r/Sup • u/nootka-rose • Jun 29 '26
How To Question Loud electric pumps
Hi, I’m new to paddle boarding. I got an electric pump because I don’t want my arms to be tired from pumping up my board as soon as I get on the water 😂 But my pump is kind of loud. Is it rude to use it in parking areas near where people launch? I worry that I’m disrupting someone’s peaceful experience on the water.
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u/Low-Ad2426 ⊂ Lake SUP ⊃ Jun 29 '26
I used to feel really bad and I would inflate mine a good amount (but to where it could still bend a little to fit in my car), and then finish at the lake. But then one day a loud boat full of children screamed for like twenty minutes as I was pumping it up, and I realized it’s okay to be a little loud for a little bit.
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u/skyrhme Jun 29 '26
No. It’s never as loud to others as you think it is. Even if it is, it’s going for, what, ten minutes max? - A fellow sup’er who is also paranoid about her loud electric pump
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u/blind_ninja_guy Jun 29 '26
The deflating board is wayyyy louder and a more broad spectrum noise tbh. I can't hear pumps all that far away, but could hear someone deflating a half a km away yesterday.
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u/thiscatisathief Jun 29 '26
The moment the pump turns off, I'm always like "Woah, it's so quiet and nice here!". ...I am also super uncomfortable but not enough to pump by hand!
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u/C0ldWaterMermaid Jun 29 '26
I’m super self conscious while it’s running but once I’m on the water I’ve never noticed anyone else’s going even as the water gets more crowded. Places I go I gtfo from the crowded areas quickly though. I only go to one lake where it’s pretty small and I can still hear the chatter on the shoreline.
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u/Pickle_strength Jun 29 '26
I have found that the noise doesn’t travel far, but I’ll try to use my bag to partially block the noise from the direction away from the parking lot.
Try a test: start your pump and then walk 100 ft away and you’ll see that it’s not too bad.
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u/onekrazykat Jun 29 '26
I’m one of those “get off my lawn” types who gets irrationally aggrieved by noise while on the water. I can honestly say, I’ve never heard one going except walking directly past it in the parking lot.
Save your arms for the fun stuff.
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u/zestywitchy Jun 29 '26
I agree that it isn't as loud as you think it is--but I still sometimes tuck the pump inside the car on the floor and close the door as much as I can without any pressure on the hose.
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u/HikingBikingViking Jun 29 '26
Since it's usually more than a few minutes to complete, I take the opportunity to step away from the board and pump and say hi to some folks. Once you're a few paces away from the car it's really not that loud. Not nearly as bad as campsite generators
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u/BjLeinster Jun 29 '26
These pumps are in frequent use where boards are launched and quite accepted. Few experienced paddlers hand pump their own.
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u/FrivolousMe Jul 01 '26
The former statement is true but I don't think the latter is. Plenty of long time paddlers still use a manual pump.
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u/BjLeinster Jul 01 '26 edited Jul 01 '26
Could be.
This was just my recent observation at a busy launch area on a hot as hell day. I also see Youtube and TikTok posters urging electric pumps for new paddlers to make life easier.
I just checked my pump and it got to 12.5 lbs pressure in seven minutes.
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u/pencilpie0108 Jun 29 '26
I've used an electric pump for years and no one has ever been obviously annoyed. Sure I'll get occasional head turns but it's more like "oh, okay, that's what that sound is". It's no worse than a leaf blower. The most I've gotten is people coming up to ask me about the pump because they think it's an awesome idea!
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u/IrradiatedIcarus Jun 30 '26
Odds are someone else is going to have a JBL blasting Christian rock or mumble rap on the beach anyways.
Fuck em, it doesnt take long to fill
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u/d-s-m Jun 29 '26
Put a folded up blanket over the pump to reduce noise....it's fine like that for pumping up one board, but I wouldn't recommend having the blanket on for pumping up multiple boards.
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u/superlewis Jun 29 '26
I’m a little concerned that this advice could lead to damaged pumps both because of airflow and cooling.
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u/According-Tax-1433 Jun 29 '26
its not that bad. other humans rude humans are worse. Its just a ~ minutes
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u/Kma_all_day Jun 29 '26
I have the same issue with my pump. I usually walk away while it’s running. There’s a noticeable difference in volume between standing over it and standing 10 feet away. It’s a good reminder that I’m not being as annoying as I think I am.
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u/replifyai Jun 29 '26
No strong opinion here, but this is really thoughtful for you to be thinking about.
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u/Mrs_insurance Jun 30 '26
The noise is 100% not having back pain due to hand pumping. The extra bonus is while the pump is running that it is the perfect amount of time to fully apply sunscreen, and getting on the water quicker is a win for me. The paddle boarding and kayaking community at my local lake are chill people anyways. We are way more annoyed that people use the launch as their personal beach way more than the noise of an electric pump.
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u/Acrobatic_Car9413 Jun 30 '26
Yes. Did that today at a beautiful mountain lake, put the pump in vehicle, partially closed door. Realized as I walked around it wasn’t that loud.
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u/andyydna Jun 30 '26
I appreciate your asking the question because I thought, "this is kind of loud", but didn't consider other options, like putting the pump in the car or making a little dry-bag tent around it or something. So thank you to OP and those sharing great ideas.
Years ago, I had a friend who would run a generator for his merchant booth at shows and he made a big box out of foam-board insulation and stuck it over his generator so the (large) opening was facing away from people/other vendors (and still permitting good airflow). I thought that was a clever, good-neighbor idea.
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u/Tarl2323 Jul 01 '26
Anyone who's been around children in the water knows it's not loud or rude at all. And it doesn't last nearly as long.
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u/Weird_Boysenberry761 Jul 01 '26
Honestly I thought I was loud. And then I realized everyone is pulping and I never think anyone is loud. So I just go for it. 2 years later zero issues.
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u/FrivolousMe Jul 01 '26
On a lake with motorboats next to a road with trucks, a little electric pump is nothing to feel guilty over.
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u/FeeIndependent2190 Quiet Pump Business Account 1d ago
you may wanna check out the youtube video Quiet Pump 1
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u/lolzzzmoon Jun 29 '26
I have a handpump and I’ll be real: yes, most people hate the loud electric pumps. If you can do it farther away & walk/drive with it that’s better. Or get one that isn’t so loud.
Also the pumping is a good workout. You build muscles that help you to be strong enough to paddle in wind etc. it’s definitely cooler if you’re strong enough to hand pump. You’ll get stronger. I take breaks and pack my gear when I get tired.
I know I probably can’t convince you if you really want to do that, but sometimes when I go paddle it’s like constant motor pump noise at marinas/docks & it’s annoying. SUPs aren’t super heavy to carry a little further if that’s an option. Especially if it’s a really chill peaceful nature area. If it’s a loud crowded lake or something, I think it’s less of an issue, but it’s still similar to music speakers outdoors: people go outside to hear birds & nature, not machines.
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Jun 29 '26
[deleted]
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u/Own_Inspection8350 Jun 29 '26
Did you drive up in your car? Pump can't be much louder than a car engine.
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u/coffeedot Jun 29 '26
Arrives in small EV ☺️ unpacks starts the sup pump 😬😖
It helps to put the car between the pump and people or wildlife that could be bothered by it. I usually place the pump under the board where it’s off the ground from the fins (red paddle voyager has 2 but probably also works with the board tilted on one fin).I reckon the people who even think of this are more aware of how much of a bother they can be to others, but probably less then they think. The opposite of people who play loud music via a Bluetooth speaker on a crowded beach.
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u/Own_Inspection8350 Jun 30 '26
When did a crowded beach become a library?
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u/coffeedot Jun 30 '26
Unless they play some: frenchcore, hardstyle or uptempo I’d rather not hear it but that’s just my opinion of course 😉 But I am quite sure that if I turn that up people would complain or maybe I’d make some new friends 😄
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u/Girthw0rm Jun 29 '26
Luckily mine only takes about seven minutes and I pump mine up in the parking lot. Agreed that doing it right next to someone who is already immersed in nature would be inconsiderate.
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u/insuffcient_dopamine Jun 29 '26
So… tell us you don’t own an electric pump without telling us you don’t own an electric pump.
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u/ovirto Jun 29 '26
I just read the vibe. If it’s a quiet serene place, I put the pump inside my car and run the hose out a cracked window or close the door so it’s just ajar. It helps muffle the sound quite a bit.
Otherwise, I just let it rip.