Having an inflatable paddle board is certainly a luxury that we don’t take for granted.
Inflatable paddleboards have removed a number of obstacles that previously stopped people from getting into the hobby.
These barriers include things such as: storing the board, transporting the board, purchasing a board and all the equipment etc.. etc..
There are a number of factors that make owning an inflatable paddleboard a dream come true.
Unfortunately the one major downside to inflatable paddleboards is the fact that they are inflatable.
This inevitably means that at some point before you can enjoy your paddle you will need to work up a sweat and blow that thing up.
Or do you??
Well if I am making that statement in regards to blowing up the board, then yes obviously you do.
However, if that statement is referring to you working up a sweat trying to inflate it.
Then the answer is no, you definitely don’t.
Let me explain.
Just like there are eclectic pumps for balloons, air beds, rubber rings etc.. you can also get electric pumps for your inflatable paddleboard.
You will however, need to purchase a couple of things.
The first thing you will need is an electric pump or preferably an air compressor.
The second thing you need holds the secret to your success when trying to pump up your paddle board and that thing is known as the Schrader Valve.
Now I am sure you have all heard of both electric pumps and air compressors.
But I would imagine not such a high percentage of you have heard of the Schrader Valve.
A Schrader Valve in paddle boarding allows you to pump up your inflatable paddleboard using an electric pump or air compressor. The Paddleboard Schrader valve is made up of two parts, the top of the component is the Schrader valve itself, the bottom of the component is the SUP connector.
The schrader valve is a fantastic way of pumping up your SUP mainly due to the fact that it is so commonly used.
The schrader valve itself is the most common type tyre valve used worldwide. This means that there is a wide variety of mains pumps, 12v car pumps & Air compressors that these valve can work with to get your SUP inflated and ready to go in no time.
How To Use a Schrader Valve To Inflate Your SUP
If you have your schrader valve paddleboard attachment then there are only a couple of steps you need to do before you can get your board inflated.
Firstly you want to get your electric pump or air compressor and get it plugged in to the required power source.
The Schrader valve will work with your 12v electric car pump, mains powered electric pump and air compressor.
Locate the end of the hose where you find the tyre adapter, next put your schrader valve in place.
Normally the schrader valve will need to be screwed into the receiver.
Once the Schrader adapter is in place locate your SUP inflation point and screw the paddleboard schrader valve in place.
Once secured simply begin inflating either by flicking the switch on the pump or squeezing the compressor handle.
It is important that when pumping up your board using an electric pump that you don’t leave this process unattended.
If you allow this process to take place without supervision you run the risk of overinflating the board which can cause it to stretch or burst.
The other reason not to leave this task to its own devices is certain pumps and compressors generate quite a lot of heat when being used and you obviously don’t want any fires or motors burning out.
How Long Does It Take To Inflate Your Paddleboard With a Schrader Valve adapter
On average it will take between 8-19 minutes to fully inflate your paddleboard, this is obviously a quite a large disparity in time.
The disparity in time comes down to a few different factors.
The first factor is the required inflation of your particular board.
Most boards that I personally own have a maximum inflation level of 15psi or 1 bar.
However, there are other boards out there that require a greater inflation volume, for example most RedPaddle Co. boards need to be inflated between 18-22 psi.
The second factor that affects how quickly you will pump up your board will be what type of electric pump you are using.
For example a 12v car pump will inflate slower than a mains powered electric pump.
An electric pump will inflate slower than an air compressor with adjustable pressure.
If you want to save your arms, shoulders and lungs then the quickest way to inflate your board would be using an air compressor.
What’s Quicker Electric Pump With Schrader Valve or Manual Pumping
This answer may actually surprise some of you and truth be known the answer could change depending on your fitness levels.
Let’s assume you have moderate fitness levels though for the sake of this example.
If you want to inflate your board in the shortest amount of time to get out on the water quicker, you will want to use good ol’ fashioned elbow grease and pump the board up manually.
Pumping the board up manually is by far the quickest method to get your board inflated however, this is only true if you don’t stop after every two pumps to get your breath back and let your arms recover.
If you want to ensure your arms aren’t jelly before you even step foot in the water then the electric pump will be the best option.
How Do You Know Which Schrader Valve Will Fit Your Board
You may be feeling a bit confused on how you can tell which valve is going to fit your board?
Fortunately, at least in my experience anyway.
All the valves on the paddleboards are the same, this means you can be safe in the knowledge that if you find a reasonably priced schrader valve it will most likely fit your paddle board just fine.
What Schrader Valve Should You Buy
The final point worth mentioning is which Schrader valve should you buy.
There are many different schrader valves on the market, but very few are built by reputable brands.
If you want to be sure that the component you buy is built for purpose and built to last then the best option is to go for the RedPaddle Co. Schrader valve adapter.
This can be found on their website for approximately $25.00 at the time of writing this.
If you don’t fancy splashing out the cash ultimately they all do the same thing, it is often just the quality and strength of the materials used that causes the price variance so you can just opt for one of the amazon marketplace.
If you want to go down the budget route I would suggest purchasing the one noted below.
If you want to purchase this valve simply click here to be taken to Amazon to purchase
