Does having to pump up inflatable ever deter going out?

[pdxmike]

Do sharks attack inflatables?

They may, but only in the 12'6" board class.  Unlimiteds would solve that. 

spook--a friend of mine was trying to get me to do the Maui Channel Swim one year.  He said you can see sharks swimming in the area, so you just want to be sure not to be in last place.


Multiple chambers could add safety if your board was bit, even though that sounds like a baffling design.

You're trying to divide and conquer!

Or united (one chamber) we fall, divided (separate chambers) we stand.


Actually, though, if I had to choose between a tough skin or multiple chambers, I'd go with tough skin like ULI has chosen to do--better to prevent the failure in the first place. 

[Area 10]

Yeah, a flying fish strike is pretty unlikely. But that was actually my point: some damn strange things happen at sea, and they seem to happen quite often, even though each event might be unique in a lifetime. And often they are things you never imagined would or could happen.

It would have to be a pretty extraordinary event though, if you have a foam-filled hard board, not be left at the end with a piece big enough to float you, and that would be visible by rescue services from the air. With an iSUP, one leak and you are on your own, so you'd better had a good pfd and a back-up plan.

I'm a bit disappointed not to get a "we are looking into it" response from a brand in relation to my query about multiple chambers. I guess it would make them too expensive and heavy, eh? Or maybe no-one is asking for them....yet. But you just know that sooner or later one of these things is going to go "pop" or HIIIISSSS and leave someone in a pickle. So since that event would likely scare off a large stack of the iSUP customer base I'd have thought that it would be a good idea to preempt that circumstance by looking into multiple chamber iSUPs for those of us who are safety-conscious. Maybe even sometime in the future there may be government safety standards that have to be applied to these things, like there are for various water craft. If they were looked at in that way, I'd have thought the first thing that the safety people would insist on would be multiple chambers.

I suspect that if one brand came out with a multiple chamber board it would instantly make all other single chamber boards look sketchy. So if I were in the iSUP business I'd be rushing to develop one now before someone else makes my stock look like pool toys. But what do I know, I'm just an iSUP owner (twice), who is afraid to go far offshore with his. And no amount of telling me that it is unlikely that e.g. the valves of my iSUPs will fail at sea is going to make me think that a single-chamber iSUP is as safe as a hard board.

Given the nature of these kinds of forums, I will be in a minority in voicing these concerns. Of course, no brand or retailer is going to let any hint that their products might not be safe go unchallenged, so I can expect to be outnumbered. No doubt any moment now there will come along a whole set of people connected to the industry who will say I'm being ridiculous. But I should imagine that there will be some other potential iSUP customers out there who are beginning to think along the same lines: one bit of sand in the valve and you could be facing a life-altering moment.

So, pretty please iSUP manufacturers, can I have an iSUP that won't completely sink if a dog's' paw (or bite)  punctures it, or if I fall on it with something sharp, never mind more commonplace things like hitting underwater obstructions, or as the guy in the video does, brush against a rocky cliff, or lava etc?

BTW, does the ULI that is going to be used for the Molokai have the wiki rails?

[Area 10]

Actually, though, if I had to choose between a tough skin or multiple chambers, I'd go with tough skin like ULI has chosen to do--better to prevent the failure in the first place.

I see the valve as the principal source of likely failure over time, rather than the skin. Multiple chambers would offset that problem.

My ULI is pretty darned tough (and heavy). But it is getting on a bit now (I got what was perhaps the first Steamroller model in Europe) and I find myself wondering about the fiddly bits in the valve mechanism and how they might be holding up...

[esskay1000]

I've had my iSUP in some pretty sketch situations, far from shore, rough waters etc.  I agree, I've been more worried about the valve than the fabric of the board.  I have thought about a puncture and what I'd do, but I always bring a PFD (type I or II) when I do that, so at least I'm giving myself a better chance if the worst happened

[spirit4earth]

Area 10,  I doubt you'll get an argument about whether a hard board is safer far offshore than an iSup.  It just makes sense that it would be.  That's not a reason to stay near shore when on an iSup, but it's definitely something to consider and reckon with.

[capobeachboy]

Ten - the type of impact incident you're referring to in the ocean is probably one in a million, but in running whitewater it can happen multiple times on every run.  Most inflatable boards seem to hold up just fine in that environment and I think that's why everybody isn't jumping on the concept.  ULI looked at it when they first started building SUPs and I think there might be a couple prototypes laying around but as I mentioned they have their drawbacks.  The fact that all ULIs are made here in the USA I'm sure we could make a custom dual chambered board to your specs.  Give me an idea of the dimensions you are looking for in this kind of board and I'll talk with the production guys next week. 

Also Boardworks/Badfish has been making a dual chambered SUP for a couple years now (the MCIT).  It's meant for big whitewater or fishing and it has it's applications in certain conditions.   

[capobeachboy]

BTW, does the ULI that is going to be used for the Molokai have the wiki rails?

No - we use the Wiki Rails primarily for boards intended to be used for surfing, surf racing, or in situations where you might want a little more stability. We've contracted some studies on the effectiveness of the Wiki Rails that we hope to release next month.

[Sup-position]

Here is something New

Air Fitting for your Inflatable..

You can use a Cigarette Lighter Air Pump, compressor, or gas station etc..

$25.00 Ea

[spookini]

I've heard compressors or gas station airpumps might not be the best idea -- moisture/water in the line.
Thought I'd guess moisure in an iSUP isn't a big deal.  Would evaporate out?  Unlike water in an EPS board..

[Sup-position]

I don't think compressor oil would be good for it..

Many tire places have nitrogen now...that would be good.
Or use a tankless system...

[deepmud]

That seems like a lot for a valve - but it would work .

Don't use the cheap car tire compressors - they usually have a TEENY cylinder - 20 minutes or more to fill a tire.
This one claims 2 or 3 minutes.....

http://www.amazon.com/Industries-MV50-SuperFlow-High-Volume-Compressor/dp/B000BM8RT8

It starts to approach the cost of a high volume SUP pumpt tho'.....$25 plus $56 = $81 - the Brovo is about $130 lately.

But it will fill your tires, too. I have a Quick-Aire II already - so maybe I'll spring for the adapter.

Here's some 12v compressor (and CO2) comparisons - basicly, if you can't see a metal cylinder head, if it's hidden in plastic (300psi is a giveaway too) - you don't want it.

EDIT: the link,duh...  http://www.parksoffroad.com/prodreview/inflatortest/inflatormain.htm

Erik