Let's have a look at how we can give some extra care to your much beloved Paddle boards.
Whether your SUP is a few years old or just out of its wrapping, taking care of your board is paramount. For best results we are going to share with you some simple ways to help your board have a long lifespan.
Dry your Board
Once the SUP is washed, it is time to give it a quick dry to make sure we get all of that dirt and bacteria off. As we all know, bacteria thrives in moisture rich environments, so a damp paddleboard, once packed-away can become a real hot-spot for bacteria. Using a small cloth or microfibre towel to dry your board out after washing will help maintain its great condition.
If you plan to store your board for a longer time make sure this is done thoroughly to keep the board safe.
Check for Dirt in Tough Places
Your fin box and valve are great places for dirt, sand and bacteria to hide, so make sure you double check these whenever possible. Ideally you'll be doing this while washing your SUP.
Watch out for the Sun
We all love to be out on the water when it’s sunny, and who can blame us. But we also know how damaging the sun can be especially when we're exposed to it without protection. The smae theory applies to your SUP.
The UV radiation will eventually affect our boards in one way or another, but, how quickly this happens is something we can still control. If you are not using the boards straight away try to keep them out of the sun whenever possible. It's inevitable to stay completely out of the sun (and also crazy), but worry not as there are ways to significantly help reduce any potential damage to your board. August race UV protect is a spray-applied conditioning/protective UV treatment for inflatable or rigid paddle boards that gives lasting protection against both salt residues & UV damage.
Air pressure in inflatable SUPs as we know is really important but what do we do when it’s really hot outside. On those really hot days we might want to slightly drop our PSI a notch to allow some space for that extra air pressure built due to the expanding heat.
Storage
When we are not out enjoying our boards we need to make sure they are stored correctly. A dry and cool place would be ideal. Make sure that this is away from anything that could harm your board in storage, for example hazardous chemicals, excessive damp or strong, sharp objects.
We also want to make sure that our boards are the top item, anything that is placed on top of the board can create pressure marks which can eventually turn into a weak point. inflatable boards are brilliant as most come with their own storage bags, however if you like to leave your board inflated or if you have a composite board, a board bag is essential to keep it protected and clean.
Transportation
For inflatable boards, the bag it comes with is ideal for all type of transportation. Used as a backpack or a wheeled luggage you drag behind you, you can easily bring your SUP along to most places.
If you prefer transporting your SUP already inflated or have a composite board, you are going to need to secure it safely on the top of your car using a roof rack. To start, make sure you have a set of roof rack pads as this stops any form of friction between the board and the bars, avoiding a lot of unwanted damage. Load up your board and start to strap it down, the board needs to be tightly secured to the rack in order to avoid any movement of the board once the car's in motion. It is really important to make sure that the straps are not going to damage the board by being excessively tight.
It is always worth locking anything on your roof with a cable and padlock or lockable straps, not doing this could invalidate some insurance claims.