08-22-2010, 09:06 PM
[cool][#0000ff]I can identify with the thorn problem. While we lived in Arizona we had frequent H-S-S-S-S-S-S problems with our Fat Cats...urethane bladders or no. Lots of cactus and thorny desert plants that loved to snuggle up to a float tube. We really had to be careful about setting our tubes down on the shoreline of a lake because there were so many cactus spines and other nasties that had washed up in some areas. Of course the PVC bottoms helped but if we had to trudge our gear a ways to the water it was possible to bump hostile nasties on the way. Ruins your whole day when you sit down in your tube and hear escaping bubbles.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]By the way, if you get a leak you do not have to take out the whole bladder. Just unzip all the way around and leave the valve attached. Unhandy to work around the tube cover but I have fixed more than a few holes in the bladders with the cover still attached. Just do your best to guess where the hole is and get a spray bottle with sudsy water. Air the uncovered bladder up tight and start squirting and watching for bubbles. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I got lucky on my most recent perch spine problem. Got the air bladder out of the cover, aired it up tight, filled a large spray bottle with sudsy solution and got ready to conduct a lengthy search. But when I moved my shirtless torso next to the tight air bladder I felt a small stream of air hitting my tender skin. A squirt of suds on the spot confirmed it was the hole...and right about where I thought it would be. How lucky can you get? A quick urethane tape job and I was back in business.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]By the way, if you get a leak you do not have to take out the whole bladder. Just unzip all the way around and leave the valve attached. Unhandy to work around the tube cover but I have fixed more than a few holes in the bladders with the cover still attached. Just do your best to guess where the hole is and get a spray bottle with sudsy water. Air the uncovered bladder up tight and start squirting and watching for bubbles. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I got lucky on my most recent perch spine problem. Got the air bladder out of the cover, aired it up tight, filled a large spray bottle with sudsy solution and got ready to conduct a lengthy search. But when I moved my shirtless torso next to the tight air bladder I felt a small stream of air hitting my tender skin. A squirt of suds on the spot confirmed it was the hole...and right about where I thought it would be. How lucky can you get? A quick urethane tape job and I was back in business.[/#0000ff]
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