06-14-2010, 12:59 AM
[cool][#0000ff]That is an issue that all newbie tubers have to learn for themselves...hopefully, not the hard way. Here are some basic guidelines.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]1. Not a good idea to take your craft to the water inside your vehicle while fully inflated...especially if you have the heater on and you filled your tube in cooler temperatures.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]2. Ditto for going home at the end of the day when the sun is beating down on your vehicle after you filled your tube early in the morning when it was cooler.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]3. One of the first things you should do when coming ashore is check the firmness of your tube cover. If it is pretty firm, bleed off some air. The hot sun beating down on a tube that is partially or fully out of the cooling water can expand the air to hazardous stage.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]4. If you launch early morning, when it is cool and the water is cool, go ahead and top off your tube to firmness before launching. But, once the sun gets a bit higher and radiant heat warms the surface of your tube it will swell up and the cover can get super firm. Again, a good idea is to just tap the release valve a couple of times to drop a bit of air. Not enough to let your tube fold up around you, but enough to take it from rock hard to pushy firm.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]5. You will notice the reverse aspect of this when launching in late afternoon heat and fishing into the cooler evening. Your tube will shrink a bit and you should have a pump handy to top it off. Ditto for taking your tube out of a warm vehicle and plopping it in cold water...or letting it set in cold morning air. Might have to add a few strokes on the pump to make sure you have a firm stable ride on the water.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Use common sense and the laws of physics to guide you.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]1. Not a good idea to take your craft to the water inside your vehicle while fully inflated...especially if you have the heater on and you filled your tube in cooler temperatures.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]2. Ditto for going home at the end of the day when the sun is beating down on your vehicle after you filled your tube early in the morning when it was cooler.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]3. One of the first things you should do when coming ashore is check the firmness of your tube cover. If it is pretty firm, bleed off some air. The hot sun beating down on a tube that is partially or fully out of the cooling water can expand the air to hazardous stage.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]4. If you launch early morning, when it is cool and the water is cool, go ahead and top off your tube to firmness before launching. But, once the sun gets a bit higher and radiant heat warms the surface of your tube it will swell up and the cover can get super firm. Again, a good idea is to just tap the release valve a couple of times to drop a bit of air. Not enough to let your tube fold up around you, but enough to take it from rock hard to pushy firm.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]5. You will notice the reverse aspect of this when launching in late afternoon heat and fishing into the cooler evening. Your tube will shrink a bit and you should have a pump handy to top it off. Ditto for taking your tube out of a warm vehicle and plopping it in cold water...or letting it set in cold morning air. Might have to add a few strokes on the pump to make sure you have a firm stable ride on the water.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Use common sense and the laws of physics to guide you.[/#0000ff]
[signature]