Editor’s note: this is a preview post. Click here to read the full review.
Badfish SUP has led much of the innovation around SUP river surf boards. In Colorado, it’s not uncommon to jump into an eddy where EVERYONE is surfing Badfish boards, and for good reason. Their boards are able to surf many small waves and holes that more traditional SUPs cannot.
The one major problem with surfing small waves and holes, is that they can be destructive to hard (epoxy) boards. Badfish is looking to remedy this problem by offering a ding-proof, inflatable river surf SUP: the Inflatable River Surfer (or IRS for short).
Modeled after their epoxy 6’11” River Surfer, the IRS measures in at 7’2″ long, 33″ wide, 6″ thick and can be inflated to 14 PSI. The fin setup is three fixed (non-changable) plastic fins in a traditional thruster setup. There’s a single center handle, a D-ring on the tail and a 3/4 length deck pad. The board has all the necessities and sells for just $899, making it the cheapest SUP river surf board on the market.
If you’re looking for a cheap, durable board, this might be your answer. This board should fit all the needs of the novice river surfer looking to get into the sport without breaking the bank (or breaking boards). The IRS might be the board that helps bring our niche sport to the masses.
Benjamin Smith using the IRS to make a hard ferry onto the Glenwood Wave look easy
I do have some concerns with the board, which I will go into when I write a full review. The biggest are with manufacturing consistency (I’ve seen a few IRS’s which have turned out very differently) and manufacturing quality. Both of these issues (hopefully) will be resolved over time, but if you’re looking to buy an IRS right now I’d recommend purchasing from a reputable reseller (like CKS).
Earl Richmond from CKS surfing the IRS at Staircase Wave
I’ve had limited time on the IRS so far. Unfortunately due to manufacturing delays, I didn’t get my IRS until mid-spring runoff… which for me is the time when I start surfing my epoxy boards on big, deep waves like Glenwood. As the water starts to subside and the rocks get closer to the water’s surface, I’ll get back on the IRS. Look for a full review sometime in the next few months!
Written by | Benjamin
Benjamin Smith is a land locked surfer living in Colorado. He gets his surfing fix on the local rivers, where he SUP surfs standing waves.
Mike Harvey
July 10, 2015 at 11:20 am
Thanks ben. just want to clarify that we have sold over 100 of these boards this summer and have had very few (2 to be exact) warranty issues. the vast majority of customers are getting exactly what ben describes…an affordable, durable, user friendly option for people looking to get into river surfing.
Benjamin
July 19, 2015 at 4:01 pm
Thanks for the response Mike! It’s good to hear that the vast majority of people out there are happy and issue free. Keep up the good work!
Alan
November 3, 2016 at 9:24 pm
I have a starboard stream, nrs czar6, and baron 6. I can surf small local waves on all three okay, but was thinking about getting an inflatable surfer. Can you help me decide between IRS and hala peno? Which is more stable for downriver? Which surfs better? Which has more rocker?
Benjamin
November 3, 2016 at 10:52 pm
The Hala Peno is much more stable for downriver. The IRS definitely surfs better and has more rocker. If I were you, I’d go with the IRS. You already have good downriver boards, get something that excels at surfing. I’d also checkout the Jah from Sol Paddleboards.