What PSI should an inflatable paddle board be pumped to?

Most inflatable SUPs feel best near the top of the printed range. If your board says 12 to 15 PSI, aim for 14 to 15 for flatwater stiffness and heavier riders, and stay closer to 12 to 13 if you want a slightly softer feel for surf or lighter paddlers. Do not exceed the max on the valve cap. Hot sun raises pressure and cold water lowers it, so recheck after launching and bleed a little air if the deck feels drum tight on a hot day.

Quick home check without fancy tools. If you have a mountain bike shock pump, grab a Halkey Roberts adapter and use its gauge to cross check. Otherwise borrow a small inline SUP gauge once, inflate until that trusted gauge reads your target, then note what your hand pump gauge shows at that same moment. From then on you can hit that mark with your manual pump even if its numbers are off.

If you want a simple all in one fix, Hydrohero SUP Pump gives you a digital readout and auto shutoff at your target and it goes to 20 PSI. Set it to 15, let it stop on its own, then see what your hand pump was showing for the same fill so you have a reliable reference going forward.

Im 200 pounds and my touring board is happiest at the top of its 12 to 15 window. run 15 on calm days because it stays noticeably stiffer underfoot. To verify your pump at home borrow any known good gauge once such as on an electric SUP pump or a bike shock pump and fill to your target on that. Note what your hand pump reads at the same time and remember that offset. I put a strip of tape on the face with a sharpie line and now I stop right there. Heat adds a bit of pressure so do not leave it baking on the beach fully topped up.

On most iSUPs I get the best feel right near the high end of the printed range.

If yours says 12 to 15 I pump to 14 or 15 for flat water and heavier paddlers and back off to about 12 to 13 for surf or light riders.

To sanity check a sketchy hand gauge at home use a shock pump from a mountain bike with a SUP valve adapter and read that gauge while you fill.

Then put a tiny mark on your manual gauge at the true target so you can hit it fast next time even if the numbers are off.

Keep in mind the sun can raise pressure and cold water can knock it down so recheck after launch and burp a little air if the deck feels drum tight.

Works great.

Aim high in the printed range for stiffness. For 12 to 15 that means 14 to 15 unless you want a softer surf feel. Calibrate your hand pump once against a reliable gauge using a SUP adapter then just pump to that same mark. Hot car or hot sun raises PSI and a plunge into cold water drops it. Done.

For surf I like a little give so I stop around 12 to 13 on a 12 to 15 board — For flat water or if the deck feels a bit bouncy under a bigger paddler go up to 14 or 15. If you do not have a second gauge a quick feel check helps. Tap the deck with your knuckles and press with your thumb near the handle and it should feel crisp not spongy. Best move is to borrow a known good gauge once set your board to the target then mark your pump where that is but then simple.

If you truly cannot find another gauge you can still get close by doing a simple flex check at home. Set the board on the floor inflate toward 14 to 15 and stand at center with feet shoulder width and watch for sag the rails should stay straight and the deck should not potato chip under you. It is not precise but after you do it once at a known good pressure you will recognize the feel and the sound when you tap the deck. I still think borrowing a shock pump for one calibration is the best move then mark your gauge and forget about it.

Most boards feel best at the high end so 14 to 15 for flat water and bigger riders and 12 to 13 if you prefer softer. Verify your pump once against any accurate gauge with a SUP adapter then use that offset forever. Temperature swings change PSI so check again after launch.

Use a bike shock pump with a SUP adapter to set true pressure, then note what your hand pump reads at that moment and use that mark next time for within about half a PSI. Expect pressure to drop by 1 to 2 PSI in cold water and rise in hot sun.

Stay within the valve cap rating and usually aim near the top, around 14 to 15 for stiffness. Borrow a gauge or use a bike shock pump to find true 15, mark it on your pump, and recheck on the water since cold water lowers pressure a bit.

Bring the board and pump inside or into the shade so temperature is stable. Hook up a reliable gauge such as on a bike shock pump with the right adapter and inflate to your chosen number between 12 and 15. While holding that pressure look at your hand pump and note exactly where its needle sits then draw a tiny mark on the lens or ring so you can hit that spot every time. Next sessions you just pump to the mark. If you launch into cold water expect to lose a bit and if the board was in a hot car expect a bit more.

go right to 15 on my river board because rocks and my weight demand stiffness and if I'm messing around in small surf I drop to about 12 and it feels more lively. The cheap little gauges on hand pumps are notorious so I begged an accurate one from my neighbor once inflated to 15 on that then I saw my pump was reading almost 13 and I wrote the real tick mark on it and yeah that solved it. Watch the sun though because a hot deck will creep up.