Inflatable SUP accessories: must haves
The inflatable SUP is spreading all over the world: once you try it you immediately want to get back on it. Lakes, sea, rivers -with the right board, they become places to be explored from a new point of view.
The Stand Up Paddle activity allows you to develop all the muscles involved in maintaining balance, in addition to your arms and back. The inflatable board allows you to practice this activity in any kind of water, in a group or individually. Depending on the use you wish to make, you can choose SUP for excursion (the most chosen, for beginners and experts), races, or to do yoga on the waves.
In addition to the inflatable board and the SUP paddle (usually in plastic or carbon, removable, adjustable, and easy to transport), what should you buy? What are the must-haves? Let’s take a look at the accessories.
SUP Accessories
- First topic: transportation
The SUP is inflatable: you can really take it anywhere, so why not take advantage of its greatest feature? When deflated, it fits into a backpack or trolley case. If you inflate it and plan to use it for a few days without deflating it between sessions, you can opt for shoulder straps to carry it.
- Water activities
Versatility is the adjective that best suits the SUP.
Depending on the level you are starting from (beginner or expert) you can choose between fins and stabilizers to facilitate or make your activity in the water more dynamic.
An accessory that cannot be missed is the repair kit, especially if you go to areas with rocks or near the banks of rivers and lakes where there may be sharp debris.
- Anti-cold during winter
Water sports are not practiced only in summer. Even sunny winter days can offer very pleasant experiences, especially if the intention is to go hiking and enjoy the sea or the lake in a completely different context.
During winter you need a wetsuit: there are 3 and 5 millimetres types, but experts claim that the 3 millimetres wetsuit is already more than enough unless you are in a really freezing area.
- Pumps and Inflators
In order to use an inflatable SUP, of course, you must have a pump. With regards to this, there are a wealth of opportunities.
Talking about water sports, there are generally three types of inflators: hand, foot or electric inflators; you can find an in-depth analysis following this link.
The electric pump for SUP is certainly the most practical choice in terms of efficiency and management of the inflation and deflation phase. Zero effort and time gained for sports. Read the article about electric pumps for SUPs here.
Talking about comfort during transport, remember that the electric pump can be transported in a bag (usually included) and is equipped with valves with various adapters depending on the models of the boards, or to inflate other products such as rafts or sea inflatables. The electric pumps independently control the pressure inside the table and switch off once the pre-set pressure is reached (depending on the inflatable specification).
In case you choose a hand or foot pump, make sure to find a pressure gauge (if it is not included in the pump) to make sure that the board is inflated adequately and is therefore able to support you. If you opt for this type of inflators, remember to take into consideration that you will have to put effort into inflating and deflating the board, so calibrate your training accordingly.
Do you want a benchmark? Watch this video: https://www.scoprega.it/en/media.2/video/the-sup-pump-test-measuring-speed-and-effort/
Now that you have a clearer idea, take a look at the features of our inflators https://www.scoprega.it/en/products/inflators/