Small puncture and drag mark leaks can be repaired easily and permanently. 



TOOLS NEEDED:

1X Tube of rubber cement glue

1X Old towel or piece of cloth

1x  Bucket or liquid holder not used for consuming liquids (an old mug works best)

1x  Soft-bristled brush ( old toothbrush or an old dish brush is ideal. Be sure to not use the brush for dishes or brushing your teeth again ;) )


FINDING HOLE AND PREP WORK:

1) Inflate the board to 15PSI.

2) Locate the leak by either listening closely to the board OR by mixing a small amount of liquid soap with some water. 

3) Take the soft-bristled brush and scrub the impacted area

4) Once the hole has been located we would recommend marking it by taking a marker pen and circling it. This will give you a permanent visual of the hole. 

5) Once you have located the hole(s) deflate the board so you can get to work on sealing. 

6) Ensure the hole has been cleaned and is free of debris. You can do this by scrubbing it with the solution and wiping it down with your cloth. 

7) Before we apply the glue we need to ensure that the surface is flat and dry. If the hole is on the side of the board you will need to make the area of the board flat (parallel to the ground) so that the glue can stay in place.


SEALING THE HOLE WITH THE RUBBER CEMENT:


1) Once the hole is dry and parallel to the ground you will need to apply the glue in small amounts. Firstly, drop a small bead of glue no bigger than your small fingernail directly onto the hole.

2)This will take around two hours to correctly cure and will dry in a round bump shape (looks kind of like an intense mosquito sting). Once cured drop another slightly bigger bead on top of the other and allow it to cover the top and edges

3) Do this 3-4 times and the glue should have formed a nice size lump. 

4) Reinflate the board to 15PSI and use the scrubbing technique to see if the hole is completely sealed. If yes, enjoy your board. if not, repeat the process paying more attention to the area the air is escaping from. 


POST REPAIR:


Inflate your board and leave it fully inflated in a temperature-controlled environment such as a spare room or your living room overnight. If the board is substantially less than 15PSI you will likely have another hole If the board was able to stay within the 13.5 - 15PSI range your board is doing fine! 


SEAM LEAK:

1. Clean the entire board.

2. Fully deflate the board.

3. Fill the gap with glue and drag a bead of glue along the seam. In the same fashion of using caulk. Squeeze the glue and drag along the seam. Add some weight to the area. Such as a few books or a hand weight and allow to cure.

4. Apply another layer and allow it to cure. Do this 3x total.

5. Inflate the board to a low pressure for testing (around 4/5 PSI)

6. Apply some soapy water to the area and watch out for air bubbles.

7. If bubbles appear, deflate and concentrate on the bubbling areas.

8. If no bubbles, inflate to 15PSI and leave for 12 hours in a temperature-controlled environment (such as a spare room or basement).

9. If the board holds air (.5 PSI loss would be perfectly fine) you're ready to go. If not, repeat from step 3 onwards.


You will need some PVC rubber cement for the best results. 



SEAM BURST:

If you have a seam blowout, this YouTube video should help you repair your seam. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIojqQ1TnIw


Please review the above instructions for cleaning and preparing the board to be repaired.  If you are unable to repair the seam, there are shops that will fix SUP's .


Always keep your PFD and USCG required safety gear on board your SUP at all times.