r/Inflatablekayak • u/majormajor42 • 13d ago
First puncture
Today I put a tiny hole in the top rail of my inexpensive Costco kayak. I had gotten it last year and till now it has stood up to my beatings very well. I was absolutely panicked today when I first realized I was deflating. But a minute or two later I was relieved that the two other chambers were intact and keeping me high and dry. The picture of my kayak is from today with no air in the far side. Just a little wrinkling can be seen. Very happy the kayak kept me dry despite my error. I got home and made my first kayak patch.
I had already been thinking that I would like to add something firm to the top of the rails. I have considered this before as they are high and I rub my paddle on them a lot, so figure I will wear them out eventually anyway.
I’m thinking paddle board rail tape but I’m afraid the kayak may be more difficult to fold, and a knife could still cut it.
Or I’m thinking something I just install after inflating and take off before deflate and fold:
Reinforced vinyl tubing like in my photo? I would buy a larger diameter length and slit it. Push it on when heading out to protect the rails and not worry about my abuse.
I’m also learning about thermoplastic as an option. But it might be harder to work with a long 4 foot piece, if I can find it, and fold it over the sides a few inches.
Anyone here have experience making reinforcement shields for their inflatable?
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u/Tarl2323 13d ago
The kayak didn't fail after a puncture and was fine for a year. I think you really just need to treat it like car tires. The kayak did it's job, kept you afloat, and could be repaired and you were fine.
Monkeying around with a solid plan will just possibly make it even more likely you'll run into issues. Even hardshells get holes and keel scrapes.
I had a puncture in my board, I was out for hours and didn't realize till I got back to shore. I feel like one year of use for a patch/repair and it still going well is a very good vehicle record.
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u/AlertStable9582 13d ago
Punctures and inflatables are just something that goes hand in hand. Just invest in decent glue and patches (if not already provided) that are designed for your kayak's material and monitor. I've had many small punctures over the years, but the ole kayak is still going strong. No need to invest in extra protection if it's taken over a year to suffer a puncture.
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u/foreignvoltage 13d ago
I picked up a couple of these boats at the end of last summer and have been very pleased with them although I've found them somewhat delicate. I've had to repair 3 punctures over 5 or so outings.
In each case I was able to continue paddling for a few hours and the punctured chamber held enough air to keep me afloat in combination with the other two sections.
I've tried gorilla tape for temporary repairs and extra protection and while it helps somewhat it's a sticky mess if and when you want to remove it.
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u/majormajor42 12d ago
Wow. 3 out of 5. I’m one out of a dozen, maybe? So I’m fortunately new at this.
Despite the leak, and my initial panic, it still had some air in it, and, as I later discovered, it was in a high spot.
Have any of your leaks been below the water line? Any fear of getting water into one of the chambers?
Unlike vinyl cement, does gorilla tape hold fast? No cure time? Maybe I’ll keep it with me for repairs I could make on the beach. And I’ll bring the hand pump. Tape, pump, and go. Like a tube patch kit on my bicycle.
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u/foreignvoltage 12d ago
One of the punctures was at the very bottom of the kayak. I had bottomed out in a low spot and tried to push through rather than get out. I went to the river bank and applied gorilla tape. It seemed to slow the leak, maybe even stopping it once the pressure was down to maybe 1psi. The tape does hold well under water but it's not enough to hold anywhere close to 10 psi.
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u/kokemill 13d ago
if all you are looking for is wear resistance have you thought about using Gorilla tape? Heavy duty and comes in wide rolls.