# Hot weather possible boat overinflation



## Whitewater Worthy Equip (Dec 11, 2013)

Don’t inflate super hard before the sun hits the boat but there is no reason to have it so soft is dangerous to walk on. Keep the chambers equal pressure and don’t drag it way up on the beach in the afternoon. If if gets tight enough your concerned just let a little out of all chambers.


----------



## newpc (Aug 3, 2009)

As long as you're on the water its fine. Once at camp if its still hot and sunny I like to bleed a little air out. This means topping off in the morning. Also depends on boat brand. We ran avons commercially and NEVER bled them.


----------



## sledhooligan (Mar 12, 2009)

Depends on the boat brand and color. Sotars and Maravias can take a lot more psi then a nrs or hyside so they can handle bigger spikes. 
I have dark green NRS tubes that I run at 2.5 ,max is 3psi. On hot days my boat creeps up to 3 and I let some air out, then I usually have to top it off in the morning. Grey NRS cat tubes will hold 2.5 all day in the same situation.


----------



## newpc (Aug 3, 2009)

sledhooligan said:


> Depends on the boat brand and color. Sotars and Maravias can take a lot more psi then a nrs or hyside so they can handle bigger spikes.
> I have dark green NRS tubes that I run at 2.5 ,max is 3psi. On hot days my boat creeps up to 3 and I let some air out, then I usually have to top it off in the morning. Grey NRS cat tubes will hold 2.5 all day in the same situation.


great point made here, if unsure use a gauge!


----------



## B4otter (Apr 20, 2009)

For sure: if you've lost all your fingers & thumbs or even have had your arms amputated above the elbow, use a gauge. Otherwise if you own an inflatable and can't tell when it's approaching over-inflation, pay more attention. 
Seriously? Folks will invest thousands of $ in a rig but can't tell when their boat is gaining pressure? Approaching over-inflation?
If your boat is in the water - not pulled up on shore, but floating (which is what boats want to do) - there's nothing to worry about. Period. If anyone on this forum has ever witnessed a boat exploding DUE TO OVER INFLATION WHILE FLOATING on the water, I'd really like to hear about it. I imagine the physics of gaining buoyancy are possible given today's great big tubes and really, really hot temps - like below Separation in June/July - but I've been there, done that (a bunch), and never seen or heard of it. 
Elevation is another story. Pay attention to expansion as you go up with a boat on a trailer - but I don't know of any rivers where the put-in is lower than the takeout...


----------



## Riverratton (Aug 19, 2015)

I have an Aire Lion and also live in Colorado. As you mentioned temp changes can be significant. A pressure gauge is a very important piece of gear. I make sure my rig is at 1.5 psi in the morning, that way a couple of hrs later it's around 2. I then check in the early afternoon and let air out to keep it around 2.5. At the take out I bring it back to 1.5. I have never seen a boat explode on the river, but I have seen one explode on the trailer. Buy a gauge, protect your investment.


----------



## WyBackCountry (Mar 20, 2014)

I've heard a second hand story from a friend that witnessed a boat explode at 
Boundary creek MF Salmon put in years ago from being over inflated and sitting in the sun too long.


----------



## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

I only buy white boats these days. I have a white Aire and a white Hyside Mini-Max (and a new slightly larger replacement for the Aire on its way...also in white). The Aire has gray chaffers...and its amazing the temperature difference between the white surface and grey surface. I've literally never felt the white part get hot or even warm. Plus...I think its super sexy looking and you don't see many white boats on the river so it stands out.

Definitely pretty easy to just pay attention and let a tiny bit out when it gets hot. I have a typical Grey Avon Pro as well...and you can really tell when its starting to climb in pressure. I just pop each valve for a few seconds and call it good.

Kinda similar to trailering a boat and going up over high altitude passes and such. I've figured out how much elevation change makes bleeding the air necessary now...but was kinda paranoid for the first couple of trips.


----------



## Riverwild (Jun 19, 2015)

I have a white boat as well and I can definitely tell the difference. The material just doesn't get as hot. There is a bit of a glare off the white fabric though on bright sunny days. An outfitter I used to work for had some 160DDs in dark gray and those things got super hot, burn you ass if you sat on them!


I recall a story of a MFS outfitter going up over Banner coming back from a Main and rumor had it their Sweep Boat popped from the pressure.


----------



## kengore (May 29, 2008)

I have witnessed a Sevlor brand inflatable kayak blow on a San Juan trip. The owner had hauled it up on the beach during lunch, it sat on hot sand until it ruptured with a very loud bang. If the boat mostly in the water I don't think you will have any problems. Just keep an eye on it and maybe let out some air if you drag it up on the beach.


----------



## raymo (Aug 10, 2008)

Use the desert rock method, hold a quarter size rock about three feet above your raft tube and drop it on your tube, if doesn't bounce, but stays on the tube you need to add some more air, if you drop the same rock and it bounces about 4 inches up, your tube is inflated just right, here's the real test if you drop the same rock and it bounces up and hits you in the head and knocks you out, it's a very special and smart rock, keep it for good luck. I heard that one from a boat man that was asked the same question about tube hardness from a new trainee. I laughed my ass off. A combination of ideas above should work just fine for you. Have fun.


----------



## Riverwild (Jun 19, 2015)

This seems like a pretty cool way to keep and eye on your boat pressure.


https://www.nrs.com/product/38511.01/trib-aircap-pressure-gauge


----------



## triboutdoor (Jun 24, 2018)

We had an IK pop during lunch at Lower Grouse on a Middle Fork Salmon trip, it sounded like a shotgun.









The IK couldn't be repaired and never made it back on the water. So yeah, I would agree with Riverwild that keeping an eye on your boat pressure is a good idea.

Erik


----------



## almortal (Jun 22, 2014)

*Elevation change overinflation*

Piggybacking on the theme, does anybody have tricks for dealing with the change in air pressure from dramatic changes in elevation? Driving from the front range to the desert floats involves significant elevation change (gain and loss) and therefore a substantial increase (then decrease) in pressure.

I typically start with my boat slightly under-inflated, and hit a rest step after a few thousand feet change and check and usually let some more out. The problem is then on the drive down it loses air pressure and I have to either take in a lot of slack from the straps and have it be squishy or inflate it. 

Does anybody have any alternative suggestions for dealing with this?


----------



## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

almortal said:


> Piggybacking on the theme, does anybody have tricks for dealing with the change in air pressure from dramatic changes in elevation? Driving from the front range to the desert floats involves significant elevation change (gain and loss) and therefore a substantial increase (then decrease) in pressure.
> 
> I typically start with my boat slightly under-inflated, and hit a rest step after a few thousand feet change and check and usually let some more out. The problem is then on the drive down it loses air pressure and I have to either take in a lot of slack from the straps and have it be squishy or inflate it.
> 
> Does anybody have any alternative suggestions for dealing with this?


I'm usually driving over Lolo Pass (5200') on my way to/from the Lochsa which is somewhere between 2,000-3000'...but I'm generally going over the pass in the evening/night when temps are cooler. I stopped once to check, it wasn't too tight, and never worried about it again. As I burp the raft a bit putting it on the trailer, the pass never required a separate burp. In my experience, daily temp swings and sunlight make a bigger difference. 

Then again, I'm not taking 7-8000' passes.

I have had straps loosen due to dropping down from elevation AND temperatures cooling. 15,000# 2" straps are awesome, but the hooks don't like to stay hooked if you're dealing with temp swings.


----------



## [email protected] (Jun 1, 2010)

I use cam buckle straps from the frame to the trailer to avoid pulling too hard on a D ring. If you want to toss a long strap over your entire raft you should replace the hooks with carabiners so the strap can not fall off if it comes loose. When I'm hauling two stacked rigged boats I strap bottom boat to trailer, than boat to boat. Never had an issue yet. That is because I believe the shorter the distance between tie down points the less effect inflation or deflation has on how tight/loose the straps get with temp/ pressure change. I start out at 1# if it is cold and likely to get a lot hotter or if I'm going up a lot (5,000') in elevation. If both happens at the same time than I do check pressure. But normally I get by without bleeding off air. I always keep my pump handy just in case. I do always check boat air and trailer bearings at gas or food stops.


----------



## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

I use cam straps from frame to trailer, NEVER to the D-rings if there's a frame on the boat. Avoid anything that requires tension be maintained to keep the strap attached - the hooks and ratchet type from Cabelas - it'll will wind up as a road hazard after the boat gets squishy and they fall off. Your boat may wind up with it on the road too... 

Generally my trips start in Denver (~5,500 ft) and go over ~11,000' passes to the Western Slope. I've found that by starting off with the boat slightly underinflated, by the time I get to the tunnel, it is as tight as I'll let it get at the summits (ping!). Then about the time I get to Glenwood Canyon (or ~6,000 ft) I'll top it off so it's pretty tight and keep heading downhill. 

I prefer to have a tight boat when driving, so when I hit bumps the boat's not squishy with all the gear bouncing up and down putting so much stress on the straps due to the momentum on the upward bounce. 

As for driving into the desert with an inflated boat, that was one of the first things I was told about when I got into rafting. Monitor the pressure in the tubes, especially when starting off on a cool morning or taking the boat out of the water, and let some air out so you don't pop your boat.

YMMV,

-AH


----------



## 90Duck (Nov 19, 2012)

I had a Tributary Sawtooth IK split at the side seam this summer. It was hauled completely out of the water sitting on the beach of a lake at around 4,000 feet, and it wasn't hot (maybe 75), just sunny. The boat was flipped upside down to dry with the gray side up for about 20 minutes before packing up and the outer hull just split open about 3 feet along a seam, leaving the inner bladder protruding like a urethane hernia. I wish I had taken a picture. There was no loud bang as it was still holding pressure.

Aire told me they couldn't repair it, but I had a local upholstery shop sew up the split for $178 and the bladder still holds air just fine. An expensive lesson, but at least the boat is still serviceable.


----------

