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Deflating a SUP doesn’t have to be a problem. After your stand-up paddleboarding trip, you can pack it away compactly. You can do this by hand or with an air pump.
Deflating the SUP by Hand
If you don’t happen to have the right equipment with you, you can deflate your stand-up paddleboard by hand. This can be done in just a few steps.
- First, open the twist lock above the valve. No air should escape at this point.
- Underneath the twist lock, there is a small pin in the center of the opening. If this pin protrudes slightly, air cannot escape.
- Now press the pin down. The more pressure there is in the SUP, the harder it is to press down. The valve is now open, and air can flow out of the board.
- To avoid having to hold the pin down continuously, lock it in place. To do this, while pressing down, turn the pin a quarter turn to the left or right so that it stays in position.
- Make sure the fin is no longer under the board, otherwise it could break.
- Once the initial air has escaped and the pressure has dropped, you can press down on the board and fold it to release the remaining air.
- To protect your finger and muffle the loud sound, you can hold a towel, piece of clothing, or something similar in front of the valve when opening it.
- Once all the air has been released, close the valve by turning it counterclockwise.
Deflate the tire with a pump
- First, connect the hose to the other side of the pump. This side is usually labeled “deflate.”
- Now attach the hose to the valve the same way you would when inflating the board.
- Now you can start pumping. This allows you to remove significantly more air from the board than by hand, and it’s easier to store.
- If you don’t want to use a pump, special attachments offer a solution that lets the air escape more easily and quietly.
