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Electric vs. Hand: What Is The Best Paddle Board Pump?
Written by Lydia Burdett /
When it comes to inflating your paddle board, you’ve got a choice to make: do you use a hand paddle board pump or an electric paddle board pump? Each has its own distinct pros and cons that we’ll highlight in this blog to help you make the most informed decision possible. Without further ado, let’s have a look at these factors to help you decide on the best paddle board pump type for you.
Benefits of Electric Pumps
Save Time and Energy - The major benefit that an electric paddle board pump has over a hand pump is the convenience that it offers. Electric works much faster with much less effort exerted than what is possible by hand, which lets you get into your SUP activities faster and feeling fresh and energised.
Prevent Overinflation - One of the most important things to avoid with your board is overinflation due to the significant damage that it can cause. Many electric pumps come equipped with PSI gauges to accurately measure the current pressure in the board and set a pressure target to inflate to. If you aren’t confident in being able to pump your board to the correct pressure by hand, then it’s well worth considering that electric may be the best paddle board pump option for you.
Remove All of the Air When Deflating - A lot of electric pumps can expel air from your board as well as put it in - which is a very useful feature when it comes to deflating your board. Of course, it’s perfectly possible to deflate your board without this feature, but being able to do so with your pump means that you can be sure that you’ve completely expelled all of the air and that it will fold away nicely when it's time to put it away.
Benefits of Hand Pumps
Not Battery Reliant - One of the top factors in favour of a hand paddle board pump is the fact that it is not reliant on maintaining a battery to operate. Requiring a power source to function means that making use of electric pumps comes with an extra degree of preparation before you set out. You’ll need to make sure that it is properly charged or that your car or vehicle will be able to power it.
Generally Less Expensive - Somewhat predictably, electrical hand pumps tend to be a fair bit more expensive to buy than a hand pump, which may be a worthwhile consideration if you’re trying to SUP on a budget.
Warms You Up - Don’t underestimate the benefit of the warm-up provided by using a hand pump! While it might seem like you’ll spend ages exerting yourself to get your SUP ready for the water this way, hand pumps are actually quick to set up and get going and the effort put in on your part will have your muscles and body nicely prepared to hit the water.
Our Pick - The Titan 2 Pump
If you’re looking for a hand pump for your SUP kit, then you need look no further than the Red Titan 2 Pump. As the first purpose-built double-chamber hand pump, the design of the Titan 2 is ideal for cutting down the effort exerted when inflating your paddle board while keeping all of the advantages of hand pumps as well. Taking advantage of its dual-cylinder system to make inflation easier than ever before, the Titan 2 makes a great contender for the best paddle board pump for your kit.
We hope that this breakdown has been helpful to you in trying to determine the best paddle board pump type for your particular needs. If you have any questions about paddle board pumps, or need any other SUP-related assistance, don’t hesitate to get in contact with our team.
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