How to Pack and Store Your Paddle Board

HOW TO PACK AND STORE YOUR PADDLE BOARD

Paddle boarding is an extremely exciting sport, with the number of individuals who follow or actively participate steadily increasing over the past years.

Ironically, despite being a relatively simple sport, packing and storing paddle boards isn’t so easy,  arguably making it the most problematic thing about paddle boarding.

Many rigid stand-up paddleboards are 10-12 feet long and can weigh almost 10kg, which makes storing them an uphill task. But after investing in quality boards, it’s indeed worth the effort to find the right place and technique of storage that will protect this board from damage.

WHERE CAN I STORE MY PADDKE BOARD?

 To store your paddle board, keeping it indoors offers the best protection, but practically, that is not always possible. Outdoors is acceptable, so long as the board is protected from direct sunlight, moisture, and extremely high temperatures.

Ultraviolet rays emitted from direct sunlight can gradually discolour and damage the shell of your board while the moist environment serves to cause the appearance of mold and mildew on the shell, damaging the shell material of the board further. Heat from sunlight or other energy sources in turn can do damage to the core materials and potentially cause the shell of the board to undergo desquamation.

Hence, when making the choice of a location for storage, be it Indoors (such as in a Room, a garage, or a shed) or Outdoors, it is vital to protect it from these degrading elements.

Keeping it under a deck, below the eaves of a roof or under a strung-up tarp are all good options as these are all shaded spots outside the house to protect your SUP from ultraviolet rays and heat.

HOW CAN I STORE MY PADDLE BOARD?

Besides location, there also exists several ways you can store your board to keep it protected from impending damage, some of which include:

On a rack

Many SUPers use a rack system to store their board. The rack should have straps or paddings to gently cushion the board.

Leaning

To lean the board up against a wall is probably the simplest method. You can do so by placing the SUP down on its side or tail (never put the board down on its nose up against a dry wall). It's a good idea to put some form of padded cushion between the board and the floor to protect the SUP.

Suspended

Hanging your board from the ceiling is a good way to get it up and out of the way while keeping it safe, clean, and out of harm.

TIPS ON PADDLE BOARD STORAGE 

• If you have an inflatable SUP, leaving your board partially inflated (at about 5 pounds per square inch) and storing it like you would a rigid board can help prevent it from developing permanent creases.
• if you have limited space, you can consider fully deflating it, but then you ought to leave the valve open, ensure the SUP is clean and completely dry, avoid tight compression of the board (leaving it loosely rolled up is the best option), and keeping it in a cool, dry place always (ideally indoors).
• Irrespective of mode or place of storage, it is also essential to keep your Paddle board clean. Before packing your board away, giving it a rinse with freshwater to remove any dirt and washing the board with a mild soap and water mix a few times each year will go a long way to maintain its finish. Also allow the board dry before putting it away.
• A sun-protective spray can also be applied to the SUP to provide extra protection from UV light.
• Theft protection is another concern one should have with regards to storage, hence, if you cannot keep your board indoors, then when storing it outdoors, keep it concealed from eyesight as much as possible.

Irrespective of one's choice of storage, the best remains that which is good for the paddleboard and the paddle boarder; thus the significance of ease of access cannot be overstated: You don’t want your SUP to be so difficult to get to that you don’t use it.