SupAir: A man made series of paintball bunkers manufactured by Adrenaline Games (http://www.supairball.com) of France. These bunkers were originally designed with to be inflated one time and then staked to the ground to create the playing field. Some problems arose from this format early and thusly Adrenaline Games decided to change the composition of the bunker system.
For the first generation of inflatable obstacles, we were manufacturing airtight obstacles. The obstacles were heavy, and the structure wasn't adapted to paintball. To manufacture the obstacles you need to solder the fabric in order to create the shape. This process gave good results, but after constant usage, the impact of paintballs on the obstacles created leaks. Leaks on the solder, but also leaks on the fabric itself. The holes would get bigger after time, forcing you to constantly refill the obstacle (http://www.supairball.com/history).
This is when Adrenaline Games decided to change the format and use a constant air supply design for the bunkers. Now, instead of the airtight construction of the first generation, the second generation used a gas-
permeable fabric which required the bunker system to have a constant airflow pumped to the obstacles. Yet again, problems arose from the inflation system. Tubes were needed to transport the air from the
blower to the individual bunkers. Many players complained that these tubes (forming a grid leading to each bunker) caused them to trip and thusly expose themselves to opponents for an unnecessarily extended period of time. The tube system also meant that the field could only have one layout.
To combat the problem of "tubed" systems, companies such as Brimstone Paintball of Ohio experimented with various fabrics and solders until they created an airtight bunker system which did not experience the leakage, pressure, and relief problems of the first generation SupAir fields. Brimstone eventually came up with the
Ultimate Airball system (http://www.diablodirect.com). This system uses the same materials used to make
whitewater rafts lending durability to the bunkers. The UA system inflates by way of a common leaf blower and uses a whitewater raft valve to seal the system and regulate the internal pressure. The advantages of this type of system lies in the tubeless construction and portability of the bunkers.
To combat the rising popularity of the UA system, Adrenaline Games has created portable battery-powered blowers for each bunker on the field. The system still uses a gas-permeable material and thusly requires the blowers to run for the duration of field use.