Before entering the water, it is important to check and inspect the inflatable boat to ensure that there will not be any leakage, puncture or damage during the boating journey to avoid accidents.

 

However, an accident do occur:

You put down the utility knife while fishing.

Your dog’s claws puncture the boat.

 

Punctures and leaks can be very alarming far from the coast, but thankfully, they rarely happen. However, it is best to have an understanding of how to keep the treasured inflatable boat afloat while moving in a safe direction.

 

 

1. Don't Panic

Here quotes a swimming coach's words: drowning will not kill you, but panic will. Most commercial inflatable boats, rafts and kayaks have several air chambers, and if one of chambers gets punctured, the boat will stay afloat due to the buoyancy of the remaining air chambers. Therefore, the remaining floating inflatable should be used to safely reach the shore. The most important thing is to remember to check the boat for leaks or punctures before entering the water.

 

 

2. Do an Emergency Repair for Small Leakages

Always keep duct tape and a bottle of acetone on your favourable inflatable boat at all times. These will come in handy in case you want to do an emergency repair. Leaks from an inflatable boat can be from anywhere, some places are accessible, and others are even hard to spot. If the puncture is in a convenient location, this method of repair comes in handy. The emergency repair while in the water is used for less severe leaks that have very small leakages.

 

To repair the leak, wipe down the leaking area with acetone and then apply the duct tape. Ensure the seal is tight after which you should pump in air to re-insulate the boat. After this repair, make sure you get back to the shore as you can to do more checks on the high-quality inflatable boat, monitor the extent of the leakage more and see if the boat is safe to get back into the water.

 

 

3. What to Do if You Can't Spot the Leaks

The inflatable kayaks could be slowly deflating, and you are not able to spot the area where leakage is happening. In such a case, the first step to stop the leak is to find it. This can be very scary while in the water. You can still try to find out the leak spot while bringing the boat ashore, depending on the rate of deflation.

 

After reaching the dry land, use soapy water to find all leaks. You can see that the air chamber becomes soft when the air escapes, then you can spray the soap water on the soft air, and then continue to pump the air into the boat to help you spot the tiny bubbles formed. In addition to the inflatable surface, check the valve and tighten the valve fittings to ensure that all leaks are found.

 

 

4. Repair the Leakages on the Boat

Scrub the detergent water over the boat surface. Watch out for tiny bubbles forming as you spread the detergent water on the inflatable ducky style kayaks. If you find one leak, never assume that it’s the only one. The quickest way to repair the leak is using the emergency repair. For more severe punctures and long-lasting repairs, using patches are the advised solution. This is better done on the dry land. After patching, wait for approximately 30 minutes for the fix to cure before inflating the boat again.

 

Different types of glue work differently on different materials. Make sure the glue you use for your patch does not damage the boat’s material.

 

 

6. What To Bring On board

While it’s important to know what to do during an emergency, we should also remember to be well-equipped for your inflatable paddle boats, especially if you are further away from safety.

 

Knowledge alone cannot help you survive this ordeal, it’s best to carry tools and devices on board to help you address the situation at hand. Here is a checklist of what to bring on board:

 

Personal inflatable floating equipment for each passenger

Marine emergency radio

Hand pump

Duct tape

Bottle of acetone

Spray bottle with a soapy solution