Nothing lasts forever, as long as we are using it. It will cause a certain amount of damage during the application. Based on this, we are here to give you some preventive measures on how to successfully make a small repair to a PVC inflatable. Repairs should only be made in the correct environment and with the right safety precautions in place. Therefore, the maintenance of PVC inflatables like inflatable paddle boards, inflatable boats, inflatable kayaks, and towable tubes will be centralized in this article for unexpected needs.
INFLATABLE PADDLE BOARD (ISUP)
Tools: Repair Kit/Soap Water/Cutter/Marker (Tape)/Spatula or Brush/Gloves/Mask/Hair Dryer
Process:
- Use soapy water to locate the leak and puncture in the board.
- Use tape or a marker to mark and cover the repair area.
- Cut the approximate size of the PVC patch from the repair kit with a cutter.
- Wear gloves or a mask to protect your skin and lungs.
- Use a spatula or brush to spread the glue evenly.
- Hair dryer to heat up the surface and chemical bond of the inflatable paddle board.
- Allow the glue to dry for 24 hours.
INFLATABLE BOAT
Tools: Repair Kit/Soapy Water/Scissors/Masking Tape/Damped Solvent Cloth
Process:
- Inflate the boat.
- Use soapy water to locate the leak.
- Mark the repair and deflate the inflatable.
- Cut an appropriate patch with scissors (at least 30 mm around the hole).
- Wipe over the repair area and the patch with a PVC solvent.
- Apply the masking tape around the marked patch(leaving a 2mm gap.
- Spread the thin, even layer of adhesive on both the patch and the boat (cure for 30 minutes).
- Apply the final coat and cure for between 2 and 3 minutes (until the adhesive becomes tacky).
- Clean the excess adhesive with PVC solvent and give a final roll.
- Leave to cure for at least 24 hours.
- Inflate to full pressure and perform a bubble test to ensure a successful repair.
INFLATABLE KAYAK
Tools: Sharp Blade/Small Brush/Mixing Pot/Blunt tool/PVC Patch/Repair Adhesive/Sand paper/Soapy Water
Process:
- Inflate the kayak and locate the puncher or identify the leak on the kayak (at least 10-15 mils around the hole).
- Use a sharp blade to get a good seal cut that patch into circle.
- Take the shiny side of the patch and brush it lightly with sandpaper.
- Cut your patch out of PVC and apply two-part adhesive to this area.
- Get some solid tape around the edge of the patch.
- Apply the patch to the hole.
- Mix two-part adhesive (curing agent wait for an hour to use).
- Apply the curing agent with small brush, even across the whole patch (wait 2 minutes).
- Repeat the same process of last step about three to four times.
- Push out the edge of patch to explain the air bubbles with the blunt tool.
- Leave this final patch with heavy object to place on top (for 24 hours).
- Inflate you kayak and use soapy water to test repair work.
INFLATABLE TOWABLE TUBE
Tools: Vinyl Repair Kit/Sandpaper/Rubbing Alcohol/Cutter/Vinyl Patch/Glue
Process:
- Inflate the towable tube and find the cut and hole inside the tube.
- Use a pencil to mark the spot and deflate the tube.
- Remove the bladder from the cover.
- Use rubbing alcohol to clean the whole area and let it dry.
- Take a vinyl patch and apply the glue to the back of the patch.
- Use little brushes to spread the glue evenly.
- Squeeze some glue into the repair area of the bladder ( until the glue becomes tacky).
- Place the patch on the top of the bladder.
- Put some pressure on the patch all around to ensure there are no air bubbles in it.
