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The Airbank D6 paddleboard pump is an ideal pump for anyone that doesn’t want to pump their inflatable SUP manually. Are you getting annoyed by inflating (or deflating) your iSUP by hand and does this prevent you from going for a quick paddle? Get the Airbank WhaleShark D6 and there’s no excuse anymore! Check out the specs and our full review below.
Specifications
| Dimensions | 13.27 x 8.27 x 5.12 inches (32 x 20 x 12 cm) |
| Hose Length | 31 inches (80 cm) |
| Power Cord Length | 69 inches (175 cm) |
| Pressure | 1 – 20 PSI |
| Extras | Inflate & deflate modes |
Review
This electric pump is ideal for paddleboards, inflatable boats, airbeds, inflatable tents, and other inflatable products with universal valves that also have a deflation function.
The Airbank D6 is a relatively affordable, high-pressure SUP pump. The pump has two inflating stages which reduce the inflation time considerably. The first stage is the high-volume stage to about 1 PSI and then the second stage takes over, which is the high-pressure stage, until the set pressure.
Many inflatable paddleboards should be inflated to about 15 PSI (but please check the recommended pressure of your board) but the D6 can work up to 20 PSI. It comes with a real-time pressure monitor and auto-shutoff once it reaches the set pressure. It’s pretty easy to set the required pressure and, because of the 2-stage fast inflation, it’s fast and within no time you can be on the water!
In terms of performance, the Airbank D6 takes less than 8 MINUTES from 0 to 15 psi (350 L/min), and 10 minutes from 0 to 18 psi (85 L/min), and it will stop automatically when the target pressure is achieved, which means you will not over-inflate your paddleboard or other inflatable gear, nor damage it.
The D6 features a 1.4’’ LED display that shows a digital gauge with pretty good accuracy, i.e. the reading error stands within ± 0.2 PSI, which is more accurate than the standard ± 1 PSI in the industry. You can set the display to show the pressure in PSI or bar, whatever you find easier!
The pump uses an integrated high-tech air compressor that works in tandem with a Teflon coated piston sealing and high-strength engineering plastic. In other words, the Airbank D6 will never let you down, as it’s built to last, and it allows you to pump up to five 15 PSI SUP paddleboards in a row. Just make sure you keep the engine of your car running during the inflation of your paddleboard(s) so that the car battery won’t be drained!
You also get a full set of 5 nozzles in the retail package, which means you’ll be able to pump virtually any model of paddle boat, kayak, pool, swimming ring, or whatever inflatable you own. Besides the extra nozzles, you also get an extra fuse and two rubber O-rings in case you need to replace the current ones.
The inflation hose is about 31 inches (80 cm) long and the coupling at the pump side can freely rotate making screwing the hose on and off a lot easier! Well thought off by Airbank! The 12V DC cable is fused and 69 inches (175 cm) long. To be fair, this cable is a bit short, especially in busy car parks or if you have a very high truck, and it would be nice to have the 12V cable be a few feet longer! The cool thing is that you can store the cable and hose inside the pump.
The Airbank D6 has two modes (inflate/deflate) and operates “hands-free”, whether it’s in inflation or deflation mode. Most SUP pumps can inflate but it’s very convenient that the Airbank WhaleShark can also deflate your paddleboard after a nice paddle! Getting all the air out of the inflatable paddle board is a must to pack it as small as possible and trying to do that by yourself is an enormous hassle and almost impossible. This pump will deflate the whole paddleboard and you will only have to roll it up and store it away! The pump has an auto-shutoff so you don’t have to worry about overheating or damaging your gear! To use the deflation mode, you just connect the hose to the other air outlet on the pump and plug in the 12V cable to start the pump.
Conclusion
With a very competitive retail price, the Airbank WhaleShark D6 is one of the most affordable electric pumps on the market, and given its comprehensive features, it’s definitely one of the best ones out there in terms of bang for the buck.
Moreover, the design of the D6 is pretty smart, as it comes with a storage compartment for the cable and the hose, and, needless to say, the pump underwent rigorous testing, as it comes with CE, FCC, and UKCA approvals. Together with the 5 nozzles, there probably aren’t any paddleboards or other inflatable gear that you can’t inflate with the Airbank D6! Happy paddling!
