Air-pressured padel covers: why not?

If you are thinking of making pressostatic padel covers For your sports facilities, here you can find all the information you need to make a rational and profitable decision. We've already talked about pressure balloons and all the critical issues they may have with tensile structures. You might think we're biased, but after all, AmarantoIdea sells tensile structures!

In reality, our decision not to include pressostatic covers in the catalogue is dictated by the more than 20 years of experience in the sector: it is not a lack, but a real choice.

Why did we decide not to build air-supported padel covers but rather safer and higher-performance tensile structures? Let's see.

Air-supported padel covers vs. tensile structures

Il padel is one of the trends of the moment – to tell the truth, in recent years. The reason is that with a rather low investment it ensures excellent profits. Furthermore, the space required to build a padel court is about ⅓ that of a tennis court. In short, a saving in space, costs, and time translates into excellent profit.

Precisely for this reason, many have invested in this business, often starting with limited resources. Many have built outdoor camps for the same reason, only to realize that all their profits went up in smoke during the winter months.

So, how to solve the problem? The best choice seems to be pressostatic padel coversClassic balloons, so to speak, which should be quicker to set up and take down than tent structures. And they should also be cheaper. 

Or at least, that's what you read online and what the companies that distribute these structures want you to believe. But is it really so? And above all, Are air-supported covers suitable for padel courts?

Air-supported padel rackets: are they the best?

Padel is a profitable business, perhaps more so in winter than in summer. In fact, padel enthusiasts often switch to another sport, different yet interchangeable in the minds of players: beach tennis on the beach.

This is why it is essential to have your own covered and heated fields In winter! But thinking about it, offering a cool, shaded court to the scorching sun of the beach resorts in the summer is something our padel club members can't help but appreciate.

Here's where the idea of pressostatic padel covers begins to crumble. For two reasons:

• Pressurized balloons are difficult and expensive to heat;
• the greenhouse effect in summer is practically guaranteed.

The pressostatic cover in winter

This means that in winter, precisely when padel centers are most in demand and crowded, you won't be able to offer optimal service without incurring a very high cost on your bill. Heating a pressostatic padel cover means heat a much larger space than the actual playing field. 

• The pressure balloon extends in height. 
• Warm air tends to rise. 

For this reason, it will take much longer to warm up the pitch. While much of our investment will be lost in the upper part of the ball. Causing further discomfort: the condensation. Copious! Our owner says: “It's literally raining inside!”

The PVC on the top of the ball, heated by the hot air and coming into contact with cold air, causes condensation that continually drips onto the playing field and the players. Not ideal!

And what about summer? What should we expect?

The pressostatic padel cover in summer

While a ball can cause a lot of problems for padel facility owners in the winter, the situation isn't much better in the summer. Quite the opposite. 

We have said several times that in 20 years of experience in tensile structures we have decided to exclude the air-supported balloon for a number of reasons. One of these is precisely the terrible greenhouse effect which the ball causes already in the mid-seasons – in summer it is often rightly dismantled for this reason.

In this case, the heat is trapped by the PVC and the physiological lack of openings – otherwise the pressure could not keep the balloon in tension – is the cause of humidity and heatThis situation can only be contained with significant investments in air conditioning systems.

Okay, but the additional heating and air conditioning costs are obviously offset by the lower cost of the structure. Right?

Air-supported covers: prices

We have to admit, by browsing online we can find air-supported covers at very affordable pricesAnd they're certainly cheaper than a well-made marquee. This is why many entrepreneurs are tempted by balloons. Without realizing the disadvantages! 

The reality is, however, that the additional costs are not as low as they seem. We have to calculate enormous costs in heating and air conditioning, but also fixed costs for the assembly and disassembly.

Not to mention the opportunity costs, especially those related to theaesthetics and the functionality of the system. Air-supported roofs get dirty easily, giving the entire sports center a shabby appearance. lack of openings and the condensation and heating problems that we have explained, could also discourage some of your members from returning to you. Perhaps by changing to centers that offer modern tented structures.

If you want to know in detail i prices What a pressure balloon could have in its life cycle, taking into account the opportunities that are lost, read our article Air-supported balloon? No way.

5 reasons why air-supported covers are not suitable for padel 

In our opinion, this type of cover is suitable for very few situations. Tents offer greater advantages 99 times out of 100. But for padel, the disadvantages are obvious. 

I 5 reasons why the pressostatic ball is not suitable for padel are:

• it is cold in winter and stifling in the mid-seasons;
• produces copious condensation;
• it does not offer openings that would save on electricity, allow air to enter and offer greater playing comfort;
• it's expensive;
• it is not the winning aesthetic choice for a modern center;

Choose a tent structure of the type Electric Cover AmaranthIdea, with electric opening and closing, will allow you to save on air conditioning, heating, and electricity. You can offer your customers a technologically advanced center, without all the disadvantages that a ball brings to the comfort of playing. Your customers will enjoy the sunlight, fresh air, and will not be bothered by condensation.

For you, the long-term profit, with an explosive business like padel, is secured.

INVEST FOR THE LONG TERM

If you are thinking about creating a cover for your outdoor padel courts or for your sports centre, ask specialists for advice first.

We'll be happy to share our experience and answer your questions. Contact us for a consultation!