Defender Inflatables – Operation, Maintenance & Warranty Manual
Page 6 of 16
Insert the provided pump adapter into valve by
pushing and twisting slightly. The pump
adapter will fit snugly in the valve.
Put enough air in the boat to give the boat
some form.
NOTE
All chambers should be inflated equally to avoid
damage to the baffles that separate the
chambers.
2.3.1
Order of inflation:
Inflate the boat in the following order if it is not
written on a tag near the valves:
1. Front chambers (if applicable)
2. Side chambers
3. Floor chamber (if applicable)
4. Keel chamber (if applicable). Always inflate the
keel chamber last.
2.3.2 Inflation
NOTE
Do not use mechanical compressors to inflate
your boat. The pump that is delivered gives
exactly the right pressure to your boat.
Step
1
: Inflate each chamber in the order of
inflation, put in enough pressure to allow the boat
to spread out, but do not fully inflate the tube.
Step
2
: Following the order of inflation, top off the
tubes to their recommended PSI.
If inflation is done in right order, the boat has the
correct pressure and there is
no distortion of
fabric near the baffles
Step
3:
Inflation is complete,
ensure that all caps
are tightly secured as they the final seal in ensuring
air tightness.
NOTE
Never surpass these values!
Inflate the boat to 0.25 bar = 3.6 PSI
Inflate the keel to 0.40 bar = 5.8 PSI
Inflate the Air Floor to 0.76 bar = 11 PSI
2.4
Floorboard installation
Instructions to install the floorboards in the
Defender aluminum floor models (380,430 & 470):
Inflate the tube chambers enough to have some
shape to the boat.
Make sure that no parts of the tubes are
sticking together.
Make sure keel is not inflated and valve is
open.
Place the front section (bow board 1) of the
floorboard as far in the front of the boat as
possible. Make sure the hole in the bottom is
straight above the valve of the keel section.
Place part two into the boat. Line up these two
sections of the floorboard so they are straight.
Take part three and eventually part four of the
floorboard and make a “bridge” with part two
and three.
Push down the two parts to the bottom of the
boat.
Deflate the side-tubes of the boat completely
and install the aluminum stringers.
With more than 3 floorboards make a bridge
between the second and third floorboard seen from
the transom. Floorboards are numbered from the
bow.
NOTE
Over-inflation
can damage your boat. Avoid
direct sunlight
when the boat is not in the
water
. This might heat the air in the boat so much
that expansion causes damage.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Defender Inflatables – Operation, Maintenance & Warranty Manual
Page 7 of 16
Installation of the aluminum stringer
After installation of the floorboards, put the
stringers in the sides of the floor.
To install the stringers easier, it is recommended
to put a paddle or similar sized item under the
bottom of the boat.
This lifts the floorboards up to have easier access to
put the stringers on the sides of the floor.
2.5
Rowing equipment
Defender Recreational Inflatable boats come
standard with paddles or with oars, oarlocks, and a
rowing seat.
Ensure seat is properly installed (section 3.3).
To install the oars in the oarlocks, put the oars
over the oarlock pins.
To prevent loss of the oars, be sure to put the
cap on the oarlock.
If the oars are not in use, put the oars in the
clips on the sides of the boat.
Local water conditions must be taken into
account before operating boat with oars or a small
outboard. Boat power may not be strong enough to
overcome currents in tidal inlets, open seas, small
channels, or shallows of shoal water regions.
2.6 Deflation
General information:
NOTE
Boat should be clean and dry before rolling up for
storage. Remove any sand and debris that may
cling to the fabric.
When deflating the boat, deflate all chambers
evenly; this prevents damage to the baffles in the
boat.
To deflate the boat:
Put your finger in the valve and turn ¼ turn
(See for operation of the valves section 2.2
“the valves”).
Release the air from all chambers.
Make sure the inside of the valve stays open,
so air can evacuate during folding.
Push evenly on the whole boat to let as much
air out as possible.
2.7
Folding the boat
Remove seat / oars.
Take out the floorboards.
Fold the boat to the middle of the boat, so that
the whole boat is as wide as the transom.
Bring the cones at the back of the side
chambers to the middle of the transom.
Roll the transom forward. This helps to get the
air out. Be sure all valves are in the open
position.
Folded this way the boat fits in the delivered
pack (sack) for transportation.
2.8 Transportation
2.8.1
Lifting the boat out of the water
Make sure there are no sharp objects around the
spot where you want to place the boat.
Use the handgrips for lifting instead of the safety
ropes.
Do not lift by the lifelines.
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3
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