7
PREVENTIVE CARE
AND MAINTENANCE
Your HYSIDE inflatable was designed to withstand the everyday abuse from Commercial Outfitters.
We’ve designed our boats to be very dependable and very simple to use and operate, even in the toughest
conditions. Here are some in-depth tips and processes to keep your HYSIDE running in tip top shape for DECADES,
like many of our happy customers have reported.
INFLATING YOUR HYSIDE
Your boat consists of multiple air chambers. When inflating your raft or boat, fill each air chamber in a clockwise
pattern around the boat, just until the craft takes shape. Then work your way back around the boat filling the
chambers to the pressure level indicated for that particular boat.
Each chamber has a cone shaped baffle that separates it from the others. Maximizing pressure on a single baffle
can easily damage it; therefore equal amounts of pressure should be applied to each chamber until you reach
maximum pressure.
To inflate your boat, a hand, foot or electric pump can be used. A low pressure pump (designed specifically for
inflatables) is best, as we recommend a max pressure of 2.0 psi in the floor (Self-bailing models only) and 3.0 psi
in the tubes. If the floor of the boat is inflatable, add air until the pressure relief valve releases a small amount of
air. Use caution when inflating the floor! The pressure release valve can only release air so fast,
so if the air flow is faster than the release of pressure, you could cause damage.
Also consider super heated surfaces, like asphalt and sand. They have temperatures that far exceed the air temp
and can cause the boat pressure to exceed recommended pressure within minutes.
Most boats that come in for floor repair typically have a plugged or non working PRV, or the user was forcing the
air in faster than it could release, after it was full.
For info on cleaning your PRV see on page 5
A rule of thumb for gauging the proper pressure for the tubes is to push down with your thumb at the center of
the tube. If you can deflect about a half an inch from the top plane of the tube, it will be close to 3.0 psi.
Don’t overfill. A properly inflated boat should have just a bit of give.
Be aware that air temperature causes changes in the air pressure in the inflatable chambers. Many boaters fill
their boats in the morning when the air is cool, but as the temperature increases over the course of the day, the
air in the tubes expands, increasing the pressure. If a tube or chamber becomes too pressurized, it can explode
if struck by a sharp object. You may have to let some air out at different points throughout the day if you operate
your inflatable in the hot sun.
19” DOUBLE ACTION PUMP
ACC-602
BIG RED ELECTRIC PUMP
ACC-600
BRAVO 2 - FOOT PUMP
ACC-608
RULE 12V ELECTRIC PUMP
ACC-611
