Finding the BEST SUP PUMP for Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board
- Jul 30, 2018
- 5 min read
2026 UPDATE!
I'm now mainly using the following two-stage process to rapidly inflate multiple paddleboards. When we go out on the water with family and friends, I inflate anywhere from 2 to 6 paddleboards.
Use a cordless high-volume blower to rapidly fill the paddleboard's bulk air volume until it is fully inflated, but not yet pressurized.
This gets the first step done so much faster than any single electric pump I have seen.
Use a high-pressure, 2-stage SUP pump to pressurize the paddleboard.
These pumps may be called 2-stage, but they are still not as fast as a blower to fill the bulk air volume. That's why I reserve them for pressurizing.
Using two separate inflators speeds up inflating multiple boards. While one paddleboard is being bulk inflated, the other is being pressurized.
BULK INFLATION
I was using the Ryobi 18V Inflator shown further down this page to do the bulk inflation. It works well, but it's very loud. It's bulky, and I had a hose attached between it and the paddleboard. Now I use a faster, quieter inflator.
The fastest and best tool I've found for bulk inflation is a brushless turbofan-style blower like this HyperTough blower. It's cheap, well-made, and surprisingly powerful. It comes with the black blower nozzle which twist locks on.
I designed and 3D printed an adapter that replaces the blower nozzle on the HyperTough blower and twist locks directly into the iSUP inflation port. Very easy to use and attach, less fuss than the Ryobi blower with tube.
I first printed this from regular PETG, and the locking tabs instantly broke off on the first use. Then I printed with GF PETG, and it seems quite strong and durable.
It does require the use of the gasket. I reused a spare that came with the pumps. Also designed one to be 3D printed using TPU filament, preferably 85A.
The gasket is installed in this pic.
Attached to the blower output.
Attached to the paddleboard inflation port.
It can also be attached to the blower intake for super-fast deflating. This removes all the air and makes the paddleboard very thin, making it easier to roll up tight to fit in the %$#@!! bag.
This HyperTough blower is so compact and lightweight that I can easily take it hike in spots where I will need to use the hand pump. Using the blower to bulk inflate quickly will save significant time and effor manual pumping.
WHERE TO BUY:
HIGH PRESSURE INFLATION
After the bulk inflation, I switch over to this 12V inflator. It's cheap and works well. Set the pressure and forget it. Get all the rest of your gear ready while it inflates.
WHERE TO BUY INFLATOR:
UPDATE!
This is the pump I ended up buying, and it is amazing: Freein Triple Action Hand Pump
If the Freein pump is out of stock, then the Jobe Triple Action Manual Pump or Swimline Solstice Triple Action Pump looks virtually identical.
The triple action works great, easy to use, and makes pumping very fast.
In combination with this Ryobi 18V Inflator (Alternate Source, With Battery and Charger, Home Depot) & Ryobi 18V Battery, I can inflate the paddle board in record time, and I don't need to be near a 12V power source like the car. I let the Ryobi 18V battery powered inflator fill the board with air, and then start at stage 2 of the triple action pump. The Ryobi 18V inflator is also good for quickly deflating the board. It will suck all the air out quickly until the board is flat as a crepe (even thinner than a pancake), so you don't have to wait, or roll up slowly.
WHERE TO BUY INFLATOR:
There's also a compact adapter available to connect the Ryobi 18V inflator directly to the SUP's port.
WHERE TO BUY RYOBI INFLATOR TO iSUP ADAPTER:
If I don't have the Ryobi 18V inflator, then I just start out with the Freein triple action pump at stage 1, which is way faster to fill the board than the stock pump.
ORIGINAL POST INTRO
The pump that came with my Saturn SUP takes forever to pump up the board. It's a work out, which I don't mind, but the amount of time it takes is annoying. I'd rather be out on the water than pumping up the board.
Sure you can find some electric pumps, but they are expensive, loud and require a power source. Either they are connected to 12V auto outlet, or battery powered. All this increase in complexity makes it more likely to break down, not be charged, or batteries gone bad. It's one more thing to mess with that I would rather just do by hand.
Some of the higher volume pumps rival the cost of an electric pump
Triple Action SUP Hand Pumps
These are the highest volume and fastest hand pumps available.
It has 3 modes that you switch as pumping gets more difficult:
Double cylinder, double action - 3.5L for each stroke - 7L for one stroke cycle (down and up)
Double cylinder, single action - 3.5L for one stroke cycle
Single cylinder, single action - 1.75L per stroke cycle
This pump is relabeled by many different SUP sellers. There are only minor differences between the following pumps.
UPDATE!
I purchased and tested this pump, but was not happy with the results. Maybe I got a dud, but the piston was always pushing back up, like a one way valve was broken. I returned it and didn't try another, as I thought this was not a good sign of quality.
The reviews on Amazon are not great either, although most complain about issues with the hose and connections leaking.
This is the second largest pump I have found. It's volume is 4.7L but it is only a single action pump with a switchable smaller cylinder for higher pressure pumping. If this pump were dual action, it could be an awesome pump, and would be even quicker than the triple action SUP pump.
Combining a Hand Pump and an Electric Pump
The most time consuming part of pumping up the SUP is simply inflating it to 1-2psi. A high volume electric pump could do this quickly, and then you can continue to pump by hand to pressurize the board.
Ryobi sells a 18V cordless high volume pump designed for air beds and other low pressure inflatables. I like this because I already have Ryobi 18V power tools and lots of batteries. This could be used to do the initial inflation, and then take over with the hand pump to bring it up to final pressure.
T connector for dual pumps
