08-08-2006, 11:52 AM
[cool][#0000ff]Welcome aboard. Good name. Wear it well and proudly. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Many new tubes need a couple of outings to "get the wrinkles out". You may need to deflate, adjust and reinflate a couple of times to get everything to fit properly.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I am assuming that you are filling your air bladders with a good two way pump, rather than just lung power. That will be necessary to get proper inflation.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you are airing the tube up in the early morning, before the sun comes up to hit the tube and warm the air, you will need more air to compensate for some potential "shrinkage" in cooler air and cold water. Later in the morning, if you feel that the tube is too full (hard to the touch), you can bleed off a bit of air to restore firm but not hard.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Firmness is a subjective thing. Primarily you want a ride that is solid and not floppy. Too soft and you will notice sagging and wrinkling in the cover. Not good. That usually is what you need to watch out for in the event of a puncture or leak in the valve.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As already suggested, you should always partially (or fully) deflate your tube before transporting it any distance in your vehicle or storing it for long periods inside your home or garage. With a good pump it is fast and easy to finish airing up your ride when you are ready to fish. It is not as easy to buy a new air bladder when yours splits out under too much pressure.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Spend some time reading back through the posts, especially the best of the best. Also, we have a picture section on this board with a lot of pictorial How=To stuff.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good luck, have fun and don't be shy about asking questions. We have several ODC 420 owners on the board and a lot of collective experience in tubing.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Many new tubes need a couple of outings to "get the wrinkles out". You may need to deflate, adjust and reinflate a couple of times to get everything to fit properly.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I am assuming that you are filling your air bladders with a good two way pump, rather than just lung power. That will be necessary to get proper inflation.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]If you are airing the tube up in the early morning, before the sun comes up to hit the tube and warm the air, you will need more air to compensate for some potential "shrinkage" in cooler air and cold water. Later in the morning, if you feel that the tube is too full (hard to the touch), you can bleed off a bit of air to restore firm but not hard.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Firmness is a subjective thing. Primarily you want a ride that is solid and not floppy. Too soft and you will notice sagging and wrinkling in the cover. Not good. That usually is what you need to watch out for in the event of a puncture or leak in the valve.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]As already suggested, you should always partially (or fully) deflate your tube before transporting it any distance in your vehicle or storing it for long periods inside your home or garage. With a good pump it is fast and easy to finish airing up your ride when you are ready to fish. It is not as easy to buy a new air bladder when yours splits out under too much pressure.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Spend some time reading back through the posts, especially the best of the best. Also, we have a picture section on this board with a lot of pictorial How=To stuff.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Good luck, have fun and don't be shy about asking questions. We have several ODC 420 owners on the board and a lot of collective experience in tubing.[/#0000ff]
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