Inflatable boats are now very common with their various benefits like portable, affordable, versatile and stable, and unlike other rigid boats, inflatable boats are also extremely safe with their multiple air chambers. You won't sink even if your inflatable boat is pierced on the water. Yes, this may happen and you'd better know how to deal with this in case it really happens to you.

1. Don't panic

Here quotes a swimming coach's words: drowning will not kill you, but panic will. So when you are in the water with your inflatable boat and suddenly a leak happens in one of the tubes, you must calm down and not be scared by the punctures or leakages. Keep in mind that your inflatable boat still have several good air chambers can keep you afloat, so you should use the rest of floating inflatable to get to the shore safely. The most important thing is remember to check your boat for any leakages or puncture before you go into the water.

2. Do an emergency repair for small leakages

You should keep duct and a bottle of acetone on your boat for this situation. If the leakage on your boat is visible and accessible, you may want to repair it immediately while you are still in the water. Wipe down the leaking area with acetone and then apply the duct tape for an emergency repair, make sure the seal is tight and then you can re-inflate the boat with a hand pump. This quick repair can make sure you get back to the shore safely for more inspections. Remember, this way only suitable for less severe leaks and small punctures on accessible places.

3. What to do if you can't spot the leaks

The leaks from an inflatable boat can be from anywhere and sometimes you can't even spot it. The boat could be deflating slowly so you still have time to bring your boat ashore. After you get to the dry land, use soap water to find out all the leakages. You can see the air chamber becomes soft while air escaping, then you can spray the soap water on the soft air and then keep pumping air into your boat to help you find the tiny bubbles forming. In addition to the inflatable surface, you should also check the valves and screw the valve fitting tightly to make sure you have found out all the leaks.

4. Repair the leakages on the boat

The emergency repair with duct tape and acetone in most cases is just a temporary fix. After you find out all the leaks on land, you need a permanent maintenance. Read this article to learn how to patch a more severe puncture on inflatable boat. Most inflatable boats will come with a complete repair kit, so take out the patch material and cut a piece for the puncture, apply glue around the damage area and then fix it with the patch. You will need to wait for approximately 30 minutes for the adhesive to dry before inflating the boat again.

5. Always take a repair kit with you

Whenever you go out on the water with your inflatable boat, please remember to take a repair kit for emergency. This repair kit includes a hand pump, duct tape, acetone, a patch kit. These things will be very useful when your boat gets a puncture on water. It's always a good idea to be prepared.

At last, we need to remind you when sailing on the water, you must keep an eye on your inflatable boat, whether it's getting slower or getting softer or getting less stable. The earlier you can notice a puncture, the sooner you can be able to respond. Sunjoy Inflatables is a responsible inflatable boats manufacturer from China, if you have any demand for inflatable boats and other inflatable play structures, please contact us to enjoy a directly factory customize service.