What is the best air pressure psi for inflatable paddle board performance?
Air Pressure PSI and Inflatable SUP Performance
Inflatable paddle board performance is getting better all the time. Top inflatable paddle board brands like Red Paddle Co are coming closer to matching the performance of a hard paddle board. The typical paddler will notice little difference when paddling their inflatable vs a hard board – if it is a quality board.
However, this is only true if the inflatable paddle board is inflated to the recommended psi.
The best psi for an inflatable paddle board is the maximum air pressure for any specific board. The stiffer the paddle board the better it will perform. So for best performance inflatable your paddle board to the maximum psi as recommended by the manufacturer.
Paddle boards that inflate to 20 psi will be stiffer than paddle board that inflate to 15 psi. Therefore they perform better. Paddle boards that inflate to 20 psi are typically high quality because they need extra strength to hold a higher air pressure.
…never buy a paddle board that inflates to under 15 psi.
I would never buy a paddle board that inflates to under 15 psi. The lower psi boards have a lower quality construction. These boards don’t perform as well or last as long. So look for paddle boards that have a maximum air pressure of 15 psi or greater.
Today’s new inflatable paddle boards perform great in the water and there are plenty of reasons to favor an inflatable over a hard paddle board
PSI is “pounds per square inch”. And the number you read on an air gauge is the psi. Every paddle board manufacturer will have a recommended psi for their boards. This is typically 12-20 psi.
The most common reason for poor inflatable paddle bard performance is under-inflation.
The stiffer the sup board the better it will perform
The higher the psi the harder and stiffer your paddle board will be. The trick to inflatable paddle board performance is reducing flex. You don’t want your paddle board to flex in the middle. Imagine standing on a giant “wet noodle” and trying to paddle it. You won’t go anywhere.
If you do not inflate your paddle board enough it will be slow and sluggish, it will feel unstable and will not be able to float a lot of weight. So it is important to inflate your paddle board to the recommended psi.
Correct air pressure will maximize:
- stability
- speed
- handling
- float
Under-inflating your paddle board will reduce performance to the point where it is not fun. Most paddle boards inflate to 15psi. I always inflate my boards to the maximum psi. Never go over the max, it could damage your board.
Yes, the last 30 pumps can be hard.
If you are a small person you may have a hard time going all the way to the maximum psi. I recommend you buy a quality pump. My two favorite hand pumps are the Red Paddle Co. Titan and the K-Pump K20. The K-Pump K20 is smaller and lighter. Great for travel and camping.
Portable electric air pumps can be fickle, but many paddlers love them.
For those who want to use an electric pump I can only recommend the Bravo pump brand. The Bravo BPT Two-Stage is decent. But the truth is electric paddle board pumps are fickle and they all burn out after a few years. Only buy electric pumps that where designed for paddle boards. Don’t buy the cheap ones they sell at Walmart.
I understand you don’t want work up a sweat before you get in the water. But I prefer a hand pump. Still, I know avid paddlers who use an electric pump every time they paddle. So for some paddlers they seem to work out fine.
