How to take care your inflatable paddle board

A hole, leak or tear in an inflatable paddle is often repairable. Here are a few techniques and tips on how to effectively repair a puncture on a paddleboard. 

 1. How can you repair your board yourself?

• Repairing a hole or tear with a patch.

Gluing a PVC patch over the hole is the classic technique for plugging the leak. A blow up paddleboard is usually sold with a repair kit so you will have all the tools you need to patch the hole. If not, you can find repair kits that work well with the material of your board in the shops. When repairing a hole there are ways to fix it so that you won’t have to think about it again. Fixing a paddleboard with a patch is also not very hard and doesn’t take a long time. After you have glued the patch on the board it’s best to wait 24 hours before you go in the water again.

• Repair by sealing with an anti-puncture fluid

 A puncture repair fluid is a compound of latex microbeads that remains in a liquid state inside the tyre but coagulates on contact with the leak. The coagulation forms a flexible and permanent plug with the same behaviour and characteristics as conventional patches.

 2. Prevention to avoid punctures

Since discovering a leak on a SUP is no fun and it is very unpleasant (if not dangerous) to row a stand up paddle board that loses pressure, it is best to take good care of your equipment.

Here are some tips to increase the lifespan of your SUP:

 – Do not leave the board inflated in direct sunlight

 – Watch out for brambles, hooks, rocks and other sharp objects. Pay close attention if you are testing new waterways you are not familiar with. 

 – Beware of the condition of your paddle, especially if the blade is made of carbon and has no protective seal. In this case, a little sandpaper to round off the edge is a good thing.

 – When storing, try to roll the board rather than folding it tightly – to avoid creases.

An inflatable paddleboard can be a lot of fun and is generally easy to use. Simply inflating it when you’re at the beach and deflating it after you leave the water makes this a great board to transport in the trunk of your car. Blow up paddle boards usually aren’t easily damaged unless you hit a sharp rock or drag it over other sharp objects. Most of these boards are intended to be used by beginners and intermediate level riders, making this a perfect option to explore a new watersport while on holiday.