How often do you have to refill your inflatable??

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km1125

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I'm curious how often folks have to do this. I would imagine with a new one that the answer is just once per season, but what about the older ones? If you bought a new one a while ago, at what point did you have to refill it each month?

For older ones, how often do you top it off? I have an older West Marine 8'6" inflatable keel and I have to put air in about every 10 days or it's too soft.
 

Sea Rider

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No matter how well inflated you store any Sib, Rib with time will lose pressure. Inflatables are prone to have issues with cold fluctuating temp, worse if constantly changing, it's the nature of the beast.

Happy Boating
 

JollyRogerC

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Some slight air loss over a few days is not uncommon. Much depends on conditions- air temperature and water temperature can cause expansion and contraction. Simple rule is to check the pressure before each sailing- look for signs of low air-creases or the boat riding at an awkward angle. Push on the tubes and there should be just a bit of resistance. When in doubt-inflate with a few pumps of air to make the tubes firm. Do not get them extremely hard on a hot day as heat and sun will cause the air to expand.
 

km1125

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I know how to fill mine, I was just curious how often different people have to top theirs off, or how long typical ones will stay inflated to spec (or a usable amount) before they really need attention. On one of mine, I can get by with a couple days easily and after a week or so it should be filled. By two weeks, I definitely have to put air in, but it's in no danger of sinking. The inflatable keel I have to fill daily though, if I want good planing performance.
 

Sea Rider

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All inflatable products will eventually need to be re inflated to specs if wanting top performance, bicycles tires included. Bicycle tires and keels are high pressure but very low air volume, that's why need to be re inflated more ofthen than car tires or tubes. Much more often during winter or at cold temps.

Happy Boating
 

km1125

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All inflatable products will eventually need to be re inflated to specs if wanting top performance, bicycles tires included. Bicycle tires and keels are high pressure but very low air volume, that's why need to be re inflated more ofthen than car tires or tubes. Much more often during winter or at cold temps.

Happy Boating

I understand that, but that's not my question.

You have an inflatable, right? How often do YOU have to fill it to get it up to your 'spec'??
 

Sea Rider

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Will depend entirely if it's a RIB or a SIB. At summer way less, at winter way more often. Pressure varies with heat, cold environments, atmospheric pressure. Sibs needs to be inflated to it's max factory working parameters to work top as all rely on their keel and tubes.

Ribs way less as rely on their hulls. It's an issue that all inflatable boaters must deal with if wanting top water performance. Personally monitor air pressure before going out to check if Sib is inflated to at least 3.0 PSI and Ribs to 2.0 Psi once on water after some minutes rest. That's with a pressure gauge...

Happy Boating
 

km1125

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Will depend entirely if it's a RIB or a SIB. At summer way less, at winter way more often. Pressure varies with heat, cold environments, atmospheric pressure. Sibs needs to be inflated to it's max factory working parameters to work top as all rely on their keel and tubes.

Ribs way less as rely on their hulls. It's an issue that all inflatable boaters must deal with if wanting top water performance. Personally monitor air pressure before going out to check if Sib is inflated to at least 3.0 PSI and Ribs to 2.0 Psi once on water after some minutes rest. That's with a pressure gauge...

Happy Boating

I understand that, but that's not my question.

You have an inflatable, right? How often do YOU have to fill it to get it up to your 'spec'??
 

TOHATSU GURU

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"You have an inflatable, right? How often do YOU have to fill it to get it up to your 'spec'??"

I'm not being combative, but your question is fatally flawed without all of the possible variables being considered. With all the inflatables I deal with,on a daily basis, they can be topped off every two to three days or once a month depending on the individual boat. If you are looking for a textbook answer to pressure loss it depends on what each manufacturer qualifies as acceptable. Zodiac Military is .4 PSI per day as being acceptable. At that rate a boat would be flat within a week. If you want an extremely general answer....Once per week is very common for the average boat, left outside with a 24 hour temperature cycle of 20 degrees
 

Sea Rider

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What's your inflatable boat air pressure loss, daily, weekly if that issue worries you too much ?

Happy Boating
 

km1125

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I have a SIB and a RIB. The SIB will easily last a weekend without needing to be pumped up. It may go 4 days before I think it's too soft - except for the inflatable keel... that has a leak and needs to be pumped daily. I regularly top the tubes off each weekend. I've been doing repairs on the RIB, so I don't have a lot of history on that one. It will last at least a few days right now. I was looking for leaks and haven't found any yet to see if I could make it last longer than that.
 

thientram

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OMG!
Km1125, Petty Officer, you are away too patient. I hope you'll get your answers.

Enjoy the day. :)
 

dozer5832

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Jun 30, 2018
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in winter i have to fill mine every few days sometimes more on a sunny day it stays pretty good i am new to this so i got a pressure guage and a 12$ small bench leaf blower it blows my 10 ft rib up in 40 secs or less ,,and fit perfectly into the valve ,canadian tire bench blower leaf blower 10 bucks its magic
 
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