REPAIR

Repair adhesives / glues for rafts and other inflatables, replacement valves, boat maintainence products, Aquaseal, repair tools, fabric, and repair advice is found on this page. Updated May 2008. Please Note: we have a $15 minimum order, so we can't ship just one valve cap or tube of glue.

Adhesives & Containers Assorted repair fabric, sold by the square foot- Maintenance Products Spare Valves and Valve Tools: Repair Service

Adhesives & Containers

Flammable liquids, including all raft glues we carry, can only be shipped by UPS ground. Even if you order a boat like an AIRE from us that comes with a screw-top can of glue in the patch kit, if you happen to live someplace like Hawaii the glue needs to be removed before the boat ships. We can sneak small tube-packaged items like Aquaseal and Barge Cement through the Post Office but we would still rather avoid air delivery. If you are on the east coast and are in a big hurry for your glue, you'll need to buy it elsewhere, sorry.
We actually had someone call from Israel early this year wanting us to ship him two cans of boat glue. Forgetting for the moment that our minimum order for something like this is far larger than the price of two cans of glue, it still leaves the question of how he expected it to be delivered. Should it go through slow mail via boat, there was a good chance the cans would have leaked or been degraded before they ever got to him. Occasionally we really are amazed at the some of the requests we get.
UPS handles smaller amounts of glue with ORMD labels, but if you want to eliminate any chance of leakage or a mishap, buy a Nalgene container (directly below) for us to pour your glue into. Lids can leak due to pressure changes if your shipment makes a journey over, say, the Rockies.
We sell rubber glue (for neoprene, hypalon, EPDM, and nitrilon boats) and pvc/urethane adhesives. We are not buying directly from the glue manufacturers anymore since the quantities we've sold the last few years have decreased dramatically, and we have actually lost money since 2000 almost every year because we have had to discard so much outdated adhesive. Thus, we're only carry each glue in one or two sizes.

Shore Rubber Adhesive for neoprene, hypalon, nitrylon, and epdm is an excellent one-part general purpose product similiar in working characteristics to Apollo or Bostic's rubber glues. We have Shore glue in 8 oz. size in one-part for $10 with brush cap, or a 16 oz. two-part (the 2nd part is accelerator that increases heat resistance somewhat) for $18. Please note that we do have a $20 minimum order. .

Clifton's Two-Part Adhesive is meant to be used with either heat or m.e.k. re-activation (instead of simply slapping the two halves together after five or six minutes). "Reactivating" simply means that after the second thin coat of glue has dried sufficiently - like ten to fifteen minutes - you wipe both surfaces with a rag wet with m.e.k. to re-activate, or put the two surfaces together and then apply heat from a very hot hair dryer or heat gun while applying pressure with a rolling tool. When trying to simply slap the two surfaces together after five or six minutes without using re-activation, we've had wildly inconsistant results. In 16 oz. with catalyst $20

note- If you own a "lexatron" Sotar, Wing, or urethane "encapsulated" Maravia boat, regular pvc glues like the Stabond, Bostic, Clifton, and others, are tricky to use. Check out the two-part Aquaseal below.

Nalgene containers are really the only sensible way to carry glue in a patch kit and a good way to UPS glue to you as well. If you use metal cans all too often the glue pukes out the lid, turning everything inside your kit into a gooey nasty mess. This is especially likely if you change elevations dramatically on your way to the river. Nalgene bottles are priced as follows:
1, 2, or 4 oz: $1.50;  8 oz: $2.50;  16 oz: $3.50;  32 oz: $5.

Note: Under absolutely no circumstances should you ever take boat repair adhesives on a jet - even in a Nalgene bottle. The minimum fine for getting caught is $2,500 in the States, and it's an exceeding bad idea in the first place. Flamable liquids have no business on planes, and any glue in a metal paint-style will pop it's lid every time in an unpressurized compartment.

We also carry 2 oz. tubes of Barge Cement for rubber boats. Barge Cement is a good one part glue that's been around for years and we've used it on some fairly extensive repair jobs when nothing else was handy. $3 each.

If you could only have one item in your patch kit, it would have to be Aquaseal. This urethane based repair product sticks to just about anything including almost every type of boat imaginable, so it is good for far more than just fixing wetsuits. Additionally, when it drys it is much stronger and more abrasion resistant than any raft material.

Here are a few things we've successfully used it for: repairing small air tube rips up to 1/4" long and floor rips up to 1/2", coating abraded areas on the undersides of boats, as a "seam sealer" on paddle jackets, to repair and replace cuffs on drysuits, in place of regular contact-type glues for patching, filling in cracks on raft valve boots, repairing broken river sandals, fixing small rips on lifejackets (it sticks to nylon too), mixing with fiberglass pigments to make touch-up paint for encapsulated Maravia boats, and even to make piston cups for barrel pumps.

Aquaseal also makes a 2-part with Cotol accelerator which lets it set up in one hour instead of 12 - 24 hours. This is a very important item for every Wing, Maravia, or lexatron Sotar owner to have in their repair kit. These boats are quite difficult to repair with conventional urethane based glues, especially out on the river. Yet with 2-part Aquaseal even a five year old can do it. Just put a layer (approx. 1/16th to 1/20th of an inch thick) on either the patch or ripped area of the boat, lay the patch down with some weights, and let it dry for an hour. Since some Aquaseal will ooze out the patch edges you should put a piece of waxed paper or a plastic grocery bag in between so the weights won't stick to the boat. It would likely take an hour to properly fix one of these boats with regular glue anyway, even if you are successful. We had to adhere six huge zipper patches to a Sotar raft a few years back, and we tried the best pvc glue we could get our hands on, as well as our hand welder, and the Aquaseal was the only thing that really worked. We cannot say enough good about this product or about how underated it is. Just don't confuse it for the toothpaste tube.

1 oz: $7;  1 oz. with Cotol Accelerator: $10 

Assorted repair fabric, sold by the square foot-

Please Note: Last year, for reasons unknown we had quite a few phone calls from people ensconced in strange jobs that involved trying to make this or that inflatable pontoon or pneumatic object, for this or that wierd prototype or college science project. These phone calls tend to come in clumps and we may not get any more for ten years, but in general we do not bill ourselves as a large-scale supplier of coated material. We do have bulk access to certain materials shown below, but any orders for large quantities of material need to be accompanied by substantial non-refundable deposits.

Also, we do not always have every fabric listed below in stock. Since giving up the boat rental, our own need for it has dropped by at least 90% (we used to make our own footcones for all of our rental rafts, which used a lot of material). Since the overwhelming majority of people who call us for repair fabric only want that and maybe glue, trying to pay close attention to rubber and pvc inventory is a very low priority for us.

Rubber coated fabrics per square foot:
420 denier neoprene (black) or Hypalon one-side (yellow or grey)..$5
420 denier Hyside Hypalon two-sided (blue)..$6
840 denier Hyside Hypalon two-sided (blue)..$7
840 denier neoprene (black or blue)..$6
1050 denier Hyside Hypalon two-sided (black)..$7
1050 denier Hyside Hypalon two-sided (blue)..$7
1200 denier floor Hypalon two-sided (black)..$8

PVC & urethane fabrics:
2000 denier 33-oz urethane (specify color; for Wing etc)..$8
As above, scrap, in orange/yellow or blue/teal..$2.50
210 or 420 denier urethane coated nylon (for AIRE floor bladders)..$4
Clear 14mil urethane (for AIRE tube bladders & Sevylor repair)..$3
1100 denier Haku Incept fabric (red pvc)..$5
1000 denier Jacks tube fabric (blue pvc)..$4
840 denier AIRE 18 or 20 oz/square yard pvc (yellow, grey, blue, purple, aqua)..$3.50
1200 denier AIRE 25oz (yellow, grey, blue, red, purple)..$4
2200 denier AIRE 40oz (grey, blue, yellow, purple, aqua)..$5

Patch-N-Go is a new release paper-backed clear film in 5 and 10 mil thicknesses, that comes in small precut circles and strips. When you get a hole, you just clean the area with alcohol, dry it for a moment, and slowly apply & burnish the patch. Wait five minutes, or more if you want, and you are on your way. In other words, it is like using tape to cover the hole. The problem is, even the best military duct tape won't quite adhere well enough on the exterior of an air holding chamber to keep the air from tunneling out from the rip or hole to the edge of the tape no matter how much you put on.
Gotta admit, we were very skeptical of the Patch-N-Go, and we fully expected the same thing to happen with it during testing even at modest reinflation pressure. We were wrong. At 2 p.s.i., which is as much as you should ever think about putting in a freshly repaired boat (actually it's double what you should have), the Patch-N-Go patch hung in there amazingly well, with no air tunneling out from underneath.
We tried a 3" patch on a 1" cut, and a 6" square on a 1" X 2-1/4" L-shaped tear. It worked flawlessly. And this was after only a few minutes. The adhesive cures more over time so it will only get stronger after an hour or a day. Not only is the glue powerful, but it also seems to help that the Patch-N-Go base material (which appears to be mylar) does not stretch like even the best duct tapes will. Not stretching means there is less chance for the tear to open up under the patch.
These are not intended to be a permanent patch for quality boats that use 2 to 3 p.s.i, but on a Sevylor (or any unreinforced vinyl) kayak you could call it "good enough" due to the low pressure they run on, and the 5 mil Patch-N-Go cirlces will defintely provide a permanent fix on an AIRE tube bladder.
The one thing you should know is that when you do get around to doing a permanent repair to your boat, there will be some nasty goo left behind by the Patch-N-Go. This must be removed before the real patching begins. The residual adhesive cannot be removed with alcohol, so you will need MEK for this part of the process.
The weather has been warm in San Jose where we are located, but not over the mid-eighties, so we cannot say for certain if the bond of the Patch-N-Go might be degraded by high heat, but according to the company it's not supposed to.
Patch-N-Go's are expensive for what you get, but then again, getting stuck on an impromptu overnighter along the riverbank is a real drag. We do wish they provided bigger alcohol wipes in the little circle kits, and the burnishing tool is kind of a joke and way too flexible. No matter which type kit or strip you get, you should probably bring a small smoothed-over putty knife for burnishing and maybe some extra alcohol in a little Nalgene - and don't forget the rag.
Circle Kit with two 3" 5-mil patchs, a toy burnisher, instructions, alcohol wipes, in a zip lock: $7 ; Extra 6" square patch in 5-mil: $5 ; 3" X 24" Strip in 10-mil: $9 each

Maintenance Products

303 Protectant is a water based sunblock for boats (inflatable and otherwise), sails, auto upholstery, lifejackets, and it should be considered mandatory for use on drysuit gaskets. Unlike that other scam product found in most automotive stores, 303 contains no destructive silicon or petroleum products. We list it under "repairs" because of its tremendous preventative maintenance potential. If you own a boat coated with epdm, neoprene, or less than 60% hypalon, using 303 on all the top surfaces every two or three river trips will greatly extend the life of the coating - by more than half again. We used this on our rental life jackets too, since it reduces fading and makes them easier to clean at the end of the season. 8 oz pump bottle: $9; 16oz pump bottle: $16  Quart pump bottle: $23.   Gallon: $59 (gallons are special order only)

New - 303 Fabric Guard.
This is 303's equivalent to Scotchguard, though the sailing industry seems to consider it superior to the 3M product for treating sails and fabric boat upholstery. This is not something we've tested yet, but we have had some requests for it so now we are keeping 16 ounce spray bottles in stock. (no photo) $17; buy two or more and get 15% off/

Spare Valves and Valve Tools

1. Standard shallow Halkey Roberts valve (grey)..$16
2. Pump hose to valve adaptor for above..$5
3. * Newer style shallow Halkey Roberts valve (grey)..$16 (we do not always have this item in stock).
4. Summit I valve.. $11 (this was used on the first generation of AIRE Tributary Tomcat kayaks, and rarely you'll find them on a few of the first Strikes)
5. Summit II valve.. $12 (found on all newer Strike and Tomcat kayaks, as well as the first year Tributary rafts)
6. Pump hose to valve adaptor for Summit II valves and newer generation shallow Halkey Roberts valves.. $5
7. Cap for old style shallow Halkey Roberts valve (grey only)..$5
8. Cap for Deep Halkey Roberts valve (#3)..$6 (we're not even sure we have any left at this update, so don't get your hopes too high)
9. Hyside metal military valve, black anodized..$16
10. Riken nylon military valve, white..$15
11. Rubber boot for military valve..(call for price)
12. AIRE seat valve (also works for kayak float bags)..$2
13. Plastic Halkey valve removal socket, 1/2" drive..$4 (for old shallow Halkey valves - item number 1 - also see line drawing above right)
14. Leafield C-7 valve.. $20
15. AIRE/Avon Leafield B-7 valve..$20
16. Professional Stainless 3/8" drive Halkey removal socket..$29
17. Pressure relief valves..call

* A few notes on the items above: The "new style" Halkey valves (item #3) can be distinguished from the older ones (#1) by the fact that they have two extra holes around the outer edge for the cap string to run thru in case the first one breaks.

Items 13 & 16 are all designed for removing the standard shallow (#1) Halkey Roberts valves. The #13 plastic removal tool is very cheesy and is guarantied to break. No Returns! The #16 is way overpriced, but our cost was $24 and at least these are hand-machined sockets. And sorry, but we don't currently have a source for valve wrenches for the new style (#3) shallow Halkey Roberts valves.

A Few Hints about patch kits:

There are a few important items that a lot of whitewater boaters either leave out of their repair kits, or, they have them but may not realize why! You don't need a whole hardware store in the kit, but here are some things to pack along with the glue, brushes, and burnisher:

1. Absorbant cotton rags- if you get a rip through an air tube or inflatable floor, water will get inside; if you don't have rags or a sponge, how will you get the rip area dry enough to repair?
2. Valve removal tool (for Halkey Roberts & Leafield) or screwdriver (for military valves)- a spare valve won't do any good without a way to change it. If you drive an AIRE or other kayak using the B7 Leafield vlaves, which do not come out of the boat, you may also need an old fashioned tobacco pipe cleaner. These usually come in a little bag of a dozen. Take one and bend the last 1/4" or 3/8" ninety degrees with a pliers. Now you have a little cleaning tool for knocking off bits of sand and debris from the internal valve cup and sealing edge that it sits against down inside the Leafield. This cleaning must be done with the valve in the open position.
3. Cigarette lighter- no, it's not to light the recreational drugs while someone else does the repair. A lighter is handy on cold, damp days to dry out and warm up the repair area a little before you start applying the glue. Otherwise, on winter days you may have big problems with adhesion. Don't use it after the glue is applied though!
4. Mixing jar- if you have 2-part glue or 2-part Aquaseal.
5. A pen- not critical, but if you trace the patch outline before you begin, you won't slop glue all over.
6. Needle & heavy thread- for AIRE or other bladder boats only. Otherwise it's a bad idea.
7. Duct tape- sure, every one carries it, but why? Let's say you get a rip longer than 2". Big rips require an inside patch, because without one the exterior patch will start to blow off as soon as you reinflate the boat. The problem is that doing an inside patch is hard enough in your garage; out on a rocky river bank it's all but impossible unless you have an AIRE brand boat. Here's where the duct tape comes in handy. If you use it for the inside patch, the all-important function of keeping air pressure off the back side of the exterior patch is still achieved, yet you don't have to sand, apply glue, and try to get an unwrinkled patch down inside the tube through the rip hole. Instead, you can use a piece of duct tape about 2" longer than the tear to hold the rip shut from the inside. It's still quite tricky, but with tape you can keep redoing it until you get it perfect.
   One last issue is the quality of the duct tape. The thin, plasticky junk so predominate at hardware stores is almost worthless. There are two places you can usually find the "good stuff". The first is the olive green military tape carried at most decent army surplus shops (a.k.a "100 mph" tape). A second source is the small rolls of "radiator hose repair tape" sold at automotive stores. Both are excellent and infinitely superior to the Home Depot crap.
8. Pre-sanded patch fabric- why do it out on the river?
   
9. A 21-piece socket set- of course we're just kidding here, but we are amazed how many people take wrenches down the river. What for? Maybe a pliers could be handy for a stuck valve or pulling up a bad patch, but otherwise leave the tool chest at home.
10. A waterproof container to put it all in- wet sandpaper is utterly useless.

Oooops! The Sun and inflatable boats often don't mix well, and even high quality rafts like the Avon in the photo below (which opened at a center seam, deflating both front left & right chambers) can experience major blowouts with a bit of neglect. This particular raft was probably a mere five years old, but it had seen a lot of use. The day this happened, a couple of us had been washed out of our paddle raft at Chachalaca, the last big - though harmless - class IV rapid on Costa Rica's Rio Chiripo/General. The balmy 70 degree water felt great and there were no more large rapids following so we elected to enjoy the swim, staying in the 5 mph current as we drifted more than half a mile downstream. Finally, after pondering the long walk back, we swam for shore. Shortly after beginning the trudge back to where the other 28 people in our group were waiting and surfing, there was a loud, deep boom. Was someone shooting at us? We honestly thought the noise came from a shotgun, and we just about hit the deck as we nervously spied the surrounding hillsides. No crazed natives in sight. Hmmmm....... As we kept walking, a bit faster now, one of the six rafts back at Chachalaca looked odd. Somehow... well, shorter. It seems that even though it was only a moderate mid-80's, the tropical sun had worked it's damage on the grey Avon material and the seam glue underneath. As your boat heats up, not only does the air expand, but if you are driving a glued boat, the adhesive simultaneously gets softer too. Pop! Avon calling. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of glue.

Repair Shops

Our friends at Rapid Repair, formerly located in the Georgetown area of the Sierra foothills, decided a while back to call it quits on sniffing glue. Long term exposure to both MEK and toulene has very serious consequences including liver damage, liver cancer, nerve damage, and leukemia. Jason and Jeff helped a lot of us out doing complex repairs over the years, but it's in the best interest of their health that they retired. Contrary to some bogus rumors, it had nothing to do with the volume of work they had. The brothers Mellor could have stayed busy into their 90's had they desired. Then again, they probably wouldn't have lived that long.....
In terms of California, we don't know of any great repair shops now, but should we become aware of any we will post their contact info here. If you have had good experiences getting your shredded, detonated raft fixed somewhere in CA or even southern Oregon, please let us know.