I bought it as a birthday present for a 12 year old and we inflated it on the day of the party.about 20 kids had 1 ride each on it and by the time we were done, at least 2 sections were deflated.we did make sure that the area where it was used was free of sharp objects (including twigs or stones) but the thickness of the material is not enough to support the tumbling weight of a child for a long time.it was great fun while it lasted but i would not mind having paid a few more dollars for a ball with thicker gauge plastic.