Filling, inflating and draining

Water first

Push the hose adapter into the valve until it seats, then run the tap at a normal rate. Pressure does not help — the shell fills at the speed it fills. Stop when the ball is firm but not drum-tight; a little give makes it easier to grip.

Any water works. A garden hose, a tap with a bucket, even pool water scooped in through a funnel at a rental house. We have had customers fill one from a lake, which is fine as long as you rinse it afterwards.

Then the air

Two or three pumps, or two or three breaths. That is the entire inflating step. The air compresses at depth, which is why a ball that hovers at the surface will sink a little deeper once it is three feet down — that is normal and it is what makes the slow rise happen.

If you want the ball to sit on the pool floor for diving practice, skip the air. If you want it to float for a game of catch, leave it a third empty of water. Most people end up between the two.

Draining and storage

Pull the adapter, hold the ball valve-down and squeeze. It empties faster than it fills. Give it a rinse if it has been in salt water, then leave it open to dry before it goes in a bag.

Stored empty and dry, the shell keeps for years. The two things that shorten its life are being packed away wet and being left inflated in direct sun on a hot deck, which stresses the seam.