Inflatable technology and maintenance of ISUP

In the summer, we often go to the beach, it is necessary to bring ISUP, every time you inflate or deflate, use the right technology and correct practice.Do you know how to inflate your ISUP?

Inflation And Technique

Unroll your inflatable paddle board on a flat, preferably soft, surface.Turn the SUP board valve stem to the CLOSED position. This may seem counterintuitive, but it works because a closed SUP valve has a rubber stopper on a spring that allows pressurized air to push through the valve while preventing air from coming back out. If you leave the valve stem in the open position, you will lose all of the air pressure when you remove the hose.Insert the hose into the valve end by pushing down, then turning clockwise until it will not turn further. It it does not fit, or fits too loosely to stay in when you remove your hand, you may need to swap out the rubber washer that is on the hose end for a thicker or thinner one.

Valve Stem Position

If you leave the valve stem in the open position, you will lose all of the air pressure when you remove the hose.Insert the hose into the valve end by pushing down, then turning clockwise until it will not turn further. It it does not fit, or fits too loosely to stay in when you remove your hand, you may need to swap out the rubber washer that is on the hose end for a thicker or thinner one.

1.Prepare And Connect-Ensure the pump is connected properly and pump the board to 15PSI.You should have the stopper inserted until it becomes difficult to pump on the upstroke, at which point you should remove it.

2.Pump With Your Legs-Save your arms and your back! Pumping SUP boards even with out great dual action pump can be a bit of work. Use your legs to pump up and down and consider one of our industry leading electric pumps – they are great time savers!

3.Take A Break-When manual pumping take multiple breaks and develop a routine to get your board pumped. Don’t blow all your energy trying to do it one go. Did we mention we make an amazing car pump that takes all of the effort out? I think we did.

4.Check Your Pressure-It is a great idea to do a secondary check of your pressure with the amazing SUP gauge from ERS. It is more accurate than and inline gauge and is a quick and easy way to check the pressure of any board without connecting your hose.

Deflation And Storage

To deflate your board use your thumb to push the stem into the OPEN position. You will hear the air immediately release. To remove the remaining air use the upper chamber of our dual action pump to pull the remaining air out.

Optimal Rigidity

Earth River SUP boards are optimally rigid at 15PSI, however we have designed them to reach safe levels of 18PSI should you want your ride a little stiffer.

Dangers Of Overinflation

Heat can expand a board more that 2PSI so this needs to be accounted for especially if you are either paddling, or storing your board in a hot environment. At 15PSI all our boards have plenty of overhead for expansion so don’t worry – just pump to 15PSI and paddle contently and if you want your board a little stiffer, just be aware of your storage and paddling environment and you will be fine.

Dry Your Board

Anything that is left wet can develop mould and potential odor so it a good idea to dry your board if you intend not to use it for more than a week. The materials we design ERS boards with will generally dry out in the sun in less than five minutes, but it’s a good idea to give the board a quick pat down with a clean towel prior to packing as it will attract less debris such as sand or river mud into your bag.

After reading this article, I believe that you have a lot of understanding of the inflatable technique of your ISUP, I hope you have a wonderful summer.