Repairing an inflatable or RIB: punctures, seams, valves and when to call a workshop

First, know what your inflatable is made of

Before buying glue or patches you need to know the tube material, because each one is repaired differently and the products are not interchangeable.

• PVC. The most common material on leisure inflatables and tenders. It is lighter and cheaper, and the seams are often thermo-welded. It suffers more from sun and heat.
• Hypalon (CSM). More expensive and resistant to UV, fuel and abrasion. It is the typical material of professional and high-end RIBs. The seams are glued.

It is shown on the builder's plate or in the manual. If you cannot find it, ask the manufacturer with the serial number. PVC glue does not bond to Hypalon, or the other way round, so a patch made with the wrong product peels off within days.

Finding the leak

If the boat loses pressure overnight, inflate the tubes to their normal pressure and go over them with soapy water using a sponge or spray bottle: bubbles will show the leak. Check in this order:

1. The valves, the most common culprit.
2. The seams and the joint between the tubes and the transom or the rigid hull.
3. Chafe points: where it rests on the pontoon or trailer, and the glued-on handles and D-rings.
4. The rest of the tube, inch by inch.

Remember that air expands with heat: an inflatable pumped up in the morning feels softer in the evening without any leak. Always compare at the same temperature.

Valves

Many leaks are fixed without a patch. Clean sand and salt out of the valve, check that the diaphragm seals properly and tighten the body with the manufacturer's valve wrench. If it still leaks, the core of most valves can be replaced cheaply. Always keep that wrench and a spare core in the onboard kit.

Patching a small puncture

For cuts and punctures of a few centimetres on a flat area, away from seams, the repair is manageable if you are patient:

1. Deflate the chamber and leave it somewhere shaded, dry and mild. In high humidity or full sun the glue will not bond well.
2. Cut the patch from the same material and colour, with rounded corners and about 5 cm larger than the damage on every side.
3. Mark the outline, lightly sand both surfaces and clean them with the solvent recommended by the glue maker.
4. Apply the glue in thin coats to the tube and the patch, respecting the time between coats. Two-part glues have a hardener and last far longer than one-part glues.
5. Lay the patch from one side to the other without trapping air, and press it hard with a roller.
6. Let it cure for at least 24 hours, longer if you can, before inflating to working pressure.

An emergency patch on the water will get you back to port, but rarely lasts. If your inflatable has several chambers, it will keep floating even if one goes flat: head back slowly with the weight spread out.

What is best left to a workshop

• Open or lifting seams, especially on thermo-welded PVC tubes, which need machinery.
• Long cuts or damage near a seam, valve or the transom.
• Tubes coming away from the rigid hull of a RIB.
• Tubes made porous or sticky by the sun: if the material loses air everywhere, patching is pointless. Retubing can be worth it, especially on a RIB with a good hull and engine.

When asking for a quote, give the make, model, year and tube material, and send photos of the damage. Ask whether they work with your material, whether they guarantee the repair and whether they can collect the boat from the port.

How to make it last longer

• Keep it out of the sun: a cover or shaded storage is what extends tube life most, especially for PVC.
• Check the pressure with a gauge, without overdoing it, and remember the sun raises it.
• Rinse it with fresh water and let it dry before rolling or covering it, to avoid mould and dirt in the folds.
• Avoid chafe: fenders at the pontoon and padding on the trailer supports.
• Have it inspected before the season if it is a few years old: a workshop spots lifting and porosity before they leave you stranded.

If your inflatable is the tender of a larger boat, have it checked during the boat's service. And if the outboard is part of the package, our outboard maintenance guide covers what to check every season.