How to find and fix a leak in a raft?

TDub said:

Hey guys, I have a Curtis raft that has a leak in it, and was wanting to get it ready for some backpacking this Summer. What process do you use to find they leak, and how to you repair them? I don't have the patch material sent with the boat. Just curious how you would go about it.

I have to say, my attempts at fixing waders in the past have all failed, so I obviously have no idea what I'm doing when finding and fixing leaks.

Thanks!

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To find it, try a mixture of water and dawn dish detergent. With the raft fully inflated, try pouring the solution over small areas one by one. If you have a pinhole leak, it should start blowing bubbles.

Hell if I know how to patch it though.

Good luck!

If the hole is small, you can use AquaSeal or some other waterproof adhesive that sets flexible. Outdoor Goop will work and I've heard that AquaSeal is a thin type of the same stuff they use for Outdoor Goop.

If the hole is large, you must know the material of your raft and cut a patch of the same material. Attach it with AquaSeal, or again, a similar waterproof adhesive.

I've fixed lots of leaks in inflatable fishing devices with the above approach.

200 MPH duct tape. Clean with alcohol, then apply. Good to have with you for that on site situation.

Scott, good advise. I came across a clear tape used by rubber rafters that was intended to use for sealing holes in a rubber raft during a trip. I know it works for rubber but I'm not sure about any other material. As my SuperCat is made from rubber raft material, I carry a roll of the clear tape.

TDub said:

Hey guys, I have a Curtis raft that has a leak in it, and was wanting to get it ready for some backpacking this Summer. What process do you use to find they leak, and how to you repair them? I don't have the patch material sent with the boat. Just curious how you would go about it.

I have to say, my attempts at fixing waders in the past have all failed, so I obviously have no idea what I'm doing when finding and fixing leaks.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Soapy water run over the blown up raft..

There is some stuff that is made by Loon. You apply it in the shade and expose it to the sun. It sets up right now. I have used it on waders but I haven't tried it on anything you float with.

Thanks guys. I appreciate the replies. I'll try to see if I can locate it with soapy water.

This is it!
http://www.patchngo.com/

Bob Triggs said:

This is it!
http://www.patchngo.com/

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Interesting. I like easy! I may order some of those.

Bob Triggs said:

http://www.patchngo.com/

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Somebody needs a new website.

I poked a pin hole in one of my tubes with an errant cast. A spray bottle with dish soap helped locate the leak. I marked the hole and deflated the tube. I used a drop of aqua seal on the leak and sucked the rest of the air out of the tube with a vacuum cleaner, actually pulling the some of aqua seal into the pin hole. It has held for over 8 years. Tom

Slipstream said:

I poked a pin hole in one of my tubes with an errant cast. A spray bottle with dish soap helped locate the leak. I marked the hole and deflated the tube. I used a drop of aqua seal on the leak and sucked the rest of the air out of the tube with a vacuum cleaner, actually pulling the some of aqua seal into the pin hole. It has held for over 8 years. Tom

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McGuyver!!!!

TDub said:

Somebody needs a new website.

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What seems to be the problem? I followed the shopping links through to paypal. Google "Kirch's Patch N'Go", or "Kirch's Quick Patch."

Bob Triggs said:

What seems to be the problem? I followed the shopping links through to paypal. Google "Kirch's Patch N'Go", or "Kirch's Quick Patch."

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Bob, I'm sure it works just fine. I was just being a jerk and commenting on the design.

Slipstream said:

I poked a pin hole in one of my tubes with an errant cast. A spray bottle with dish soap helped locate the leak. I marked the hole and deflated the tube. I used a drop of aqua seal on the leak and sucked the rest of the air out of the tube with a vacuum cleaner, actually pulling the some of aqua seal into the pin hole. It has held for over 8 years. Tom

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Nice Slipstream. I did locate the hole (in a seam) with a spray bottle and dish soap. I also used aqua seal since that's what I had, but already did it before I saw your post about sucking it into the boat. That's a great idea. It seems to have fixed the leak so far. I'll be sure to bring the tape with me when I use it.

Thanks for the input everyone.

Seams can be a real problem. Good luck.

You may be okay with using the sealant with the tube inflated... if it doesn't work, you can always reseal it.

Seams are indeed a bitch... so are valves. My SuperCat would lose air over time while hanging in my garage so I used the soapy water test and I found a number of tiny leaks in the cap end seams for the pontoons. I resealed all the seams on the ends. Now, when I inflate the pontoons they stay inflated for months and lose very, very little air between fishing trips.

Sometimes a valve will leak due to dirt keeping it open. If it is sticking, cleaning the valve will normally work. Other times you have no choice but to replace it.

Bob Triggs said:

This is it!
http://www.patchngo.com/

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That technology does indeed appear to be handy! Thanks for posting, Bob!