Below is my review of the Outdoor Master Shark 3 Pump. I reflect on my thoughts from the last few days using this pump and compare it to other electric SUP pumps. On these particular occasions, we inflated the Niphean paddle board to 14 PSI.
Overall, I felt that this was far and away the fastest pump I had ever tested. Even crazier was the fact that its fastest setting was when I was pumping it with the battery. Not connected to the car! More below.
SUP PUMP Ratings:
Total Score: 9.12 (Total of Below Accumulated Ratings)
- Performance – 9.5
- Speed: 10
- Max PSI: 9.5
- Battery Life: 9
- Versatility – 8.5
- Power Input: 9.5
- Portability: 8
- Inflation Modes: 8
- Accessories – 9.3
- Nozzels Included: 9
- Clarity of Instructions: 9
- Warranty: 10
Is The Shark 3 Electric Pump the Right Pump for You?
There is no doubt that if you were to look at this pump compared to its older brother, the Shark 2 Electric Pump, you may be a bit shocked by the price difference. Is it worth the extra $100?
Our answer is yes, if you find yourself blowing up multiple boards at once, or if you want to take an electric pump that does not rely on a power source.
Situations where this comes to mind are if you run an inflatable SUP rental stand or go with a group of friends or family every time you paddle. You save a serious amount of time using this pump on multiple boards compared to an electric pump that just plugs into your car.
I found the Shark 3 Electric Pump shaved off 2 – 3 minutes per board compared to other electric pumps I have tested. And if you are pumping a good amount of SUPs, that means you could potentially shave off 15 minutes to a half hour that you could use being on the water!
It’s also good for pumping up the board away from the car. Let’s say you want to set up on the nice grassy field instead of the crowded parking lot with cars zig-zagging everywhere, vying for a spot (we’ve all been there). Now you can grab the SUP package and bring the electric pump with you (don’t forget the hose!). The same can be said about going on hikes and packing it up in your SUP bag.
How to Use the Shark 3 Electric Pump
Step 1: How I started using this pump is that I made sure it was connected to the car first and foremost. I did this so that I could get a charge going to the pump. After doing the first round of pumping with it connected to the car, I decided to use the battery for deflation and inflation.
Step 2: To turn the pump on, you want to hold the power button. You can then select the mode by choosing the arrow button. You can choose between SUP, Kite, or Mattress. To change the setting from PSI to Bar, hold the arrow button.
Step 3: You choose the PSI by pressing the plus or minus buttons. I recommend between 12- 15 PSI, depending on how well-made the SUP is. Always look at the board manufacturer’s recommendations, which are usually located on the valve
Step 4: Press Power again and away you go! The pump will auto shut off at the PSI you select.
To deflate the board, you just need to switch the valve from inflate to deflate and follow the same steps. I highly recommend deflating to make your board more compact so that you can fit it back into the bag!
Shark 3 Electric Pump Performance
Performance: 9.5
- Speed: 10
- Max PSI: 9.5
- Cool Down Time: 9
Put simply, I believe the Shark 3 is the Best Electric SUP Pump from a performance standpoint that I have used. In my opinion, it is well worth it to upgrade should you find yourself paddleboarding a good amount.
Speed
Probably the best part about this pump is the speed at which it inflates. The first inflation I did was when the pump was attached to the 12V charger. It pumped a 10’6” length 33” wide Niphean board to 14 PSI in 8 minutes and 55 seconds. Not too bad, about in line with what you expect from other chargers that rely on a power source.
The shocking part is when I disconnected the car charger and ran it from the battery the board was fully inflated in 3 minutes and 27 seconds, which is pretty mind-blowing. This also saves you a boatload of time when setting up. Allowing you to get to the water stat! Even when comparing the inflation of this board to other pumps like the Shark II, the Shark 3 left them in the dust! I was finished setting up well before the others, using different electric SUP pumps.
MAX PSI
The Shark 3 can pump a maximum PSI of 20 into any paddle board. Although we highly recommend that you look at the board manufacturer’s PSI recommendations before attempting this.
In case you have never used an electric pump before, yes, the pump will stop at whatever PSI you set it to. Most electric pumps do this, so you don’t have to worry about hovering over and stopping it.
My only complaint is the fact that it’s hard to see the PSI rating in the sun, which is, let’s face it, when the pump will be most likely used! You can use your hand to put a shadow over it to see the PSI gauge, or simply pump up the board in the shade to get a better read on the PSI.
Battery Life
The Shark 3 has a fantastic battery life. In my personal use, so far, I have properly plugged in the 12V car battery to charge the SUP pump up, and since that time, I have done a series of 3 inflations and 3 deflations with a 10’6” board without having to plug the pump into the car with the 12V DC.
And in doing so, the pump always outperforms other pumps that other folks bring. It usually ends up being about 2 times faster on average!
Outdoor Master Shark 3 Versatility
Versatility: 8.5
- Power Input: 9.5
- Portability: 8
- Inflation Modes: 8
The Shark 3 is definitely one of the more versatile pumps we have tested. In this category, we rate the pump based on its power options, portability, and its settings.
Power Input
The Shark 3 can run on both battery power and the 12 V car connector, making it one of the more versatile pumps out there.
It should be noted that running the pump from the 12 V cigarette lighter will take about double as long as when it is running straight from the battery. When connected to the car, the Shark 3 performs at about the same time as the Shark 2 pump, which relies on a power source.
When using the battery, the Shark 3 will most likely be the fastest SUP pump you have ever tried.
- Shark 3 Pump Inflation with Battery: 3 Minutes, 27 Seconds
- Shark 3 Pump 12 V Car Connector: 8 Minutes and 55 Seconds
Having the ability to use both power inputs allows you to bring this pump almost anywhere without feeling chained to pumping it next to your car. There may be that nice grassy patch that looks like a solid place to pump up your board. Well, now you can go to it a problem!
Portability
This is where this pump scored lower compared to some of the other categories. On the one hand, you can take this pump anywhere as long as the battery is charged. On the other hand, it is bigger and heavier compared to other SUP pumps at 6.4 lbs. However, it does have a handle, which makes it more portable.
The unit is also more bulky with 13.8 x 7.5 x 7 dimensions. You compare that to the Outdoor Master Shark 2, which has 10.6 x 7.9 x 3.9 and weighs 3.3 lbs. Which is almost half the weight. However, one thing that swings in the Shark 3 pump’s favor is the strap that is connected to it. Allowing you to grab it with one hand and have your SUP in the other.
The Shark 2 is a bit trickier to transport. While it is lighter, there is still the 12V cord you need to deal with and the fact that you need a car or battery pack around to run it. It also does not come with a carrying case. I had mine in a box for about a year and well, lets just say the box has seen better days.
Inflation Modes
What’s interesting about the Shark 3 is that it has a quick mode setting where you can choose between inflating a SUP, a Kite, or a Mattress. In this case, you would select the SUP setting and then select your PSI you want it at. Always look at SUP manufacturer recommendations for this setting! I don’t want any reports of ya’ll blowing up your SUPs!
On a more serious note, we do wish that they had settings for other inflatables, such as inflatable kayaks. It would be easy for people to choose the SUP option for inflatable kayaks because they are both watercraft vessels. However, the reality of the situation is that both use very different PSI ranges (unless you have a drop stitch inflatable kayak). For the inflatable kayak option, you would need to select the mattress setting, depending on the inflatable kayak’s materials (like vinyl).
Outdoor Master Shark 3 Accessories
Accessories: 9.3
- Nozzels Included: 9
- Clarity of Instructions: 9
- Warranty Rating” 10
The Shark 3 is a pretty tidy package, but thankfully, it comes with a few extra accessories that will make your life easier.
Nozzles Included
The Shark 3 pump comes with 8 different nozzles.
For Paddle Boards:
- Hawlky Roberts Valve: Almost all paddle boards use this valve so this is what you will most likely use for SUP inflation
- Leafield C7: I rarely see these, if eve,r but you may come across a SUP that has this at some point.
Other Nozzels:
The Shark 3 comes with 6 other nozzles that are used to inflate pool toys, air mattresses (or inflatables with a Boston Valve), as well as attachments for inflatable surfing kites and inflatable kayaks.
The Shark 3 covered all of its bases when it comes to attachment nozzles for just about any inflatable product out there. This is especially crucial if you are going out paddling and you have those annoying floatie friends who expect you to haul them along.
The pump also comes with multiple gasket attachment points that have a variety of different-sized gadgets. One of the things I notice with SUP manufacturers is that some pumps have a harder time fitting on other brands’ boards. With multiple gasket options, you are able to
Clarity of Instructions
This pump is relatively easy to figure out without reading any instructions. The only thing that may trip you up is powering the device on. You have to hold the power button until it turns on, it’s not a simple push the button once dealio. Once you power the pump on, you can either choose to change the setting (It’s on SUP mode by default), change the PSI you want, or power the pump on once you have the settings where you want them.
The instructions manual that comes with the SUP is only 7 pages long. All the other pages are in different languages.
Warranty
The Shark 3 has a 2-year warranty, which is about a year more than the average warranty for an electric SUP pump. Some SUP pumps don’t even get to that and only offer 6 months. Outdoor Master also offers a 30 day return period on the Shark 3 pump.
The warranty does not cover damages caused by the external environment (dropping it in water, dropping it on the pavement, etc. It mostly covers defects in material and workmanship according to the manual.
Should You Get the Shark 3 Pump?
The Shark 3 definitely gave me the most “shock” value compared to any of the other SUP pumps due to the speed at which it can inflate the board. I would especially get the Shark 3 Pump if:
- You are inflating more than 2 paddle boards at a time
- You own a rental shop for inflatable boards
- You are planning a SUP adventure with a bunch of friends
- You don’t want to be chained to your car or buy an extra battery
- You want fast inflation every time and don’t want to wait 12 + minutes for a single inflation
You don’t have to get the Shark 3 if you just want an electric pump that will get the job done. However, if you do have a giant family or friend group, it is highly recommended that you choose this pump.
You can get this pump for 15% off with our affiliate link. What do you think of the Shark 3 Pump?
