Tested in the Fjords: Red 14'0" Sport+ in Wild Norway

Born to explore

Ben: I’ve always liked adventure, which is what drew me to my job in the first place. This naturally led me to explore the surroundings I found myself in, leading me onto the water, where I found paddleboarding to be ‘my thing’. From the first time I went out with a mate, deciding we were pirates (they do say the Marines is the best boys’ club in the world – with ‘boys’ being the operative word there) on kit borrowed from work, to buying my own and having a little foray into racing, I always knew I wanted to do bigger trips: just getting out with minimal people and only the kit I could carry.

I did a few small things: whole day paddles, the occasional overnighter – but nothing big. Then Dan came to visit me in Norway when I was working out there, she caught the coach down from Tromsø, got off and said “We have to paddle here…” After spending a long weekend there, she added: “and keep the costs down,” as Norway can be quite spenny! So, wild camping on boards round Norway it was then. Over to me…

The call of the Fjords

Dan: I thought that visiting Ben out in Norway in March would be an adventure, but it was only the beginning. The 2 hour bus journey from Tromsø followed the Fjords further north into this beautiful country and by the time I arrived in Målselv I knew I would be back soon with a paddleboard.

Mapping the unknown

Ben: Putting the organisation skills and knowledge of wild camping I learnt from work to use, we came up with a plan. Firstly, we looked at where we could fly to direct, as losing a bag in transit would have crippled the trip. Bergen seemed a really good option – direct from London, reasonable cost, it looked good. Hedging our bets with the conditions, we chose inland as opposed to coastal, as there’d be less fetch in case it got windy. Gradually it all fell into place. Obviously, we needed the right kit. Having used Red’s 12'6" Sport with work before, I knew them to be really nice boards – and with MSL®800 construction, even lighter, which is important on a long paddle (with the added benefit on the scales at check-in). I reached out to Red, as I knew they had launched a range of 14'0"
Sport+ boards – and having every little bit of glide when you’re looking to paddle 200km+ matters. It was a yes! And they really delivered… Loaded up with an extra 30kg of kit each, they handled perfectly: light under the paddle, responsive yet stable. I was slightly concerned as I’ve loaded up raceboards before and they get twitchy, but the 14'0" Sport+ was a dream. I can only imagine how solid underfoot the new 14'0" Voyager would be.

First stroke, big horizons

Dan: Setting out from Gudvangen eased us into the magnificent scale of the Norwegian Fjords – I'm not shy of paddling open water having taken on the Great Glen in 2022 but when you’re 2km from land in all directions it can be intimidating to say the least! It was a shorter hop than planned to our first wild camp spot as with the changeable weather we were literally blown onto a spit of land. We set up camp in a secluded corner near the base of a waterfall looking out at the Fjords we were to take on the next day.  Wild camping is welcomed in Norway, and many spots are well established with campfires, seating and even in some cases composting toilets tucked away. In the more built-up areas where wild camping isn't permitted, there are many waterside campsites and whilst the majority of visitors here arrive in motorhomes, those camping under canvas are well catered for with kitchen areas, drying rooms and scalding hot showers.

Kit that keeps up

Ben: Knowing that every inch of space mattered, and not wanting to use the really heavy and cumbersome drybags I have for work, we picked up a couple of Red Waterproof Kit Bags. There’s nothing better out there anywhere near this price. It was a very good decision, not even a hint of a leak the whole trip, as the last thing you need when you’re 20km from the nearest other person, let alone house, is wet kit. I knew they would be good and the 60L Kit Bag was just the right size – too big and you end up carrying way too much kit (‘oh yeah, I’ll put that in … oh I might just need that … oooh, shiny!’) too small and you start having to use multiple bags, making weight distribution harder. Kinda like Goldilocks and the porridge, they were just right – they fitted all our rations (we took a load of freeze-dried ones, saves on weight and space) two sets of paddling clothes (it’s just us, we can get smelly together) underwear and a couple of sets of warm kit (one to wear of an evening, the other just in case we needed to get warm when wet but still keep hold of a clean set), plus tent and sleeping bags… It all takes up space.

Exploring the Fjords

Dan: Daylight in Norway in August is plentiful, and we spent long days paddling distance as well as taking time off the boards to see sights including Glaciers and enormous Waterfalls, hike the Fjords and explore villages along the way. The cinematic landscape is just awe inspiring; no description or photo could ever do it justice. Looking up from the water is like a reverse vertigo with the sheer scale and height of the surrounding Fjords dizzying and quickly followed by the realisation that what lies beneath the water is equally vast. Each Fjord has a different character - from the lush waterfall covered banks of Nærøyfjord, the regular ferries traversing Sognefjord, and the emerald-green waters of Lustrafjorden. A favourite was Fjærland with the Glacial backdrop and icy water complete with floating Sauna and shy Dolphins distracting us from a particularly long spell of rain. With four seasons a day we really put our kit to the test. The MSL felt smooth and stable but never sluggish, even when loaded with 25kg, and the bags kept everything dry despite some windy, choppy conditions and plenty of rain.

Reflections on the journey

Ben: The trip though, honestly, I’ve written about the mundane realities – but the fjords, my god: I’m not even going to bother trying to describe the feeling because I just can’t. I’ve seen the northern lights, been in deserts, the middle of the Mediterranean when it’s so calm it’s like you’re on a lake except you can’t see land, and none of these holds a candle to just the sheer overwhelming beauty that are the fjords. The feeling when you’re miles away from land and the sides seem to rise just as far above you as you are out from them. Paddling that. The aches in your muscles informing just how vast this majestic landscape that’s unfolding before your eyes really is… I hope those memories never leave me, that I’ll look back on these pictures and remember just how wonderfully small I am.

Adventure awaits

Dan: The great thing about touring on a paddleboard is that it’s so accessible – if a 40-something mum of two can do it, anyone can. It provides such a unique and intimate perspective of your surroundings, and I feel so lucky to have been able to explore this beautiful place. My only worry is that it was so good it may have ruined the rest of the world for me! Here’s to finding out – and many more paddle-based adventures...

Get out there

Ben: A takeaway? Do it! You can pay to be guided – SUP Norway do a great trip to the same area, coincidentally on Red Voyagers. Maybe do it like we did and fully embrace the wild, or go hotel-hopping? But however you do it, do yourself a favour and make time for a floating sauna.