Four Things That You Should Do When You Inflate Your Boat
To inflate a raft or boat correctly, you can't just put air in any old way with a pump or compressor. The following are four things you can do to make sure you don't inadvertently damage your watercraft or detract from its performance while inflating it:
Check for punctures before you get started
If there are any punctures in the body of your inflatable boat, they're obviously going to allow air out and could cause you to start sinking once you're in the water. Furthermore, punctures in your boat are likely to become more severe if you begin filling your boat with air from compressor before they are repaired.
Do a quick inspection and check for any punctures before you start, and listen for any possible air leakages as you begin filling.
Keep careful track of the valve covers after you remove them so you know where they go
Valve covers are important for holding air inside your boat after you've inflated it. Unfortunately, they're very easy to lose as you inflate.
Keep careful track of valves as you remove them. You need to keep them organized and replace them on the same valve from which they were removed. One good way to keep track is to number your valves according to where they go on your boat so you're always certain you're putting them at the right location.
Fill the boat gradually in a clockwise direction
You should not fill each compartment entirely before proceeding to the next one. This could stretch out certain portions of your boat as you inflate and could cause punctures or other damage.
Instead, gradually fill one compartment at a time in a clockwise direction, but don't fill compartments up all the way until there is some air in each compartment and the boat has taken shape.
After you put air in each chamber and the boat has taken shape, then you can go back and fill each chamber the rest of the way to the appropriate pressure for use.
Be careful not to overfill your boat
It's easy to go overboard when inflating by overfilling your air chambers. However, this puts unnecessary stress on your watercraft and could cause it to age prematurely.
Remember that an inflatable boat should not be filled so full that it feels rock hard. The boat should offer a little bit of give when you press down on any of the air chambers. For more information, contact companies like Andy and Bax.