There are certain maintenance and care guidelines we recommend to ensure the maximum lifespan of your SUP!
-
Keep your board away from direct sunlight when not in use and keep it stored in a cool, dry place. See also How Should I Store the Board?
-
Rinse the board and accessories with fresh water to remove any salt or debris. It is also important to fully dry the board and accessories before packing away. See also How Should I Clean My Board?
-
It is a good idea to check the board for any punctures or scrapes on a regular basis, as the earlier these are spotted, the easier they will be to fix. See How to Patch a Puncture
-
Take care not to drag your board too much on gravel or rocks.
-
Be careful not to bump into barnacles - these are often found on the side of rocks.
-
It is important to close the valve and twist the cap on to avoid water entering the chamber when rinsing.
How to Tighten a Valve to Stop Leaks Print
Modified on: Tue, 18 Jan, 2022 at 1:15 PM
If you have noticed an air leak around the valve on your board, do not be too worried, this is normally easy to fix simply using the spanner in your repair kit. This includes a leak coming from anywhere around the valve area, including the hole where the string emerges to hold the cap, and from around the outside of the information patch.
In the repair kit you will find a black plastic valve spanner- this is for tightening or removing the valve. The below image shows what a similar valve looks like when out of the board. The left hand piece is built inside the board and the right hand one screws into it via a circular hole in the skin of the board, this traps the board skin layer between the top of the inner basket and the underside of the top part.
Heat expansion during use can cause the valves to loosen, this is quite common. In fact there should have been a red tag on the valve informing you about this when the board was new out of the packaging.
The valves are designed to be removable to allow replacement so are screwed together in place rather than glued. To tighten the valve and improve the seal, remove the dust cover and insert the crown shaped end of the spanner into the valve and carefully turn clockwise.
The only trick with tightening up may be stopping the inner valve piece, located inside the board, turning as you tighten the outer part with the spanner, preventing the assembly from fully tightening.
To tackle this, with the board fully deflated, kneel either side of the valve to hold it down or hold the inner part of the valve through the skin from below whilst you turn the outer part with the valve spanner. It can be helpful to have two people doing this together.
If you’re lucky you may even just be able to apply enough pressure without holding the bottom part of the valve to stop the leak you’re experiencing. However if the whole valve assembly just spins when you tighten it you will need to get some pressure on the underside.
Do be careful not to over tighten and damage the valve.
If after doing this you reinflate and find that you still have a leak, unscrew and remove the top part completely and check there is no dust or dirt inside the valve that is causing it not to close up completely. Take care when doing this however not to lose the inner part of the valve inside the board!
If after all the above you still have an issue please let us know, but what you’re experiencing is a familiar and regular maintenance issue with these valves.
How to Patch a Puncture Print
Modified on: Tue, 18 Jan, 2022 at 1:16 PM
Patch Puncture Repair Instructions
- You must firstly clean the area with a solvent based cleaner and dry well.
- Deflate the board and cut a suitable sized patch from the supplied PVC material - this should be 2-5cm inches larger than the damaged or cut area. Position the patch on the area needed and mark lightly around it in pencil to ensure you can place it correctly.
- Apply two thin coats of glue with 10 mins of drying time between them on both surfaces, do not press the surfaces together yet.
- Try not to leave any gaps without glue where air bubbles could form once glued down.
- Then apply a final third coat to both surfaces, and after 2-3 minutes of drying time, apply the patch and smooth out from the centre to the edge of the pad to expel any air pockets and then apply lots of pressure to it whilst it cures over 24hrs.
- Wipe off any excess that will show outside the contact zone of the repair before it dries. You can also use masking tape to protect areas of the board you do not want glue to end up on.
The glue when cured properly is actually stronger than the PVC itself, so you should be able to effect a very strong repair.
When you re-inflate the board, the patch will be stretched so hopefully any minor wrinkles will be pulled out flat.
How To Videos Print
Modified on: Thu, 16 Dec, 2021 at 11:58 AM
Our in-house experts have put together some useful videos to help you get started with your new Paddleboard.