07-15-2003, 09:57 PM
[cool]Welcome to the forum. Saw your post on the Utah board, but didn't chip in. Sounded like you had a plan.
First step is to remove the bladder, air it up and verify where the leak is. If it is a pinhole leak...usually caused by a sticker or a fish spine...almost anything will fix it. I'm guessing your air bladder is vinyl or urethane. Do you know? By the way, what is the make of your craft?
For both pinholes and larger leaks I have been very happy with the product called AquaSeal. It comes in a small tube, and is like liquid plastic. You put a gob on the leak and spread it out to create a patch at least a half inch past the leak on all sides. Leave it perfectly level for about 24 hours, for a full cure. It bonds well and will not pull loose. If you want a faster patch, buy a bottle of the "Cotol" (I think) liquid sold with the AquaSeal as a cleanup solvent. If you ix a little with the AquaSeal, it cures in only about 2 hours. That's good to have on a fishing trip, if you don't have time to wait for a full cure.
If the craft is very old, and has not been stored properly, your air bladder may be degraded and in need of complete replacement. In that case, you will need to go to the original manufacturer, or find one from another source. That ain't always easy.
We have posted before on finding leaks. First you air the chamber up to the max and see if you can find the leak without water. If it is a big leak, you can hear and feel the air loss. Mark the hole, deflate the chamber and patch it. If it is harder to find, hold the surface of the chamber under water, rotating it around until you have checked every square inch. Bubbles indicate a leak. For really slow leaks, fill a spray bottle with soapy water and spray slowly and methodically all over the chamber until you make some bubbles. Again, mark the leak and repair it.
Give it a shot and let us know if you need some help.
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First step is to remove the bladder, air it up and verify where the leak is. If it is a pinhole leak...usually caused by a sticker or a fish spine...almost anything will fix it. I'm guessing your air bladder is vinyl or urethane. Do you know? By the way, what is the make of your craft?
For both pinholes and larger leaks I have been very happy with the product called AquaSeal. It comes in a small tube, and is like liquid plastic. You put a gob on the leak and spread it out to create a patch at least a half inch past the leak on all sides. Leave it perfectly level for about 24 hours, for a full cure. It bonds well and will not pull loose. If you want a faster patch, buy a bottle of the "Cotol" (I think) liquid sold with the AquaSeal as a cleanup solvent. If you ix a little with the AquaSeal, it cures in only about 2 hours. That's good to have on a fishing trip, if you don't have time to wait for a full cure.
If the craft is very old, and has not been stored properly, your air bladder may be degraded and in need of complete replacement. In that case, you will need to go to the original manufacturer, or find one from another source. That ain't always easy.
We have posted before on finding leaks. First you air the chamber up to the max and see if you can find the leak without water. If it is a big leak, you can hear and feel the air loss. Mark the hole, deflate the chamber and patch it. If it is harder to find, hold the surface of the chamber under water, rotating it around until you have checked every square inch. Bubbles indicate a leak. For really slow leaks, fill a spray bottle with soapy water and spray slowly and methodically all over the chamber until you make some bubbles. Again, mark the leak and repair it.
Give it a shot and let us know if you need some help.
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