Something happened to your old man this year. He got dragged along to padel because someone needed a fourth, and now he's in three group chats about it. There's a padel ball pressuriser living in the boot of the car. He has opinions on glass rebounds. At the pub last week he said the word "bandeja" out loud, unprompted.
You're not alone. Australia had five padel clubs three years ago. There are 33 now, with more opening while you read this, and the sport has passed 38 million players across more than 170 countries. Padel is the fastest-growing sport in the world and your Dad has become a statistic.
Play once, hooked forever. That is the whole pitch.
So here's what to get him for Sunday 6 September. Half kit, half court time, none of it socks.
The Dry-Tec Polo in black
Padel is played in a glass box, mostly indoors, and it gets warm fast. The Dry-Tec Polo is built for the short, sharp movement the sport asks for. Our updated stretch performance fabric is woven from a Modal and recycled poly blend that runs up to 14 degrees cooler against the skin.
Black, with a white herringbone collar, so it still looks right at the local two hours after the last point. Classic cut, modern fabrics. $99.95.
- Rallee Dry-Tec performance fabric
- Super stretch
- Moisture-wicking x quick dry
- Anti-microbial
- XS through to 2XL
A membership at Indoor Padel, Sydney
Kit is good. Court time is better.
Indoor Padel Australia in Alexandria was the country's first indoor club and it is still the biggest going around. Ten courts, doors open at 5am and stay open until 11pm, later on Friday and Saturday. Weather never gets a vote. Members book ahead of everyone else, which counts for a lot at a club where the 6pm slots disappear like a dropped smash.
If he's already playing twice a week and paying casual rates every time, this is the gift that quietly pays for itself by October.
The Luxe 5 Panel Cap in herringbone
Every padel dad owns a cap. Most of them are terrible. Free ones from golf days, a fun run in 2019, a bank.
The Luxe 5 Panel takes a herringbone weave from tailoring and puts it somewhere far more useful. Premium build that holds its structure, adjustable fit, Rallee seam tape on the inside and a white embroidered 'R' on the front. One size, fits almost all. Coffee runs, courtside and long lunches. From first serve to last round. $59.95.
A membership at Game4Padel, Melbourne
South of the border, Game4Padel runs Docklands and Richmond. $120 a month gets him free weekday court bookings before 4pm, priority access and the ability to lock in courts 21 days out. Worth knowing before you buy: memberships are club-specific, so pick the venue closest to him.
For anyone who works flexibly, or who has retired into a life of Tuesday morning padel, the pre-4pm inclusion is perfect.
Somewhere else entirely?
Padel is not only a Sydney and Melbourne story. Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Perth, the Sunshine Coast, Coffs, Albury and the Central Coast all have clubs now, and most of them run intro sessions and casual bookings that make a decent gift on their own.
We mapped the lot: where to play padel in Australia, state by state.
Still undecided? The Rallee gift card
If you can't pick between the polo, the cap and the shorts he keeps mentioning, hand the decision back to him. The Rallee gift card runs from $25 to $500, arrives by email, and you can schedule it to land on the morning of the 6th with a message attached.
No sizing guesswork. No returns. Nothing sitting in a cupboard until Christmas.
Happy Father's Day to every dad who found padel this year, and to everyone still waiting on a court. Have a look at the full Dry-Tec range while you're here. Designed in Byron, for players by players.
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