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Forum nameFloat Tube/Kickboat Forum
Topic subjecthow much air?
Topic URLhttp://www.calfishing.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=6&topic_id=21732
21732, how much air?
Posted by nemorino, Wed Jul-07-04 12:57 AM
okay, I got my odc816. The question I have is how much air to put in. Is it possible to over inflate a pontoon with the two way pump that comes with the boat?

21738, RE: how much air?
Posted by swampy, Wed Jul-07-04 07:23 AM
They should have the max air pressure in the instructions that came with the boat.If not I would call them and ask.Also,yes you can over inflate the pontoons causing them to pop or fail.
Hope this helps:)
Swampy
21741, RE: how much air?
Posted by CraniumRobustus, Wed Jul-07-04 08:07 AM
I have personally seen 2 ODC U-boats fail at the seam (both not mine, fortunately). Not sure if they use the same material/seam work for the bladders on the kickboats, but it was enough to convince me that a lil underinflation is better than getting your pontoons tight as a drum.
21745, RE: how much air?
Posted by Deacon, Wed Jul-07-04 08:58 AM
Iknow from personal expierence that they can explode. I was at Clear Lake about a month or so back(Lake remember when I met you there) Well I was near the small island when the seam split. I was sinking and lost some gear. Lucky for me a guy on shore hade a boat and came and resqued me. I also had a owner hook stuck deep into my theigh at the same time. It was so painful. It was not from over filling but it turns out it was a manufacture defect. Please carry a life preserver when on the water. I didnt have one but looking back I wish i did. Please be safe on the water....

Deacon

21742, RE: how much air?
Posted by fish24, Wed Jul-07-04 08:21 AM
Also, remember that the air will expand when it gets hot. You especially don't want to leave it in the sun when it is not in the water. This puts a lot of stress on the pontoons. Sometimes you may want to let out a puff or two while out on the water on a really hot day. You'll get a feel for how much air you need. I, myself, don't like the pontoons to be tight as a drum.
21751, RE: how much air?
Posted by nemorino, Wed Jul-07-04 10:05 AM
Is there a downside to having the pontoons too underinflated? Besides riding lower that is.

21752, RE: how much air?
Posted by woodsac, Wed Jul-07-04 10:28 AM
Everything! If they are TOO underinflated it will cause tons of drag. Makes it very slow in the water. The boat is harder to manuever, doesn't track straight, load shift to the rear, and it's not as stable. The other problem here is that once the sun starts to go down or the temperature starts to drop, you are going to lose even more pressure.