How to Repair Inflatable Tubes

Despite the recent technological advances in Inflatable Tubes they can still get damaged due to underinflation or just simple wear and tear after a few years. In this blog, we will discuss the best way to repair an Inflatable Tube and which products we would advise using. So we will be talking about how to repair inflatable tubes

How to find a leak

Most tube leaks are an easy fix as it is usually the valve. This is the simplest leak to fix as it is usually caused by grit/dirt/sand that has got into the thread of a valve. The other thing that may need swapping is the valve itself as sometimes the one-way flap can get damaged and cause the leak. Again this is another easy fix as all you need to do is buy a new Boston Valve. But always check the size of your Boston valve because the Jobe Boston Valve is a different size to the Airhead Boston Valve.

What if the leak isn’t due to the valve?

Here we have the next step to finding a leak if it is not the valve. The easiest way to do this is to pull the inner out of the cover (if your tube doesn’t have a cover then skip this bit) and blow it up so the tube is bar tight. Grab yourself an empty bottle. Fill the bottle with water but leave some space so you can add a couple of squirts of washing up liquid. Give the soapy mixture a good shake so it forms bubbles and put this on the tube. The top tip for this is to put the liquid around the seams of the tube as that is usually where holes occur. Get yourself a pen and mark where the hole is, then deflate your tube.

Whats the best way to Repair the holes in my tube?

With the right equipment, most holes can be fixed. At Boatworld we always use Stormsure Glue and Patches Available here.  https://www.boatworld.co.uk/stormsure

For small (pinprick holes) all you need to do is put a splodge on the hole, cover the area by spreading the glue out with your finger. and leave for at least 24 hours in a cool dry area before blowing up again.

What about big holes?

For bigger holes when a patch is needed we always recommend Stormsure Patches. Cut the patch into the shape you need make sure you have a couple of cm overlap stick the patch on. For good measure, I would always put some Stormsure glue around the edges. Leave with something heavy on top of the patch so it keeps the repair flat for the next 24 hours till the patch and glue has set.  You can buy these goods from Boatworld UK https://www.boatworld.co.uk/stormsure

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