If you have or want to purchase an inflatable Paddle Board, you of course would like to have the best pump for it. A good pump saves a lot of time, energy and effort. In this blog we will help you make an informed choice for a pump. We are going to talk about hand pumps and electric pumps. After reading this blog you can easily make a choice for the best SUP pump for an inflatable Paddle board.
What is a hand pump?
Let’s start by discussing what a hand pump is. A hand pump is a pump where you have to pump by hand. You set the pump to inflate (provided it has 2 settings). You put your feet on the appropriate pedals and put your hands around the handles. You pull the handles up and then pump down again. This is how you pump up your SUP by hand. Check out the left photo to see what a hand pump looks like.
Types of hand pumps
There are various types of hand pumps. The different types can be found in the summary below:
- A 1 cylinder hand pump with only a inflate setting
- 1 cylinder hand pump with both a inflate and deflate setting
- 2 cylinder hand pump with only a inflate setting
- A 2 cylinder hand pump with both a inflate and deflate setting
- And finally double action pumps
Explanation: different types of hand pumps
As you can see, you have pumps with 2 cylinders as well as with 2 settings. The 2 cylinders ensure that you have inflated your board faster because you suck in more air and therefore pump more into the board. The 2 settings ensure that you can both inflate and deflate your Paddle Board.
Every SUP pump contains a pressure gauge, this is very important because otherwise you cannot inflate your board to the correct PSI. And the right PSI is very important to maintain the good properties of the board. So always pay attention to the ‘recommended’ (recommended) PSI that is on the board, this can usually be found at the valve.
2 cylinders or 1?
We notice that inflating your Paddle Board is considerably faster with 2 cylinders than with 1. We always want to have as much time as possible for paddling, so we want to spend the least time preparing. A 2 cylinder hand pump helps enormously with this. So if you want to go paddling as soon as possible, a 2-cylinder hand pump is definitely recommended!
1 setting or 2 settings?
Which is better, a pump with only an inflating setting or a pump with both an inflating and deflating setting? We think a pump with 2 settings is ideal. This is mainly due to the convenience. A board that has been completely vacuumed is much easier to roll up and neatly put back in the bag. If you neatly store your board back in your bag after every trip, a hand pump with both a inflate and deflate setting is ideal!
Double or single action
You have both double and single action pumps. A single action pump only pumps air into the board with the downward movement. A double action pumps both up and down air in the board. Thanks to this method, a double action pump will pump up your Stand Up Paddle Board much faster!
Top 3 sup pumps for by hand
We also researched which hand pumps are best for inflating a paddle board. We looked at the volume flow and size of the pump.
#NR 1. Red Paddle Titan I
The Titan I is the number 1 hand pump for inflating stand up paddle boards. It has a lot of volume flow to inflate a sup. The Titan pump is one of the fastest hand pumps on the market.
#NR 2. Fanatic Triple Action Pomp
A pump with a lot of volume. He easily pumps up a paddle board. There is also a switch between triple and double action. This means that it can also pump on 3 settings with a lot of volume flow.
#NR 3. Fanatic Nano Pomp
This pump is small compared to other pumps, but despite its size it still does its job excellent. This is our number 3, because there are actually hardly any pumps of such a compact size with such a high volume flow.
What is an electric sup pump?
We have just named the electric SUP pump (e-pump). But what exactly is an electric SUP pump? An electric pump is a pump that automatically inflates your Paddle Board to the set PSI. These pumps are ideal if you can’t pump up manually, don’t want to lose too much energy beforehand with the supping or simply don’t feel like pumping manually. There are various types of electric pumps. View the various types below.
Types of Electric Pumps
As mentioned above, there are various types of electric pumps. View all electric pump versions below:
- An electric pump with LCD
- Electric pump without LCD
- Each pump has a different volume flow
- Electric pump without integrated battery (usually only a 12-volt connection for the car)
- And finally an Electric pump with integrated battery
With or without LCD screen?
As you can see above, you have quite a few different types of pumps. First, we will discuss whether or not you need an LCD screen: we think an LCD screen is not necessary, but it is useful. Even if you don’t have a screen, you can still set the pump to the correct PSI by means of a rotary knob. The handy thing about an LCD screen is that you can easily see the progress, this is not possible with a pump with only a rotary knob. The choice for an electric pump with or without an LCD screen therefore depends entirely on the convenience you want to experience. Please note that a pump with a rotary knob will in many cases be cheaper than a pump with an LCD screen.
Integrated battery or not?
We find an integrated battery super handy, but not always necessary. Usually we have our car close by, so we can simply plug the pump into our car with the 12 volt connection. You will only come to a few moments when your car is not nearby or that you are on another means of transport. An electric pump with an integrated battery is really ideal for such moments. But there is also another handy solution: a power bank. You can easily take a special power bank with you since it is a small portable battery.
Star Pump power bank – portable battery
With the Star Pump power bank you can easily inflate several SUPS in succession in combination with an electric pump. We personally find a power bank more convenient than an e-pump with an integrated battery, since you don’t have to carry such a heavy weight with you all the time. Because this power bank is lighter than a pump where the battery is already in the pump and you can also choose not to take the power bank with you when you don’t need it. So it really depends on what your preference is. Do you want an integrated battery or a separate portable battery?
Various volume flows
Almost every electric pump has a different volume flow (liters of air per minute). You even have pumps that apply 2 volumes while pumping, such as the Star Pump 8 and the Outdoor Master Shark II. In the beginning (when there is virtually no back pressure) it gives a high volume flow. And when it receives back pressure (the last part) it switches to a lower volume flow. This way your Stand Up Paddle Board is inflated the fastest and you have the least chance of the pump overheating.
We recommend going for an e-pump with a high volume flow, and preferably a pump that switches to a lower volume flow at the last step. This takes a lot less time so you have more time to paddle!
Hand pump or electric pump the best choice?
Now that we have explained above what a hand pump is and what an electric pump is, we can start looking at what the best option is. We personally think an electric pump is the best because you spend the least energy on it. Thanks to the electric pump, you can also prepare other things while pumping. A hand pump is just a lot less ideal in that aspect. A hand pump, on the other hand, is a lot cheaper (depending on the type). And a hand pump is already included with all boards that we sell in our webshop. An electric pump is therefore purely a luxury item, unless you are physically unable to inflate a board manually. If you have the budget to purchase an electric pump, we definitely recommend this as you will enjoy your SUP trip more!
Alternative option: valve adapter
Alternative SUP pump: Red paddle Valve adapter
There is also one last extra option and that is a valve adapter. You can connect a valve adapter to your compressor or bicycle pump. The other side goes into your Paddle Board. In this way you can create a SUP pump very cheaply. Even though the bicycle pump is not recommended as it is a lot slower. But if you just want to go for the best budget choice, a valve adapter is ideal. And if you have a compressor at home and you always inflate your SUP at home, it is ideal because it goes super fast! Note: there are dangers with inflating your SUP with a non-sup pump, do take these dangers in considerations.
The Red Paddle valve adapter can be used on any device that uses a schrader system. This system is the same as on a general bicycle pump. See the photo on the right to see what the adapter looks like.
Our favorite SUP pump
Our favorite: Star Pump 8 electric pump
Our personal preference is for an electric pump. But which electric pump do we personally think is the best? That is without a doubt the Star Pump 8, this pump is ideal. It inflates your SUP within a few minutes and does this with 2 separate volume flows. It has an LCD screen so you can easily set the PSI and see the progress of the inflation. We also think the design is very beautiful, which is of course also not unimportant.
Our favorite SUP pump accessory(s)
The Star Pump 8 does not contain an integrated battery. But what we always do is take the Star Pump power bank with us so that we are not dependent on the 12 volt connection of a car. This power bank can inflate up to 7 SUPS on one charge, ideal for when you go out with friends! Curious about what the Star Pump 8 electric pump looks like? Then view the photo on the right. We also find the Red Paddle Silent Air Remover very useful. When people sit on the terrace or pass by, they don’t get irritated by us when we empty the SUPS. And it’s also a lot nicer for your ears, since the Silent Air Remover dampens the sound strongly.
Are you convinced to purchase an electric Paddle Board pump after reading this blog, but you don’t know which one yet? Then take a look at our electric SUP pump buying guide. Would you like to know more about the Star Pump pumps? Then read our article about Star Pump.
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