Watercraft Watch

Inflatable Paddle Board Care, Maintenance, and Repair

Every amazing paddling season has to come to an end, and winter means storing your inflatable paddleboards for the season. This article will explain inflatable paddle board care. I share some tips for storing your board, to ensure that it will last until next season and many seasons to come. Using these simple steps can greatly prolong the life of your inflatable stand up paddleboards!

Inflatable Paddle Board Care: Cleaning and Prepping For Storage

When I am done using my board for the day, I like to make sure my board is totally clean. Especially after using my paddleboard in salt water. Salt and sand can be very corrosive and damaging. Mud from the bay can also put an unsightly mud stain on your board, if not washed off properly.

If you are paddling in a river or other fresh water sources, cleaning after every paddle isn’t totally necessary, but definitely encouraged. After your last paddle of the season, make sure dirt, debris, salt water residue, or any other contaminant are washed off with water.

How to Clean Paddle Board

You can use a biodegradable soap to help get rid of stains. Try to use soaps that don’t contain harsh chemicals. Do not scrub too hard and cause any abrasions. Abrasions will lead to a weak spot, and potentially a puncture.

Be especially careful when washing the top sheet of your paddle board. These tend to be a weak spot and can end up ripping if scrubbed too hard.

I make sure my board is inflated when I clean it. That way, dirt can’t hide in the folds and creases when I’m cleaning. Make sure that your air valve is closed. If water gets inside your SUP through an open valve it can lead to mold and mildew growing inside your SUP.

Extra Protection for Paddle Board Care

Another protective measure you can take to preserve your inflatable SUP is using 303. This product can be used at the end of the season and the beginning of the summer to help delay the drying and cracking of your SUP. It also protects against UV rays from the sun.

I’ve used this product at the rafting companies I worked at in Colorado and Idaho. Be aware if you use this product at the beginning of the year. It will make your board very slippery!

Paddle Board Storage: How to Put Away Inflatable Paddle Board

Now that your board is clean, you can decide how you want to store your inflatable SUP. You can either store your paddle board partially inflated or completely deflated and rolled up. My preferred method is to leave my board inflated. If you have the space, this is a great way to store your board.

Leave your board slightly inflated (about 5 psi). This will keep the board from folding and causing permanent creases in the board.

It is ideal to keep your board off the ground. You can install pre-fabricated racks or make your own simple wall racks. This will keep your board out of harm’s way. Try to store your SUP in a room that doesn’t have excess moisture in the air.

A cool and dry place out of direct sunlight is the ideal location. If you leave your stand up paddleboard in the sun, then damaging UV rays will slowly degrade your board’s material.

If you don’t want to use wall racks, then you can lean your board up against a wall, or in the corner of a room. This works just fine. I would put a towel between the board and the wall to ensure that the board doesn’t scuff the wall paint.

Tip: make sure you are aware of the air temperature when storing your paddle board. If it gets too hot, the air in your paddle board will expand and could end up stressing your paddle board’s seams. If the temperature gets colder the air pressure in your SUP will go down.

Periodically check on your SUP’s air pressure to make sure it isn’t going to explode or deflate too much.

Rolling Your SUP

This is a great way to save space. Make sure you don’t roll the board too tight. This can lead to permanent creasing, and potentially cause a seam to leak. Roll your board loose, and cover it up with a bag or fabric.

Fold your paddle board in sections, smoothing out creases as you go. Start from the back of the board so you end up pushing all the excess air out of the board as you roll. Make sure the air valve is open to let all the air out.

You are going to want to make sure any accessories you may have attached are taken off. This means leashes, carabiners, and fins.

Put your board in a bag and keep it stored in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight. Make sure it’s off the ground. Mice and other rodents might be attracted to your nice warm “SUP burrito”. They can do some serious damage making a nest out of your board.

How to Repair Inflatable SUP

Over the course of an entire summer of using your SUP, you may discover your board is leaking. Don’t worry! It could be a puncture or a leaky seam. These problems are usually easily repairable. Here are the steps you need to know to repair a punctured SUP.

You will need:

  • An inflatable paddle board repair kit (glue, patch material) you can buy these online or in watersports stores. They include everything you need to patch a hole
  • Soapy water
  • Cloth Rag
  • PPE (rubber gloves, goggles, etc.)

How to patch inflatable paddle board

  1. Inflate your board with some air. Splash soapy water over the suspected puncture and observe for bubbles. If you see bubbles, that means there is a leak.
  1. Next, make sure the area around the hole is completely clean and dry.
  1. Apply some PVC glue (or whichever glue is best suited for your inflatable) around the puncture point.
  1. Let that glue dry for about 5-10 minutes, until it feels “tacky”
  1. Apply more glue
  1. Apply glue to your patch material. This material should come with any standard patch kit, or it may have come with your SUP.
  1. Press the patch material over the hole and make sure there are no air bubbles or creases.
  1. Wipe away any excess glue oozing from the seam
  1. Let the patch dry for 24 hours, before you take your SUP out on the water again.

Repairing a Leaky SUP Seam

You may find that one of your seams is leaking. Seams are a trickier repair than a simple patch. You may want to get this repaired by a professional, but if you want to give it a go, it is very do-able. Make sure your work environment is clean and easy to navigate.

You will need:

  • A blunt, skinny tool (such as a credit card, dull butter knife)
  • Acetone
  • Cloth rag
  • Sand paper
  • Vacuum
  • Clamps
  • Pieces of wood to clamp with
  • HH-66 Vinyl Cement or PVC Cement
  • PPE (rubber gloves, goggles, etc.)

Steps to repair a leaking seam:

  1. Check to see which seam is leaking by splashing soapy water on the suspected leak. If bubbles appear, that is your leaky seam.
  1. Use a credit card or another blunt tool and acetone to work apart the leakey seam. Make sure you are wearing gloves for this step, acetone can be very irritating for your skin. Use the acetone sparsely, as it can rub off paint and designs on your board. I would use a cloth and dampen the seam you are working apart.
  1. Once your seam is open about an inch or two, use the acetone and sandpaper to get any dried excess glue off your board. This will provide you a cleaner area to glue the seam again.
  1. Use the vacuum to suck up any debris you may have created in the process of sanding. Try to get all the debris off of your paddleboard.
  1. Apply your glue to the top and bottom of the seam. Allow the glue to dry for about 5 minutes, or until it feels ‘tacky”. Apply more glue to each side of your seam.
  1. Next, put a block of wood on the outside of each side of your seam. So you can press the glued sides together.
  1. Use clamps to apply pressure to each side of your seam.
  1. Wipe away any excess glue that oozes from the seam.
  1. Let this sit for 24 hours to make sure the glue dries.
  1. You can then test again by inflating your board and applying soapy water to the repaired seam. Scan for bubbles.

FAQs on Paddle Board Care

  • Can I leave my paddle board inflated?
    • You can leave your board inflated! So long as it is not fully inflated to 15 psi. It is a good idea to let some air out of your board once you are done using it. Leaving a paddle board in the sun fully inflated can cause the air in your paddleboard to expand. This could POP your board.
  • What happens if you over inflate a paddle board?
    • If you keep forcing air into your paddleboard you could end up popping your board. Either at the seam or the valve.
    • You will put unnecessary strain on your paddle board’s seams and valve if you over inflate your board.
  • How long can you leave a paddle board inflated?
    • You can leave a paddle board inflated as long as you want. So long as it is not fully inflated. You want to keep your board inflated to about 5 psi or less.
  • How do you deflate an inflatable paddle board?
    • On most paddle boards there is a valve in the nose (front) of the board. Remove the cap, then push the valve down. This will let some air out. If you give the valve a quarter turn it will lock the valve in the deflated position.

Looking to Explore More Paddle Board Topics?

If you’re on the fence about solid vs. inflatable paddle boards, we outline all those differences in detail.

Or, for a general article talking about how to choose your paddle board, head here.

Ready to buy your board, take a look at our 5 best inflatable paddle board recommendations.

Happy Paddling!!

About the Author Manda Jackson

Hey, I'm Manda - one of the contributing authors at Watercraft Watch. I've always been drawn to the water in many different types of water sports, and those sports have helped me travel throughout the world. For many years in high school and college I was a competitive rower, and escaped to the backcountry for canoe and kayak trips each summer. Now you can find me mostly on a paddle board or outrigger canoe. When not on the water myself, you can find me assisting with my kids' sailing team or hiking the trails. I hope you find my articles useful and inspiring to both you and your families!

Leave a Comment:

Skip to content