How To Deflate And Pack Your Starboard Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board

Today on the Starboard ‘How To’ series, we are going to outline how to deflate and pack your Starboard inflatable paddle board.

Step 1 – Deflate

To deflate, start by locating the valve where you inflated the board. Once located, we can release that valve by rotating it counter clockwise. Then, you can press the pin down and lock it in the down position to deflate. When you press down on the pin, the air will start exiting out of the board which might be a little loud to start, but as the pressure drops, it will get quieter. For those who have the double chamber, you can simply follow the same steps as the main chamber by turning the valve counter clockwise, removing it and then pressing down. To deflate your paddle board quicker, you can use your tiki pump by connecting the hose to the deflate mode on the pump handle. Whilst making sure the pin is down, connect the hose to the valve and start pumping. This time, instead of pushing air into the board, the pump is pulling the air out of the board helping it to deflate faster.

Step 2 – Fold

Once you’ve finished deflating your board, it’s time to start folding. We start by folding the nose of the board to the tail in small increments. Folding this way will also help to expel any air that is still inside of the board. As you are folding, press down on each fold to help keep your board small and compact. As you reach the valve point, it’s important to ensure the pin in the centre of the valve is up and the top screwed back on, so we don’t allow any dust into the board. Once we reach the tail of the board, you’re ready to pack it into it’s bag.

Step 3 – Pack Away

Before packing into the bag, we need to make sure that the final fold should have the fin box on top of the other folds. Now, we can grab it from each side with the fin box still facing up and put it inside the board bag, securing it with the compression belt. Once the board is packed, it’s time to pack the accessories. Starting with the pump, remove the hose, the base and it’s ready to pack into the accessories compartment in the bag. Once everything is in, you can secure it all in place with the belt. Now it’s all secure, you can close up the bag using the zippers and secure the compression belt to reduce any strain on the zipper. Use the handle to lift up the bag and you’re ready to roll it wherever you need to, as easy as that!