising speed propels the board 21 feet before you can feel it slow down. That’s the same efficiency score as what we see with long, narrow touring boards!

While not the fastest all-around board we’ve tested (primarily in the sprint test), the 11’ Compact paddles smoothly and quickly during normal use.

Red Paddle Co 11’ Compact MSL 1000 PACT iSUP Review – Maneuverability and Tracking

With a general purpose design, the 11’ Compact can turn easily and paddle straight when you want it to, but the twin fin system does favor tracking slightly more than agility.

Our maneuverability testing uses beginner-friendly sweep strokes to highlight the differences between paddle boards. These basic strokes (paddling in a large arc from nose to tail) are intuitive for new paddlers, but still common amongst more experienced paddlers as well.

With forward sweep strokes only, the 11’ Compact needed an average of 7.25 strokes to turn in a complete circle from a standstill. That’s a little more than what we see on most all-around boards, but not far from our total average across all boards. Reversing the stroke works against the fins rather than with them and completes the same turn in just 4 strokes on average.

More advanced maneuvers like cross-bow-draw strokes (seen above) are more effective and can quickly turn the 11’ Compact a full 180° in just a couple strokes, even from a moving start. Pivot turning the Compact is quick, but does take more experience and balance as the board both has a little bit of flex as you walk around and the thinner profile doesn’t offer as much support as a 6” board.

While the 11’ Compact takes a couple extra strokes to make large turns, I found it easy to keep tracking straight. The twin-fin design – a necessary choice for a compact folding board – has been thoughtfully executed with the fins closer to the rear of the board, and with just enough length and surface area to keep the board moving straight without making it extremely difficult to turn.

In our tracking test, the 11’ Compact only deviated off course an average of 13° after 10 paddle strokes on a single side. For an all-around iSUP, this is a little better than average. Most folks don’t take 10+ strokes on a side while cruising around on an all-around board, so the effective tracking performance is even better in normal use.

I really like the fin setup Red has used with their compact boards. The standard FCS/Two-Tab fin boxes mean that you can find compatible fins at just about any surf shop should the need arise, and you can swap out for different sizes or shapes if you’d like. However, what I really like about Red’s fins are built in fin locks.

Normally you have to use a small fin key (hex wrench) to tighten and loosen the grub screws in the fin box to secure/remove your fins. Red does include this with the 11’ Compact, but they also have a hole drilled through the fin boxes and a small plastic key that inserts and removes by hand without the need for tools. This is way faster and way easier than messing with grub screws while still using a standard fin box.

Red Paddle Co 11’ Compact MSL 1000 PACT iSUP Review – Warranty and Customer Support

Red Paddle Co offers a 5-year warranty against manufacturing defects for their inflatable paddle boards. However, you must register your board on Red’s website within 3 months of purchase to qualify for this warranty period. All other Red equipment is warrantied for 1 year. Red does offer a 30-day return period for new and unused equipment only, less a $15 restocking fee. You can contact Red customer service through their website chat, web form, email or phone.

Red Paddle Co 11’ Compact MSL 1000 PACT iSUP Review – Final Thoughts

Red’s experience in the industry and design is apparent. The 11’ Compact has a wonderful shape, excellent construction quality and a great fin system. The lightweight MSL 1000 material and PACT construction system works well for paddlers under 200 pounds, but heavier paddlers will experience more flex and lower stability. I hope that Red includes their RSS batten system on the next version of this board for us bigger paddlers, as it is a fun SUP to paddle.

The folding design allows you to roll the 11’ Compact around the Titan II pump and fit it all in the compact backpack. The kit is still fairly heavy overall (32 pounds) and while it is a shorter bag, the diameter is still roughly the same as a regular SUP bag. While I like the Titan II for hand pumping, by swapping the Titan II pump for a compact electric pump, you can shave four pounds off the overall weight and squeeze the entire package down much smaller.

Overall, this is a great all-around paddle board for those with a tighter storage space requirement. Larger paddlers may like the 12’ Compact for a bit more stability, or if you don’t necessarily need the compact bag size, the 11’3 Sport is a great all-around / touring crossover with a more rigid construction.