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Frequently Asked Questions
Board FAQ
Hala only designs, tests, and sells inflatable boards. We began in 2011 with the idea of making the best, most durable, well-designed inflatable on the market and have been pushing the envelope ever since.
Yes! We use the most durable 6” drop stitch material available. River boards have an extra layer of PVC for added durability.
Our Surf boards can hold upwards of 230lbs. All other 6” thick boards can hold up to 350lbs. Check out our video here.
Carbon stringers sandwich the board for added stability and rigidity. This technology bridges the gap between hardboards and inflatables for up to 3 times the added rigidity of a standard 6” drop stitch board. Our Carbon series boards roll up and store in their bag unlike any type of hardboard. Check out our video here or learn why Hala's Carbon Technology is the best in the industry.
Carbon stringers sandwich the board for added stability and rigidity. This technology bridges the gap between hardboards and inflatables for up to 3 times the added rigidity of a standard 6” drop stitch board. Our Carbon series boards roll up and store in their bag unlike any type of hardboard. Check out our video here or learn why Hala's Carbon Technology is the best in the industry.
Since we use thicker drop stitch (which is more rigid at lower pressure), 12 PSI will be just fine. 15 PSI is really great though, so shoot for that. You can pump your board to 18 PSI if you're up for the challenge, though we find the extra 3 PSI not to be worth the effort.
Inflation using our dual-action hand pump will take 10-15 minutes. Inflation using our 12V High Pressure Pump will take less than 5 minutes. Check out or video here.
Yes, all of our boards (including our Carbon series) roll up when deflated and can fit into their corresponding travel bag. Check out our video here.
The ideal scenario is that the board is stored inflated at roughly half pressure (4-6 PSI) in a cool place that does not have exposure to large temperature changes or direct sunlight. The boards are least susceptible to damage when the air pressure inside of the chamber is greater than the air pressure on the outside of the board.
If you don't have the luxury of enough space to store the board inflated, the next ideal scenario is to deflate the board and store it loosely rolled with the valve pin up and cap on. “Loosely rolled" means that there is enough space in between each layer of the board roll that you can fit your arm in between. This will make sure that you aren't over-flexing/creasing the sidewall material and possibly creating weak points in seams.
The boards are very susceptible to damage when deflated. Dragging, even the slightest bit on semi-abrasive surfaces like concrete or asphalt, can cause major damage to sidewalls where the material is folded. This isn't an issue when the board is inflated. The reason you want to make sure that your valve is sealed is because the only opportunity for water (humidity) to make its way into the inner chamber is when the board is deflated. If storing in an area that can reach below freezing temperatures, this can be a problem due to the expansion of water when it freezes.
Paddle FAQ
The top of the T-grip should be about 8-10 inches above your head when you are standing on the ground with your paddle. Choose about 8 inches for surfing and 10 inches for touring. Another way of determining the length of your paddle is by extending your paddle arm straight up with a loose, relaxed shoulder (to keep it in a safe extension when paddling). You should adjust the T-Grip on top of the shaft so that your wrist rests right over the top of the handle.
Accessory FAQ
If you have a Stompbox 2.0, please view this video.
If you have an original Stompbox (on boards produced from 2014-2020), please view this video.
First, be sure that your grub screws are backed out of the fin box so that the do not obstruct the fin sliding into the channels.
Second, line the tabs on the bottom of the fin up with the two channels that are shaped just like them on the finbox. Push the fin into the finbox until the fin is flush with the finbox. Once you’ve done this, you’ll notice that the front of the fin sticks out ahead of the finbox a bit. Firmly grab the fin and push backwards towards the back of the finbox. You will feel increasing resistance, then the tabs on the fin will click into place in locking channels in the finbox.
Lastly, secure your fin using a grub screw on each side. For fins with click tabs, two grub screws are sufficient to secure the fin. If you are using Hala’s Low-Pro River fins that do not have click tabs, use four grub screws to secure the fin.
General FAQ
Hala GearSpace has demo board sales beginning in October of each year on a first come, first serve basis. Sign up for our newsletter so you can be the first to know!
All boards and products are designed and tested in Steamboat Springs, Colorado CO.
We always recommend our customers to try a board before they buy a board. Several of our brick and mortar retail stores offer Hala SUP demos. We recommend calling the store closest to you and asking. Hala GearSpace in Steamboat Springs offers demos year-round. Alternatively, you can demo our products at a Hala Gear event near you.
Hala boards are safe and durable enough to have dogs tag along. Even if your pup can swim, we always encourage a properly fitted CFD.
Troubleshooting
First, make sure all air is out of the chamber. You can do this by letting the board fully deflate on its own over a 10 minute period, then hook your hand pump hose up to the valve with the valve in the inflate (pin up) position. Screw the other end of the hose onto the opposite side of the pump that you use to inflate the board (the side that sucks air in as you move the plunger). Then, use your hand pump to suck all remaining air out of the board.
Now you are ready to roll. Start at the back of the board, rolling deckpad-side in towards the nose of the board. You will have to deal with the center fin box right away as you roll. Try to get a crease for your roll on either end of the center fin box to keep your roll tight. Next, you'll have to deal with the side bite fins. You'll want to be careful how tight you roll those fins - try to keep them from bending (though you can fix them with a hairdryer if you discover they are bent next time you take the board out). The end of them will be touching the deckpad as you roll.
Once you have dealt with the fins in the first two or three rolls of your board, rolling the rest is pretty straightforward. Do what you can to keep the roll as tight as possible, and roll deckpad in towards the nose. Use the provided D-ring strap to secure the board roll once you have it fully rolled up.
The board will fit best in the bag if you put it in on its flat side (the side of the roll opposite where the nose curls around) while the bag is sitting on its back. Use the strap built into the back of the bag to secure it in the bag, then pull the sides up around the board roll and flip the front panel over the board. Use the compression straps on either side of the bag to cinch down the front panel and line the zipper up, then zip the bag up.
Sorry your EVA deckpad isn't rebounding as quickly as usual. The only time you will see this is if the board is rolled very tightly for long periods of time, especially when opened for the first time since the board has had extra packaging protecting it in shipping and handling.
The good news is that this does go away. Inflate it to full pressure and give it a few days to work itself out. Inflating to full pressure causes the deckpad to stretch out a bit more since the PVC underneath is more taught under pressure. Massaging the areas with the indentations with your fingers can help a little bit as well.
Fin screws can be found in one of two places: attached to the fin itself or your repair kit (orange cylinder located within your bag). If you do not see it in either place, please contact Customer Service immediately.
This is normal for inflatable paddleboards. You'll notice looking at the bottom of your board that there are a bunch of dots lined up into rows. These are the ends of the stitches that hold the top of the board to the bottom of the board and give the board its shape - these are called "drop stitches." You'll notice that the approximate location of this “bubble” is opposite your air valve. When they install the air valve at the factory, they have to cut a bit of the drop stitch out of the way. This creates a small area where the bottom of the board can't be stitched to the top of the board, which creates this “bubble.” You see it on all of our boards, its nothing to worry about!
All you need to do is wake your gauge up. Here is a short video to help you along.
Fixed fins can be bent when you first open the box. Chances are, your board has been rolled up for several months, and tightly packaged for protection during shipping. While we do use protectors to keep the fins as straight as possible, they may be curled when you first pull the board out of the packaging, or if it's been rolled tightly for storage. This can be easily fixed at home and is nothing to be concerned about. The plastic fins can be manipulated back to the correct shape just by bending them back the opposite direction from how they are curled. If you have a hairdryer, using one to warm up the fin before manipulating it can accelerate this process.
Boards that use a kayak seat have four centrally located D-rings or Soft Rigging patches on the board. The seat attaches using four clips attached to straps that come off the top an bottom of the kayak seat. The clips that come off the top part of the seat connect to the front kayak seat loops on the board, and the clips that come off the bottom part secure to the rear loops on the board. Most Hala boards can use a kayak seat - those that do not have this rigging available are: Atcha, Atcha 86, Milligram, Playita, Carbon Playa, Nass-T, and Asana.
First, make sure your vehicle is on when using the pump. Powered electrical outlets are not fully powered when the car is off, and this can lead to decreased performance with the pump.
Secondly, ensure the pump is going into the compressor stage. It switches from the high-pitched sound to the low pitched sound, indicating that the air compressor is kicking in.
Lastly, understand that temperature affects the performance of the pump. Heat is the bane of every one of these small pumps, regardless of brand, as they are compact units that don't have a lot of room for heat venting. If you use your pump in >80F weather often, you will notice decreased performance over time, as the internal components are stressed and won't work as well as they did when the unit was new. We suggest blowing up boards in the morning during the summer months, as the air is much cooler. Give the unit some time in between multiple board inflation.