Pre Season SUP Checklist

While stand up paddleboarding for some is an all year round sport, for many it really takes the weather and water temperature to improve before they consider returning to the water for the new season. This means that it is a great time of the year to check your paddleboard and paddle offer to make sure that everything works as it should.

With this in mind, here is a hand checklist for you to use:

Check your board for any damage: While you may have stored your board safely either inside or outside over the winter months it is well worth checking it over for any damage. It is well worth inspecting it thoroughly for any signs of damage, including cracks, dents, or scratches. After all, its not unheard of that small furry rodent friends enjoy munching on a deck pad or board bag. If you do find any damage, it’s best to have it repaired before use. If you do need a repair be sure to check out our list of recommended repairers in the UK.

Check the air pressure: If you paddleboard is an inflatable one, then it is very important to make sure that your board stills holds air at the recommended pressure. Inflated and left for a period of 24 hours is an ideal test and will highlight any issues. The most common issue we find with inflatable paddleboards is valves loosening. This leads to air leaking from around the valve. The great news is that this is very easy to remedy, checkout our video on how to tighten your paddleboard valve here.

Inspect the fin box and fins: Fin boxes and fins, are often taken for granted and can be easily over looked. However, lots of wear and tear can take place on the fin and fin box, particularly when left on the beach or ground in between sessions. It is worth inspecting the fin box to ensure that there are no cracks or damage. The same goes for the fins. The screw and plates used to screw fins can also wear over time and some (particularly brass fittings) can corrode and become soft over time leading to failure. Such a small part as a screw and plate, can end a session before it has even started so we’d also recommend carrying a spare or two. You’ll find these here.

Check your paddle: It’s important to inspect your paddle for any signs of wear or damage, such as cracks, chips, or scratches. While fixed length paddles are easy to service check, we often find that adjustable two piece paddle or three piece paddles are the ones that raise the most questions. The issues if not always come down to poor maintenance resulting in stiff or seized paddle sections which render an adjustable paddle useless. In our experience, these can be ‘unstuck’ through use of boiling water and a bit of brute force. However, if you are well and truly stuck (no pun intended) then feel free to drop us a line at help@thesupco.com for some advice.

Check your leash: Your leash is an essential safety device that keeps you attached to your paddleboard. It is without doubt the most undervalued piece of your paddling set up. Think about it; the cheapest and most taken for granted piece of your set up is responsible for keeping you (someone who is priceless) attached to your board that you have spent your hard earned money on. Your leash also experiences the most stress out of any piece of your equipment, being extended, pulled, dragged and whatever else. But when was the last time you inspected your leash to make sure it’s in good condition, with no signs of wear or fraying. When was the last time you replaced your leash? In the scheme of things, they are not expensive items and replacing one every couple of years strikes us as good practise. You can view our range of leashes here.

So there you have a it a few simple checks to see you get back on the water and ready for the paddleboarding season ahead.