Best Electric Pump for Paddleboards | 2023

Hands-down the most common accessory recommendation I make to all inflatable paddleboard owners is to get an electric pump. An electric pump not only makes getting your board inflated much easier, but it also makes the rest of your paddle preparations far more relaxed. Instead of spending 10-12 minutes working up a sweat by pumping manually, you can use that time to get the rest of your paddling gear ready, fill a water bottle, make sure the kids get their sunscreen and PFDs on correctly, do some stretching, or just relax!

Electric SUP Pumps are designed specifically for the challenges of inflating a paddleboard. They have two stages – a high flow/low pressure stage to inflate the board from flat to about 1 PSI, and then a low flow/high pressure stage that brings your paddleboard to its final pressure. Each pump has an automatic cutoff that you can set to your desired pressure. Once the board reaches that pressure the pump will automatically turn off to prevent over-pressurizing your board.

All of these pumps run on 12v DC power primarily through a 12v socket plug – what I grew up calling a “cigarette lighter plug.” These plugs work with any vehicle that has a 12v accessory socket/cigarette lighter. Many of these pumps also include an alligator clamp adapter to let you connect directly to a 12v battery (like your car battery, boat battery, RV battery, etc).

If you don’t have a car or want to use your electric pump somewhere that is inaccessible by car, many of these electric SUP pumps also have battery packs available (and any of them can use any battery pack with a 12v accessory plug).

Choosing the best electric pump for your paddleboard really boils down to whether you are looking for speed, portability, ease of use, or a bit of all three. We tested several electric SUP pumps for speed, usability, portability, volume, and several other measures. Here is our list of Best Electric SUP Pumps for 2023

Best Electric Pumps Comparison Chart

section-hd	Top-Rated Electric Pumps for Your Paddleboard
	BOARD	PRICE	DIMENSIONS	INFLATION TIME	WARRANTY
Outdoor Master Shark II Pump	Outdoor Master Shark II Pump Save	Check Best Price	11” x 9" x 5" 3.6 pounds	11.8 minutes	2 years
Isle Pioneer 2.0	iRocker Electric SUP Pump Save	Check Best Price	10” x 7.5" x 4" 3.8 pounds	10.2 minutes	1 year
Nixy Ventus Electric Pump	Nixy Ventus Electric Pump Save	Check Price	10.5” x 7.75” x 5" 3.9 pounds	12.3 minutes	1 year
Sea Gods Battery Electric Pump	Sea Gods Battery Electric Pump Save	Check Price	10” x 6.75" x 5.25" 4.9 pounds	13.8 minutes	1 year
Gili 12v Electric Pump	Gili 12v Electric Pump Save	Check Price	9.75” x 6.75" x 6.5" 3.4 pounds	13.7 minutes	1 year

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Outdoor Master Shark II Electric SUP Pump

Availability: US, Canada, UK, Europe

The Outdoor Master Shark II Electric SUP Pump is one of the most popular electric SUP Pumps on the market, and for good reason. It’s fast, simple to use, and reliable.

Features and Usability:
The Shark II comes with a small set of accessories in the box, but still has everything you need to inflate your iSUP and then some. The hose includes a standard Halkey Roberts adapter to connect to most iSUPs as well as a handful of other adapters for other inflatable boats, floats, mattresses, and more. The power cord doesn’t have a dedicated garage or keeper system mounted on the Shark II, but does have a reusable cable tie that keeps the cord wrapped and tidy when not being used.

On top of the Shark II is a simple user interface to start/stop the pump, adjust your units of measure (PSI or Bar), and set the desired inflation pressure higher or lower in 0.5 PSI increments – all seen on the small, but high-visibility, LCD screen. Once you press the power button, the Shark II will begin inflating your iSUP, automatically switch to its second stage, and automatically stop once your desired pressure (up to 20 PSI) is reached.

The simple interface means fewer pieces or complex components that could potentially fail, and the Shark II features an internal cooling fan to keep the pump running longer without overheating. Heat is the number-one killer of electric pumps, so an active internal cooling system is a great addition to this pump to keep it running for many years.

Speed and Volume:
While the Shark wasn’t the fastest pump in our testing, it did come in second-fastest with an average inflation time of 11:45 to get our medium-sized test board to 15 PSI when plugged into a constant power source.

Battery and Other Accessories:
Outdoor Master currently does not offer a stand-alone battery for the Shark II, nor any other accessories like carrying cases or power adapters. You can use the Shark II pump with other brand 12v batteries and power adapters, though.

Bottom Line: The Shark II Electric SUP Pump offers great performance and reliability, but is light on the additional accessories.

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iRocker Electric SUP Pump

Availability: US, Canada, Australia, UK, Europe

The iRocker Electric SUP Pump smashed the competition when it came to speed, and for that reason it’s one of my most-used electric iSUP pump – especially when I have multiple boards to inflate.

Features and Usability:
The iRocker electric SUP Pump isn’t the fanciest-looking electric pump option out there, but it certainly gets the job done fast. There is only one button to change the inflation pressure setting, requiring you to cycle through all of the pressure settings if you accidentally press the button one too many times.

The LCD display screen is relatively small at only 2.25” diagonally, however it packs in a great deal of information. On the screen you can see your input voltage, your chosen pressure setting (and units), the current board pressure, and which mode the pump is running in once it is turned on (auto, high or low).

The iRocker electric pump does have a built-in handle, but when purchased separately does not include any kind of carrying bag. This summer, iRocker began to package their electric pump with their new Ultra series iSUPs by default. With these packages, the pump does come with a nylon carrying bag that fits the pump, hose, and all of the pump accessories. There’s even enough room for an external battery pack.

Speed:
In our testing, the iRocker electric pump outpaced all of the other contenders time and again, and not by a slim margin. The iRocker electric pump inflated our test board to 15 PSI in just over 10 minutes when plugged into a constant power source and in just over 12 minutes when using the iRocker battery pack.

Battery and Other Accessories:
iRocker does offer a basic 12v battery as an additional accessory. This 4000 mAh battery has enough juice to reliably inflate two iSUPs to 15 PSI with the iRocker electric pump, but if you use it with smaller boards you may be able to inflate a third.

Bottom Line: The iRocker Electric Pump is the fastest pump we’ve tested. It’s an excellent choice and a great workhorse, but could be vastly improved with a better user interface and a cooling fan.

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Nixy Ventus Electric Pump

Availability: US

The Nixy Ventus is a user-friendly, highly portable electric pump with an internal cooling fan and excellent battery option.

Features and Usability:
The Nixy Ventus electric pump comes as a complete kit with the pump, hose, multiple inflation adapters, power adapters to use directly on a battery terminal, and a carrying bag to keep it all organized. There’s even a divider in the bag to fit the Nixy battery pack if you get one of those as well.

The user interface is simple and easy to use. The four buttons on the top of the unit allow you to select your units (PSI or Bar), adjust the inflation pressure setting up or down, and then start the pump. You can also use the Ventus to deflate your board by switching the hose to the “deflate” connector.

On the bottom of the pump is a cord wrap to store the cord, and a socket to store the plug itself.

One of the most important features of the Nixy Ventus is its internal cooling fan. This helps reduce the heat inside the pump while it is operating, increasing its longevity. When you plug the Ventus in, you can hear the fan start up immediately and a small fan graphic displays on the LCD screen.

Speed:
The Ventus performed well in our inflation speed test, bringing our test board to 15 PSI in just over 12 minutes when plugged in to a constant power source and 14 minutes while using the Nixy battery power pack.

Battery and Other Accessories:
Nixy’s battery power pack is a multi-use 6,000 mAh battery. In addition to the 12v socket for the Ventus pump, there are multiple USB ports and a set of lights. We were able to reliably inflate our test board twice to 15 PSI. The third time we were able to get it to 14 PSI before getting a low-voltage cutoff warning.

Bottom Line: The Nixy Ventus offers a high value package, good performance and an internal cooling fan to help increase its longevity. The Nixy battery pack is also an excellent option for any electric pump with its 6,000 mAh capacity.

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Sea Gods Battery Electric Pump

Availability: US, Canada

The Sea Gods Battery Electric Pump is the most portable option we’ve found for an electric SUP pump.

Features and Usability:
One of the defining features of this pump is in the name – battery. The Sea Gods Battery Electric Pump has a built-in battery to power the pump without any external power source. It also has a compact form factor and integrated carry handle that folds out of the way.

The top of the pump has a large cable garage for the 12v power plug (so you can use it plugged in if you prefer). The trade off for this internal battery system is a lower maximum pressure. While the other pumps on this list can inflate boards up to 20 PSI, the Sea Gods Battery Electric Pump maxes out at 16 PSI. Many paddle boards recommend maximum pressures between 15-18 PSI, so this isn’t really a limitation for many paddlers, but for those that like the extra stiffness from higher pressures it means you’ll need another way to top off your board.

The user interface is very friendly with easy-read buttons and a high visibility LCD screen. The only issue we’ve had is that to turn the unit on, you do have to hold the power button for a very long time. You’ll hear an audible click from an internal relay, but if you let go at the click you’ll have to start over again. Make sure to wait until the screen has completely turned on before releasing the power button.

The top also has two spring-loaded doors for a charging port and two USB ports. There is also a built-in flashlight on the front of the pump that you can turn on with a single button press.

Speed:
The Sea Gods Battery Electric Pump was the caboose in our speed test. When plugged into a constant 12v power source, it took nearly 14 minutes to inflate our test board. That time increased to just under 15 minutes on average while running on its internal battery.

Battery and Other Accessories:
The internal battery has a higher, 6,000 mAh capacity than many external SUP pump batteries. It has enough power for the Sea Gods Battery Electric Pump to reliably inflate 3 iSUPs. The battery-powered inflation times actually started at 13:23 (one of the fastest we recorded) but slowed down to over 16 minutes as the battery voltage dropped. In addition to the standard array of adapters and o-rings, you also get a zippered carrying bag to keep everything organized.

Bottom Line: The Sea Gods Battery Electric Pump gets top honors for portability, but lags behind in speed and maximum inflation pressure. Because it includes a built-in battery, it also offers an incredible overall value compared to purchasing a pump and battery separately.

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Gili 12v Electric Pump

Availability: US, International Shipping Available

The Gili 12v Electric pump is an effective, lower-cost, electric SUP pump that is simple to use and can be paired with an optional battery pack.

Features and Usability:
The Gili 12v Electric Pump is straightforward and simple to use. Once it’s plugged in, the screen turns on indicating the current inflation pressure setting. You can adjust that up or down, and switch the units between PSI and Bar by pressing the associated buttons on the carry handle. Once you are set and the hose is connected, simply press the power button and the Gili 12v.

Electric Pump will start inflating, and shut off once it reaches the set pressure. You can swap the hose to the Deflate connector to pull the air from your board when done as well. Simple and straight to the point. We did notice that the Gili 12v Pump did overheat faster than other pumps we tested. The black color and lack of active cooling are likely the culprits there.

Speed:
The Gili 12v Electric pump does allow for inflation up to 20 PSI, however it is on the slower side. During testing with our standardized board, the Gili pump took an average of just under 14 minutes to reach 15 PSI while plugged into a constant 12v power source. While using the Gili battery pack, inflation times were between 15 and 16 minutes.

Battery and Other Accessories:
Gili does offer an optional 4,000 mAh battery pack that can power the Gili 12v Electric Pump. We found that the Gili battery was only able to power the Gili 12v Pump long enough to fully inflate one iSUP, and got the second one to 14 PSI before the pump cut off due to low voltage.

Bottom Line: The Gili 12v Electric Pump offers simplicity and the convenience of an electric pump at a lower budget, but is also significantly slower and prone to overheating faster than the other pumps we’ve tested.

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Electric Pumps for Paddleboards FAQs

What to look for when choosing an Electric Pump for SUP?

Our two biggest factors in deciding which electric pumps to recommend and which to include on our best list come down to reliability and speed. We prefer electric SUP pumps to have an active cooling system. This keeps the pump working longer each time you use it, and also extends the overall life of the pump. While one of the greatest benefits of an electric pump is making inflating your SUP hands-free, you also want to get out on the water.

Should I Get a Battery for my Electric Pump?

Having a portable power source for your electric pump is the best way to get the most out of your electric pump. A compact 12v battery fits easily into any iSUP bag and will let you inflate 2-3 boards on a single charge. This means you can inflate right on the beach, after hiking to an alpine lake, and you can still get the benefit of an electric pump while using public transit.

Can I Use My Car Tire Inflator to Pump My SUP?

Technically you might be able to. However, it’s either going to take a very, very, very long time, or you may even burn out the tire inflator motor before it gets your board to the right pressure. Tire inflators are made to inflate small volumes to high pressures. They don’t have the airflow capacity to efficiently fill a large item like an iSUP, especially when trying to fill it to 15 PSI (or more).

Other Recommended Accessories for Stand-Up Paddleboards

In addition to an electric pump for your paddleboard there are a few other accessories that make your paddling experience even more enjoyable.

• PFD (Personal Flotation Device) – in addition to keeping you safe while on the water, many areas require you to have or wear a PFD while on the water.
• Dry Bag – Some things just aren’t made to get wet. Keys, wallet, phones, sandwiches are all great things that we often need to have with us while paddling. A high quality dry bag not only keeps these items from getting wet, but also keeps them securely attached to your board.
• Deck Cooler – nothing hits quite like a cold drink on a hot, sunny day while you’re out having fun. Deck coolers are a great way to keep your beverages cold while on the water.

Final Thoughts – Best Electric Pumps for Paddleboards

Electric paddleboard pumps are one of the top accessories we recommend for every paddleboarder. They are an indispensable tool for me, personally, and make paddleboarding possible for paddlers who may not have the body strength required to hand-pump their board to the right pressure. It’s easily one of the best investments any paddleboarder can make to make paddleboarding more enjoyable.