How to repair punctures in PVC inflatable boat, raft or kayak.

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If you are losing air pressure, (aside from pressure loss commonly caused by colder temperatures), check the boat over for leaks. Start by checking the valves first. The best tool to find leaks is soapy water in a spray bottle. A leaky valve is rare, but if you do find a leak we can send you a replacement valve. We recommend mixing soap and water in a spray bottle. Spray around the valve. If you see bubbles forming, check your valve fitting and base and be sure the valve insert is screwed on tight. You can apply glue from the repair kit to seal small leaks around the valve or holes where the nylon string enters the valve assembly. If you continue to have problems with the valve, it's probably time to order a new one.

To find tiny leaks, take the floor boards out, fully inflate the boat until it's hard to the touch. Put some liquid detergent in a bucket of water and scrub it all over the boat with rag or big wash brush. Watch for elusive or tiny bubbles. When you find the first leak, keep looking. You might as well fix them all at the same time! Remember, the number one cause of slow leaks is due to poorly fitted valves. Unscrew the valve and clean the area. Make sure the little rubber O-rings are still good. They are the cheapest repair possible.

If you have no luck finding a slow leak with air bubbles, inflate the boat to it's maximum air pressure and try to listen for the leak. If you can narrow the area down, return with a spray bottle to identify the source of the leak.

Punctures less than 1/8" in size can be repaired simply without a patch. Deflate your boat, then clean and dry the area to be repaired. Apply a small drop of glue to cover the puncture and let dry for 12 hours. If you need to get on the water sooner, let dry for 30 minutes and then inflate the boat, inflating the compartment with the repair only 3/4 full. This repair might not be permanent so add a drop again at a later date to make it permanent.

Your Inflatable Boat comes with a repair kit as standard equipment. It is recommended to do repairs in dry weather. Humidity will decrease glue bond. Cut a piece of repair material large enough to overlap the damaged area by approximately 1" and round off the edges. Apply glue to the under side of the patch and around the area to be repaired. Too much glue will often interfere with a proper repair. Allow adhesive to become tacky for 5 minutes, and then place patch on the damaged area. Use a weight to apply 3-5 lbs. of pressure for 24 hours. After the patch has dried, apply glue around the edges for a complete seal (dry 6 hours).

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[souljaboyteelemify]

@echidnaweb I did get this patch kit at west marine, and it did seem to do the trick, I did put extra over it once the patch dried,,,basically use more than they tell you to use, it may slowly leak out after a couple weeks but for the most part you should be golden

[echidnaweb]

@souljaboyteelemify I also have this problem with an inflatable kayak - there is a 6 cm cut right on the seam join. Did you find a way to fix yours?

[fuzzywzhe]

@souljaboyteelemify NON WATER BASED tent glue should do the trick.

Cut a piece of Duct Tape that is a little larger than the hole. Take the sticky side and using something like a tongue depressor, push that depressor against the tape in the center. Then take all of this and push it through the hole on the seam. What you are doing is putting a piece of duct tape on the inside to hold it together as you glue it.

Then just use tent glue to glue over the seam rip. Apply several layers.

[sahnijs]

Great descriptive video, thanks!

[krystalbooger]

wow, that was unbelievably sexy. 

[indiansrus2]

Got everything I need to start but the background freaking music!!!

[souljaboyteelemify]

what do you do if you have a tear close to the seam??? i have like a quarter inch slice right near the seam of a bladder that goes on teh bottom of my towable raft. I would be happy if i could retard the leak. seems like nothing is works..Duct tape does not slow it down , it just comes right out

[TebooTedMarshall]

Thanks...I need a nap.