Stand-up paddling boarding is one of the most popular sports in the world! It is a perfect way to train your overall strength and muscles while you are enjoying your time on the water. But it could be very frustrating when the inflatable paddle board is not getting hard. This is maybe a leak somewhere on your board. In this article, you’ll learn how to repair a leak in your SUP step by step!
1. Get the right tools for fixing the leak You’ll need the right tools to fix the leak.
Some of them are in the repair kit which came with your SUP package. Besides these tools you’ll need a scissors, soap water, sandpaper and piece of cloth.
2. Make sure the surface is clean It is very important to clean the surface around the leak.
If the surface is not clean the glue won’t heal as good as on a clean surface. If you can’t find the leak you can locate it with some soap. Put some soap around the leak and you’ll see bubbles around the leak!
3. Cut out a PVC patch that cover the leak
You’ll need to fix the leak with the patches that came in your repair kit. Make sure the patch you cut out is big enough to cover the hole completely. The patch should be about 2cm bigger than the hole on all sides. Roughen the area around the hole. Make sure to sand a larger area, around the hole. Sand thoroughly in ordre to roughen the material – this makes the patch stic much better. After that also rougen the patch itself on the side that will be glued on the SUP board.
4. Apply glue on the patch and on the board
If the patch is ready, you can now apply the glue. Apply the glue on the roughened side of the patch and on the area to be repaired. (*Attention: Do not use too much glue! It should only be a thin layer. Let the glue dry for at least 5 minutes. It should still be soft but not sticky when you put your finger on it)
Put th patch on the hole and press it with your fingers on the board as hard as you can. Rub it with your thumb in order to make it stick to the baord properly on all sides. You can use a piece of hard plastic or something similar to put even more pressure on the glued-on patch.
5. Done!
This were all the steps to repair your inflatable SUP board from a leak, but this will be the hardest part. You have to let your board rest for 24 hours before you can use it again! But once done, you’ll be able to hit the water with SUP which won’t leak anymore!
