JLF TOP 18 PADDLE BOARD QUESTIONS & ANSWERS:
Q1: Does size and shape matter?
Q2: How long does it take to inflate?
Q3: Why is a DUAL action pump considered to be critical for inflatable SUPs?
Q4: Why doesn't the pressure gauge on my pump seem to be working?
Q5: How long does it take to deflate?:
Q6: Does it fit back in the bag?
Q7: How do I attach the kayak seat to my SUP?
Q8: Will the JLF Kayak seat attach to my JLF 11 foot red or 15 foot orange paddle board?
Q9: Where do I put my legs when I use the seat on a Paddle Board?
Q10: How do I stand up on my Paddle Board?
Q11: How do I get my balance on the paddle board?
Q12: How do I keep my board going straight when I paddle?
Q13: How do I assemble my convertible SUP and Kayak paddle included with my 10' Blue SUP/Kayak Set?
Q14: Does the paddle float?
Q15: How durable is my paddle board?
Q16: Does it come with a warranty?
Q17: My paddle board has a small 'bubble' on the bottom, across from the valve. Is this a defect and will it spread?
Q18: What is included in the repair kit that comes with my SUP?
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Q1: Does size and shape matter?
A1: Yes, the size and shape of your paddle board matters!
LENGTH - The length of the stand up paddle board (SUP) will be an indicator of how well it will track (go straight) when you paddle. The longer the paddle board, the straighter the SUP will go when you paddle. We do not recommend anything shorter than 10' long because every time you paddle, the nose of the paddle board will turn and it will not be a good experience.
WIDTH - The width of the paddle board is where you get your stability. The wider the paddle board, the more stable the paddle board, however it will also be slower. We recommend 31-32" wide for a beginner/intermediate SUP. It is both stable and lets you paddle at a good pace for exploring. You can do yoga on our 32" wide paddle boards, however, if you only wanted to do yoga, we would recommend a slightly wider board at 34". Check out our Pool Yoga Board.
DEPTH - The depth of the paddle board is where you add to the overall buoyancy and weight capacity of the paddle board. All of our adult size paddle boards are 6" thick and we do not recommend anything smaller than 5" thick.
Q2: How long does it take to inflate?
A2: With the DUAL action hand pump, the 10-11ft SUPs only take about 5 minutes and the 15ft SUPs take about 10 minutes to inflate. Start with the DUAL action mode (Screw IN), until you can't pull up on the handle of the pump anymore (probably around 150-200 pumps and 8 psi for the SUPs). Then switch to SINGLE Action (Screw OUT) to fully inflate to 12-15 psi (an additional 100-200 pumps for the SUPs).
Q3: Why is a DUAL action pump considered to be critical for inflatable SUPs?
A3: Our DUAL action pump pushes air into the paddle board on both the up-stroke, as well as, the down-stroke. Single action pumps only use the down-stroke and therefore require twice the effort and time.
Q4: Why doesn't the pressure gauge on my pump seem to be working?
A4: Although the paddle board may "look" inflated (after ~100 pumps), it must be pressurized for optimum performance. SUPs are inflated to 12-15psi (150-250 more pumps). The gauge on the pump will not register until you reach 3psi.
Q5: How long does it take to deflate?:
A5: Deflating and rolling up are a breeze at 3-4 minutes! Open the valve, by pressing down on it. It will be loud, at first, because of the pressurization. Let the paddle board deflate, on its own, for a few minutes (it will be easier to roll up). For SUPs, start at the nose and simply roll your paddle board up to the tail. When you reach the valve, we recommend rolling the tail so that the fin box is inside the roll and the two stationary fins are outside the roll.
Q6: Does it fit back in the bag?
A6: Yes! It will fit back in the bag and it will roll up tighter after the second use.
Q7: How do I attach the kayak seat to my SUP?
A7: For your SUP, place the bottom of the kayak seat behind the center handle and you will clip to the d-rings on top of the paddle board. The straps on the TOP of the back of the kayak seat will clip to the d-rings towards the FRONT, or nose, of the paddle board. The straps on the BOTTOM of the back of the kayak seat will clip to the d-rings towards the BACK, or tail, of the paddle board. Please remember that the straps are adjustable and the bottom of the seat is move-able so the first time you set it up, you may need to experiment to see the position that you like best.
Q8: Will the JLF Kayak seat attach to my JLF 11 foot red or 15 foot orange paddle board?
A8: Yes! Your JLF 11 foot red and 15 foot orange paddle board has the same d-rings on-top as the JLF 10 foot blue paddle board so you can use the JLF kayak seat. We've also added a kayak conversion set for you that includes the JLF kayak seat and an extra blade for your paddle to convert it from the stand up paddle board paddle to a kayak paddle.
Q9: Where do I put my legs when I use the seat on a Paddle Board?
A9: We find it comfortable to bend our knees and place our feet flat on the pad in front of us. Don't forget to bring the 4th piece of your paddle with you so you can switch to standing at any time!
Q10: How do I stand up on my Paddle Board?
A10: Start out on your knees, around the center handle. When you are comfortable, stand up and keep your feet shoulder width apart (around the center handle). For extra stability, use your paddle, like a tight rope walker would use their pole. Hold your paddle perpendicular to the board. The board is going to move and flex in the water. We recommend rolling your legs side to side and even, jumping on the board, to get a feel for how it responds in the water. If you are stiff, you will fall in. If you can feel the way the board moves, you will be ok.
Q11: How do I get my balance on the paddle board?
A11: The paddle board is going to move in the water. To get your "sea legs", we recommend doing three things: 1. Roll the board by pressing down on your left leg and then right leg to get a feel for how it moves in the water when a wave comes from the side. 2. Jump on the board to see how it flexes when a wave comes from the front or back and finally, 3. Hold your paddle perpendicular to the board, like a tight rope walker would hold their pole, for added stability and balance on the water.
Q12: How do I keep my board going straight when I paddle?
A12: The motion for stand up paddling is different than for kayaking. For stand up paddling, you want to reach out in front of you and paddle DOWN from the nose to the tail. If you paddle OUT (like you would for kayaking), instead of DOWN (for stand up paddling), the board will turn and not go straight.
Q13: How do I assemble my convertible SUP and Kayak paddle included with my 10' Blue SUP/Kayak Set?
A13: To assemble your paddle for SUP or kayaking, you will use 3 of the 4 pieces. The paddle is 'error-proofed' and does not allow you to assemble it incorrectly. The paddle shaft has a single pin on one end (that attaches to the SUP paddle blade) and a dual pin on the other end (that attaches either to the SUP handle OR the Kayak paddle blade). See the instruction sheet below:
Q14: Does the paddle float?
A14: Yes, the paddles float. No worries!
Q15: How durable is my paddle board?
A15: JLF paddle boards are tough! Think about them like white water rafts, not pool floats. We use the same materials that are used for a white water raft, not your children's water wings! JLF paddle boards are multi-layer and we use MSL fusion technology for the construction of our boards and kayaks. This manufacturing process allows us to reduce the weight (eliminate glue) and maintain durability.
Q16: Does it come with a warranty?
A16: Yes, our JLF paddle boards come with a 2-year warranty!
Q17: My paddle board has a small 'bubble' on the bottom, across from the valve. Is this a defect and will it spread?
A17: The bubble that you see is not a defect. It is on all of our paddle boards. See photo below of a brand new SUP. The inside of the paddle board has thousands of threads holding it together that allow the board to be pressurized and hold its shape. You can see small dimples in the PVC where the threads are. Where the valve is located, there can be no threads, so the bubble appears on the opposite side. Many of our competitors locate their fin box in this location to hide the bubble. However, we placed our fins higher up on our boards for increased stability. No worries about it spreading or there being a problem with lamination. This is normal.
Q18: What is included in the repair kit that comes with my SUP?
A18: The repair kits that come with the SUPs have 2 pieces of PVC, to match the colors of your paddle board, and a valve tightening tool. If you have the button of the valve in the UP position (refer to your owner's manual) and after you inflate your paddle board, you hear air coming out of the valve, you can use the valve tightening tool to tighten the valve (when your SUP is deflated). The tool is perfectly sized to connect to your valve and simply tighten by turning clockwise. Should you need to repair your paddle board, you will need to purchase a pvc cement that should come with instructions on how to apply it.
