Designed in Canada, Made Elsewhere:
Here’s Why
Designed in Canada, Made Elsewhere:
Here’s Why
Here’s Why
by Matilde Brossard
For the past 10 years, TAIGA has been designing all of our boards right here in Quebec. And we say it openly: they’re made in China.
With that being said, we understand that the difference between “designed” and “manufactured” can sometimes be confusing. From day one,we’ve been completely transparent: TAIGA is a proud Quebec-based company, founded here, operated by a local team, and deeply connected to its community. #TaigaClub
What truly sets us apart is the attention we pour into every detail of our designs, our expertise, and our passion for creating thoughtful, durable products that genuinely meet the needs of our riders. TAIGA was founded by Nicolas Jolicoeur, an engineer specialized in 3D shape design — so every curve and contour of our boards is backed by deep technical knowledge and tested in real-world conditions.
"Our approach goes beyond simply putting a logo on a board. We impose our own methodology and manufacturing processes to ensure the highest quality possible." - Nicolas Jolicoeur, Engineer and Owner
Design vs. Manufacturing
Sometimes, we hear comments like “it’s only designed in Canada”. For us, design is anything but secondary. It’s where everything begins. It’s months of ideas being developed, prototyping, water testing, feedback sessions with our community, adjusting shapes and materials, optimizing the performance... Every detail is thoughtfully considered.
At TAIGA, we don’t pull models out of a catalog: we build each board from scratch.
Why Manufacture in China?
Inflatable Boards
The reality is simple: no inflatable boards are manufactured in Canada and that’s not just our opinion. It is in fact the industry’s reality. About 95% of inflatable paddle boards are made in Asia and 5% in Europe.
Why? Because that’s where the best equipment, technical expertise, advanced materials, and specialized manufacturing processes are found. We unfortunately don’t have access to these resources here.
Let’s be clear — we didn’t pick just anyone. We chose our manufacturing partner in China after multiple visits, carefully ensuring they met high ethical standards and shared our commitment to quality. To this day, we continue to travel there regularly to oversee production, test new materials, and push innovation forward.
Yes, our boards are made in China — but with long-time Canadian-Taiwanese partners we trust, know personally, and selected for their expertise. And through it all, we maintain full control over what truly matters: design, quality, and the on-water experience.
Hard Boards
When it comes to hard boards, manufacturing them in Canada could be a possibility in the future. However, it’s not yet a cost-effective or economically viable option for us.
Our priority remains delivering top-quality products to our customers. That’s why we’ve chosen to concentrate our production with the same trusted partners for both our hard and inflatable boards — to ensure consistency across the entire collection, both in terms of quality and design.
We Don’t Hide It - We Embrace It
You’ll find this information everywhere: on our website, our packaging, our FAQ, our videos, and ourblog posts. We’ve always been fully transparent, and we intend to keep it that way.
We’d much rather be upfront with you. What truly matters is that the design, performance, and durability of our boards come from right here in Canada (Quebec). TAIGA is a local company that draws its strength from homegrown creativity and real-world knowledge. Our added value comes from here — and it’s very real.
To Read: From Engineering to Boreal Boards
our technologies
It's all about attention to detail and expertise. With 10 years' experience in the paddle board industry, we know what we're doing.
Blog posts View all
