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Issue # 43

Your board survived winter. Probably. But here's the thing: most paddlers don't find out their gear is trashed until they're already on the water, halfway through a paddle, when a slow leak turns into a very long swim back. Twenty minutes of maintenance now means you're not that person. Let's make sure your board is actually ready.

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📍 This Week’s Tip: Pre-Season Board Check

You don't need to be a gear nerd. You just need to catch problems before they catch you.

Here's your quick checklist:

Inflatable Boards:

Inflate to max PSI and listen for hissing. Check seams, valve area, and around the fins.
Inspect the valve. Tighten if loose. Replace if it's cracked or leaking air.
Clean off salt, dirt, and any crud that built up last season. Mild soap and water work fine.
Check your leash plug and bungee cords. Replace anything frayed or cracked.

Hard Boards:

Look for dings, cracks, or soft spots. Water intrusion ruins boards fast.
Check fin boxes. Tighten screws. Replace any stripped or corroded hardware.
Inspect your deck pad. Peeling edges let water underneath.
Wipe down with fresh water. Store out of direct sun.

Why it matters: A small crack becomes a flooded board. A loose valve becomes a deflated board three miles from shore. A stripped fin screw becomes a lost fin in the middle of your paddle. All of this is avoidable.

🛠 Gear Pick of the Week: iSUP Valve Wrench

iSUP Valve Wrench ($8-$12)

If you paddle an inflatable and don't own this, you're gambling. Valves loosen over time. This tool tightens them. It weighs nothing and lives in your gear bag forever, and many iSUP packages come with one.

Fixes the most common iSUP issue in 30 seconds
A cheap insurance
Works on most standard inflation valves
Small enough to keep in your car or dry bag

Price Range: $8-$12
Verdict: Buy one. Keep it with your pump.

🌊 Spotlight: Store Your Board Right

Your board doesn't care where it sits. But the sun does.

Quick storage rules:

Keep boards out of direct sunlight when not in use. UV degrades materials over time.
Store inflatables partially deflated (10-12 PSI) in a cool, dry place. Fully inflated boards under pressure in hot garages crack seams.
Hard boards should be stored flat or on a rack. Leaning them against a wall for months warps the hull.
Rinse saltwater off after every session. Salt corrodes hardware and weakens adhesives.

Do this right and your board lasts years. Ignore it and you're buying a new one sooner than you planned.

💬 Paddle Talk: I Found Out the Hard Way

Three summers ago, I skipped the pre-season check. My board looked and felt fine. I threw it on top of the SUV and drove an hour to a new spot I'd been wanting to hit.

Ten minutes into paddling, I noticed it wasn't holding pressure. I got off the water and investigated and found the valve was loose. No big deal, right? Except I didn't have a valve wrench. And tightening it by hand did nothing.

I struggled back to the car, and sat there in a parking lot watching perfect conditions, with a board I couldn't use. All because I didn't spend five minutes checking my gear before I left.