Re: [Paddlewise] Flotation bags - Leaky valves and dirty pipes??

>I have a couple of Perception flotation bags which I use in my Klepper and
>they have a screw type valve for sealing off the blow pipe.
>These valves make it hard to clean the pipe and I also suspect that they
are
>responsible for a slow leak which has developed in both bags.
>Has any one else had these problems. Is there a way to maintain these
valves
>so that they don't leak and so the connecting hose can be cleaned >
>Glad of any help. All the best, PeterO.
        Nantahala Outdoor Center in North Carolina has them in their
catalog.  You can cut off the old one and glue the new one in with vynabond.
There is on some bags an additional large circular valve to inflate/deflate
rapidly -- mostly you'll see these on canoe bags, but they must be seated
well.

        Having had my share of frustration finding leaks and repairing them,
let me share a very simple procedure.
        Pour maybe half a cup of water down that tube and into the bag. You
don't even have to inflate it much, just enough to keep the walls apart.
Then slowly roll the water around in the bag.  If there is a hole you will
see a damp spot on the outside of the bag almost immediately, or perhaps a
drop or two if it's a big hole.  Check the seams especially, but you'd be
surprised where holes can develop.
        Don't remove the water yet.  Since the bag is only partly inflated,
I put it on a table with one end hanging off the edge with the water in it.
Then mark, carefully dry the spot, and use a patch kit to repair the hole.
Then test it with the water again...  sometimes the repair doesn't 'take'
the first time.

Joe P.


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