Is this electric paddleboard pump any good?
I know there are lots of mixed reviews of electric paddleboard pumps out there but I use the Shark II SUP Electric Air Pump and it’s so handy. Whilst I quite enjoyed the pre-paddle workout of pumping up my board on certain days it would often become a pain, even a barrier to getting another paddleboard session in. It’s also great when you’ve got a friend who may not be a regular paddleboarder as you can help them get their board inflated nice and quickly. One thing that I’ve found more useful than I would have thought is the deflate option which saves you having to do your best beached seal impression whilst trying to push the air out of your paddleboard at the end of a session.
How long does it take to pump?
It takes around 6-7 mins to get to 15 psi, I sometimes just go to 12 and then top up with the pump with speeds things up even further. It starts with the electric motor at a lower speed and then kicks into gear ( with more noise ) once the paddleboard’s starting to take shape, I guess as there’s more resistance to getting the board inflated.
Is it easy to use?
Yep once you’ve found the right adapter for your board and plugged that into your pump then you can simply run DC adapter to your car’s plug socket. Then you can use the plus and minus buttons to set your desired PSI that you want to pump your paddleboard to ( a maximum of 20 )
Which paddleboards does it work with?
There are adapters for a variety of pumps I’ve tested with Loco Sup, Fanatics, and Decathalon boards to date and all worked well.
As it’s an electric paddleboard pump you do need to run this off the battery from your car and you will need the engine running to do that ( well at least I did ), I know some people are using batteries to power these but I can’t vouch for that. There’s a 12V DC connector that should fit into most vehicles and it’s worked well in my Ford Fiesta!
The site says that it’s possible to pump up 3 paddleboards in a row I have only tested up to 2 to date, and those worked well. The pump can sometimes get a little warm but I’ve yet to experience it worryingly hot.
Any Other Negatives?
I mean I wish it was quicker but I have yet to find another pump that is quicker at the moment. It’s a shame it doesn’t come with some sort of carrying case as that would really help when packing it all away, I’ve ended up just leaving the Shark II in its box in the boot of my car. Whilst the Shark II electric paddleboard pump does make some noise I’ve found that it’s not so loud that I have an issue using it early morning in a car park ( but I would hesitate to use it in a residential area early in the morning ). It would also be great to have the option to use this out of a standard plug socket for those that are looking for an option to quickly inflate their paddleboard at home.
Summary
The Shark II electric paddleboard pump ( or another one if you find something better! ) in my humble opinion is an essential piece of kit if you’re getting out on the water more than once a week. It gives you time to get the rest of your paddleboard gear on or set up whilst it’s inflating the board. The simple screen display and buttons allow you to set your target PSI whilst the 12v cord and valve adapters allow you to plug it into any car or paddleboard.
Last Updated on 1st February 2023 by Brighton Paddler