sure that they are not too tight so you can always get out
of the kayak easily and quickly.
Troubleshooting
Leakage of air
:
If your boat appears a bit soft, it might not be
because of a leak. If the boat was inflated late in the day with
90 degree air, that air might cool 20 degrees overnight. The
cooler air exerts less pressure on the hull, so it could appear
soft the next morning.
If there has been no temperature variation, you need to start
looking for a leak. Below are the three best methods.
1) Visual inspection.
Get a good look at your boat from just a
few feet away. Flip it over and closely check over the outside.
Any large leaks should be clearly visible.
2) Listening.
If you have a rough idea where your leak is, you
can sometimes hear it in a quiet room.
3) Soapy water.
Use a mix of dishwashing liquid and water in
a spray bottle, and spray over suspicious areas. Any leak will
produce bubbles that will pinpoint the location of the leak.
Check your valves
:
Look, listen, and if necessary, spray
soapy water around your valve and the valve base. Leaky
valves have several causes:
1) Crossed threads.
Make sure that both the inner valve and
the outer cap are firmly screwed together. If threads are
crossed on either item a slow leak could result. A good way to
avoid this is to first turn the outer cap back 1/4 turn.
2) Sand in Diaphragm,
threads, or O-ring. Check the black
diaphragm at the bottom of the inner valve for sand between
the diaphragm and the inner valve. Also check the threads on
the inner valve, boat hull, and outer cap for any dirt or sand
which might break the seal. Check the O-ring on the inside of
the outer cap for any sand or contaminants which might break
the seal.
3) Extreme overtightening
of inner valve into valve base can
cause a depression in the top of the valve base. In this case,
simply sand the depression out with fine sandpaper to create
a flush surface.
Repairs
Through use you may occasionally puncture your boat. Most
leaks only take a few minutes to repair. Your boat comes with
a repair kit, and additional repair supplies can be ordered
from our website.
Small Repairs:
Deflate your boat. Thoroughly clean and dry
area to be repaired. For a small puncture (less than 1/8th")
apply a small drop of glue. Let dry 12 hours. If you need to
get on the water sooner, let dry 30 minutes and then inflate
the boat, inflating the compartment with the repair only 3/4
full. Be sure to make a permanent repair later.
Patches:
Leaks larger than a pinhole can be patched. Most
patches can be done in a few minutes, but we do offer a
repair service for more complex jobs out of warranty. Our
minimum repair fee is $75. and you will be responsible for
freight expenses to our facility in Port Jefferson and return
freight to your destination.
First locate the leak by the
methods above. Soapy water will
bubble out from the source of the
leak.
Thoroughly clean the area
surrounding the leak to remove
any dirt or grime.
Cut a piece of repair material
large enough to overlap the
damaged area by approximately
1/2". Round off the edges, and
place over the leaking area.
Using a ball point pen, trace the
outline of the patch. Angle the
pen inward a bit so that the ink
will be covered by the patch later.
Apply adhesive to the underneath
side of patch and around the
area to be repaired. Coat the
affected area lightly but
completely with glue.
Let the glue sit for 2-4 minutes
until it appears tacky.
Place the patch on the damaged
area and press down firmly.
Place a 3-5 pound weight over
the patch and allow 12 hours for
repair to dry. After patch has
dried, apply glue around the
edges for a complete seal (dry 4
hours).
Additional Accessories
We’re always improving our designs, so don’t forget to check
SeaEagle.com
for new accessories for your kayak.
19 N. Columbia St., Suite 1, Port Jefferson, NY 11777
Ph #: (631) 473 7308 Fax: (631) 473 7398
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