I have always said one of the best things about a hybrid float tube is that if you get a puncture in the bladder. Which I will say is not very common. If you get a puncture in your Hybrid bladder they are very easy to fix. Why you ask, simply because you don’t have to take out the inner bladder; everything is on the outside and ready to patch. But I will be honest I made a mistake …. Don't do what I did.
So I got in 25 years my first puncture in a float tube and it happened to my Float Plus. It was simply a dorsal spin of a Spottie that I landed. It flipped just right and hit the side of my tube just right. A million to one shot. I did at first hear some hissing but as quick as I heard it the hissing was gone. I did not worry about it much from that point and did not notice the issue till a little less than a week later. When I walked out into my garage I noticed one side deflated…..NOOOOOOOOO! But it's an easy fix right.
So I went to work and found the
leak and planned to not only repair
the leak but add a new D-Ring for an
attachment for my new landing net
as well. After some planning and
marking of the leak I set up to do
this simple repair. Placed the glue
on the D-Ring patch and the area
where the leak was found. It's 3 coats and then attach the 2 glued sides together, let it sit for 24 hours and you are good to go. The next day I inflated the tube to test out my patch. It helped just fine and I was confident I was good to go. Only a week later it again was deflated. I noticed a small leak under the D-Ring patch I placed on so I cut some PVC and glues under the original patch over where the leak leak had found a way out.
You learn from your Mistakes
So don't do what I did
The 12th Annual FTFF Toy Drive Don't Miss It.
Nov. 12 Perris Lake
Dec. 4th Newport Harbor
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