How To Care for Your Stand Up Paddleboard

Proper care and maintenance of your stand up paddleboard can increase your board’s longevity and provide you with extra years of paddling. It doesn’t take much time or effort, but it’s certainly worth it. Building in a good maintenance routine as part of your setup and take down will help you avoid repairs and guarantee you more time on the water. We broke things down into a few key areas that coincide with the setup process. Focusing on these areas will help you keep your board in tip-top shape in a simple and easy way.

Air Pressure

Although it’s easy to overlook, minding your board’s air pressure can help extend its life improve and performance. Some inflatable SUPs come with a dual action pump. These have the added benefit of inflating your board on both the up and down stroke, which decreases your pumping time. However, it’s always best to switch to single action when your board is almost fully inflated. This precaution prevents you from over pumping and damaging your board when all you need to do is top it off. While it’s a bit slower to pump in single action mode, because you’re using gravity to push air into your board with each downstroke, it’s also a lot easier on the arms.😉

All boards are different so it’s best to check with your manufacturer to determine the exact PSI. Some pumps, like the dual-action Hand Pump (included in SUP packages), or our Electric Pump, come with a built-in pressure gauge allowing you to be sure of your board’s PSI. The Electric Pump even cuts off automatically when the selected pressure is reached.

It’s also crucial to remember that air expands in hot weather. Meaning if you inflate it somewhere cool and dark and then leave it out in the sun the air inside will expand. Therefore, be conscious of the temperature and your plan for the day. If you know it’s going to be a scorcher don’t fully inflate to your board’s maximum PSI level. Instead leave it slightly under and allow the air to expand when it’s in the warm sun. Remember you can always check throughout the day and inflate or deflate accordingly.

Rinse

Another area that’s easily overlooked, skipped, or outrightly ignored is a simple rinse. Yes, saltwater is more corrosive than freshwater, but you should still rinse your board off after every use. It’s not just the salt that can degrade your board. Over its lifespan, build-up from any number of culprits (dirt, grime, gunk, etc.) can also cause damage. Therefore when you are rinsing your board off, pay special attention to the fins, valves, attachments, handles and D-rings. Any crease, corner, or seam is an opportune place for build-up. Take the time to find them on your board and give them a bit of extra attention when rinsing.  This simple habit will help extend the longevity of your board and keep it looking great.

Dry

Once your board is rinsed, it’s time to dry it off. Grab a towel and start wiping it down. To make things easy on yourself and to make sure you don’t miss anything, start from one end and work your way to the other. Make sure to get all the little drops before you pack it up for storage. By storing it completely dry you won’t be at risk from mildew buildup in your board bag.

Fins

Even though this can be a pain with some boards, fins are the most fragile part of the board and it’s worth taking the time to remove them. While it’s possible to store a board with its fins installed, you risk damage. Luckily, we’ve designed our boards with Quick Lock Fins (no tools required) making it easy to install and remove the fins in a snap. This means you can take your fins on and off in seconds for safe storage.

Storage

Once your board is dry it’s time to prep it for storage. When putting you board away for storage we find it’s best to use your pump’s special deflate feature to fully deflate the board,  then start folding at the board’s tail. This way you protect the fin boxes and can use them as a guide for your folds. Do your best to keep the creases to a minimum. Fold the board end over end, almost like you’re rolling instead of folding it. Now that it’s ready to pack, carry and stow, it’s time to find a good place to store it long term.

Most importantly, you want to keep your board out of the sun. Store it in a dry, cool space, preferably in a board bag like the Inflatable SUP Roller Backpack that comes with your SUP package. Board bags like these will help protect the board from harmful UVs, dings, and scratches while it’s in storage. On top of that, it provides you with easy, protected transport and the convenience of keeping everything from your paddle to your pump in one place.

Parting Thoughts

While the best manufacturers make sure their paddle boards are extremely durable, ours are backed by an industry leading 2-year warranty. It makes sense to spend a little extra time to take good care of your investment. Following these care and maintenance recommendations will extend your board’s lifespan and increase your time on the water.