Inflatable SUP Pump Options

An inflatable stand-up paddleboard inflates very quickly. The majority of them come with a standard hand pump, which will do the trick. However there are other options that may interest you as well.

Below I will go through the pros and cons of each pump option.

Hand Pump – The hand pump is the most common type of pump and when you purchase an ISUP, you will likely get one in your package.

Their quality can differ but as a general rule they work fairly well. I particularly like the ones that have two inflation settings.

This allows for high and low inflation pressure, which is helpful in getting the board pumped up to the proper PSI level.

Foot Pump – I’ve used a foot pump for years for my inflatable kayaks and I have always found that it did a decent job.

The foot pump is easy to use, not as hard on the back as the hand pump and easy to transport.

However for the ISUP’s, I find that I only like using the foot pump for part of the inflation process.

It’s good to get the board into shape but I find it too difficult to get the SUP to a high air pressure so that it is as rigid as it needs to be.

In my experience the foot pumps are easy to break if you continuing trying to pump when it gets really hard. Therefore if you were going to use a foot pump, I would recommend having a different kind of pump to top it off such as the K-Pump or a good hand pump.

K-Pump – I use the K-Pump a lot. I originally bought this pump while I was traveling because it was small and compact and works really well. There are a few different models to choose from. A couple of them are specifically for inflatable SUP’s.

The K-Pump is the easiest pump I’ve used (besides a good electric pump) that will get an ISUP pumped to maximum air pressure.

It’s not cheap but it works really well and is easy to use. For more information on it check out our K-Pump review that we did a while back.

kpumpe

Electric Pump – I’ve grown to love the electric pump. If you’ve never used one then it’s no big deal because you don’t know what you’re missing. However once you inflate your board with one, it’s really hard to go back to manual pumping. At least that was the case with me.

A good electric pump makes inflating your board a snap. It only takes about a minute to get it fully inflated and you don’t have to do any of the work. It’s great!

I use a battery powered electric pump, which means that I don’t have to hook it up to my car or anything.

A battery powered electric pump is really handy and I totally recommend it, however it is also quite pricey. This is the one I use from Sea Eagle.

I find that it works on most ISUP’s. The only board so far that I have found it not to fit properly was the Airis SUP’s. However I took an adapter valve from the Airis hand pump and fitted it with the electric pump and then it worked fine.

The other option is an electric pump that connects to a 12V battery with cable and alligator clips. This is a great option if you can inflate your board close to your vehicle. This option is less expensive than the pump that comes with its own battery.

The cheaper electric pumps that hook into a cigarette lighter in your vehicle don’t tend to work as good. They wouldn’t be my first option but if you have one and can get the right adapters, it’s worth a go.

The only thing I would caution against with an electric pump is to make sure not to over inflate your board to where you do damage.

A good electric pump will often have a gauge so that you can check your PSI level.

Slingshot High Pressure Valve – This is an interesting option that opens up more possibilities for inflating a SUP.

I just received the Slingshot high pressure valve to review but haven’t had a chance to test it yet.  As soon as I do I’ll be able to add more information and my own experience with it soon.

Basically it’s a valve that can hook up to a compressor to inflate your board.

With this high-pressure valve you can even inflate your board at a gas station with their air compressor. That’s pretty cool. It helps to get the SUP to a very high air pressure.

Click here to read our full review of the Slingshot High-Pressure SUP Inflator Valve.

Comments

  1. Sevylor now makes a 12v pump that goes to 15 psi and can be had for $60. I use it with my tower 14 foot xplorer and it works great. For those looking for an easier option I reccomend this.

  2. Roofieo,

    Any updates if the B&D ASI500 does the trick?

  3. What’s a Slingshot?

    • Allison says:

      The Slingshot is a high-pressure valve adapter that lets you inflate your board with any air compressor such as with a tire inflator at a service station or with a portable air compressor. It works great and is super convenient for traveling. Here’s my full review of the Slingshot if you’d like more info…https://isupworld.com/slingshot-review/

  4. Roofieo says:

    I just received the Slingshot High pressure valve in the mail, so I am just waiting for my Black & Decker ASI500 to arrive. It has both High Volume and High Pressure hoses on the incredibly portable unit, so getting my Red Paddle 12’6″ Elite to 25 PSI will be much easier.

    Here is the Amazon link if you are interested:
    Price: $59.97 & FREE Shipping
    Black & Decker ASI500 Cordless Inflator

    • Michael says:

      Have you tried the Slingshot Valve on your Red yet? I’m interested in how it works to go with my 9’6″

      • Allison says:

        Hi Michael, Sorry I’m so late answering this, my review of the Slingshot is long overdue. Yes I have tried it and it works great. It’s a pretty handy little valve adapter. I found it inflated the board a little slower than my electric pump but overall it works really well. Here’s my full review of it if you’d like to take a look… https://isupworld.com/slingshot-review/

  5. Have you tried out the slingshot? Thinking about getting it but would like to know what you think. First!

    • I haven’t tried the Slingshot yet. I know the company however and believe they make a good product. I can’t comment on the performance but the quality looks good. Hopefully I’ll have a chance to review one soon.

    • Oops sorry Gayle, I answered your question thinking you were talking about the Slingshot inflatable SUP but I just realized you were probably talking about the Slingshot HP valve for inflation. I have one to try out, I will actually be reviewing it this week. It looks great and really convenient. I can let you know more when I try it out this week.

  6. I went to buy one of these and found it was the kind that clips onto your car battery, not into your 12 volt. And my car is a hybrid without conventional battery terminals. Waah! And other than car batteries I avoid battery operated devices if I can avoid them, because batteries, like bananas, rot and die just when you need them. A guy who works for me found an electric pump that you plug into a wall at night and holds a charge during the day. That may work. My k pump is nice, but I get tired by the time I get to 6 psi.
    On the Big Island now, didn’t bring my ISUP because it doesn’t stand up (I e I can’t stand up on it) to the rough water here.

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