How to care and repair your ISUP (Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board)
Now that you have made the decision on the perfect ISUP – The question is how do I take care of this thing? Also, it’s inflatable – What if it gets a hole? Eeek What
do I do? HELP!!
First of all, congratulations on joining the family of Inflatable Paddle boarders! We are excited and so happy you have joined the coolest people around. You are going to fall in love with every aspect of your board! Inflatable paddle boards are durable and strong. Before purchasing your board be sure it is made with the strongest materials. Inflatable boards are great because you can easily pack up and take with you anywhere! They are also strong and can withstand a good amount of wear and tear, but it is important to know how to care, repair, and store your ISUP. Personally I like to leave my board inflated most the time because I love seeing it hanging in our garage! It’s good for my soul. Caring for your ISUP is easy and painless let’s get to it –
Open your ISUP as you are unpackaging your ISUP – Use this time to inspect your board. Make sure everything looks good. Ensure that you have all the necessary accessories needed for a good paddle experience.
Rinse – It’s important after your paddle session to give your board a good rinse. Especially if you are paddling in salt water you want to make sure that you are rinsing after every paddle session to ensure there is no salt left on the board as it could cause erosion over time.
Dry – After each paddle session especially if you are deflating and rolling your board to store in your travel bag. Keeping your board dry will eliminate the possibility of mold forming on your board. We recommend keeping a dry towel with you to give your board a good pat down before storing for traveling.
Washing – At the end of paddle season, it’s really important to give your board a good wash. There are some good products on the market, but honestly any natural dish soap will work just fine. Try to use a soft sponge, and rinse thoroughly. If you are one of the lucky ones that lives where you can paddle all year – use good judgement on how often you want to give your board a good clean. Keeping your board clean will help the longevity of your board.
Repair – Scruffs and scratches are considered normal wear and tear, but if by chance your board encounters and bigger bump that does cause a deeper tear – don’t panic it’s easy to fix. Use the repair kit that came with your board-
1. Check for leaks by placing in fresh water – if you see bubbles this means there is a leak.
2. Deflate your board so that you can properly clean the area.
3. Dry Dry Dry! Let the board dry completely! This is IMPORTANT!
4. Apply a layer of glue to the problem area
5. Wait 20 minutes – Apply second later of glue.
6. Wait 20 minutes – Apply third layer of glue.
7. Use the PVC patch from your repair kit – Cut in a round shape a little bigger than the area problem area.
8. Apply a small amount of glue to the patch and press it down over the leak.
9. Apply pressure to the problem area for about 2 minutes, be sure to wipe away the extra glue. Be sure to apply something heavy to the area – Like a weight or clamp.
10. WAIT 24 hours before inflating your ISUP. If you need to purchase extra glue (Aquaseal is a perfect option)
Traction pad – If your traction pad starts to peel up- Apply glue from your repair kit and follow step 9 from above.
Inflated storage – If you are like me and want to keep your board inflated for storage, remember to deflate your board a little because as temperatures drop or increase this will leave room for air fluctuation in your board. If you keep your board at the full PSI needed for paddling as the temperature changes it could cause the board to fill too full and cause the expansion on the seams.
General Storage – Whether you are leaving your board inflated or deflating for storage it’s important to keep your board out of the elements. If your board is deflated and you are storing for a long period of time it might be a good idea to put in a plastic tub or something similar (This will keep your critter friends from getting to your board.
At the end of the day you wanna take care of your board – This will help you to have a better paddle experience. Paddling is a great way to escape your day to day and calm your soul. The last thing you wanna do is worry if your board is in good shape.
“Happy Paddling”
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