There's been a lot of discussion lately in the SUP world about inflatable stand up paddleboads - feedback has been very positive from those embracing this new twist on the sport. As long as some attention has been paid to the rails and fin layout they can be used to some degree in surf and they are absolutely great for flat water paddling. One area that some have been concerned about is the inflation time. You could argue its similar to getting the board off the roofrack and out of the bag but in reality it's probably going to take a little longer. Most estimates seem to be between 5 and 7 minutes of steady pumping with some people making it easy by using a high volume pump for the majority of inflation followed by a high pressure bicycle style track pump to top the board off. Others have tried compressors and even diving oxygen cylinders but for most paddlers these really wouldn't be an option.
If you are thinking about the ease and portability benefits of getting an inflatable board don't let inflation issues put you off - check the following video to see just how easy inflatable SUP boards are to pump up.
