Inflate Futura

AndrewUkR6 · 31 May 2008, 17:10

Hi, getting ready for a boat trip tommorrow (first of the year) if the weathers OK!

Just been pumping up the tubes on my Zodiac Futura with a foot pump and the pressure gauge. However it doesnt ever seem to set in the "Max" zone. When i pump it goes way above the green, then very slowly drops until its where i was 10 minutes ago (a margin below the green max zone!)

Do i need to just give this a few more hours or will it soon go pop! :-)

Locozodiac · 01 June 2008, 18:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewUkR6

Hi, getting ready for a boat trip tommorrow (first of the year) if the weathers OK!

Just been pumping up the tubes on my Zodiac Futura with a foot pump and the pressure gauge. However it doesnt ever seem to set in the "Max" zone. When i pump it goes way above the green, then very slowly drops until its where i was 10 minutes ago (a margin below the green max zone!)

Do i need to just give this a few more hours or will it soon go pop! :-)

Are you using a pressure gauge incorporated on the pump body that has a central pushing pin on the connecting air valve hose? If so, maybe is loosing air pressure through the hose or pump body specially if the air valve is kept open by the air valve adapter, the air tends to go back to the inflator and be lost somewhere. Had some problems with this kind of inflators, no longer are used, that's why double action pumps & hand pressure gauges are employed for better/exact air fillings/readings.

Check the inflator by closing the air valve exit with finger, push with your foot to see if retains air while pushing, if not, it's leaking somewhere. If this is not the problem, check air valves & tubes by spraying soapy water to detect any air leaks on these main/critical parts.

Happy Boating

AndrewUkR6 · 01 June 2008, 20:31

thanks for this. The pressure gauge attatches to the end of the hose. I did actually think to cover it with my hand and it seemed to remain steady. I tried it again on the boat and if i forced it down with my hand i got a couple of the tubes to remain steady on pressure but another couple didnt want to seem to work correctly.

Might invest in another pump and see if it gets easier! Can i easily damage the SIB by overinflating?

codprawn · 01 June 2008, 21:55

I never bother with a pressure guage - just judge it by foot or hand!!!

Most have pressure relief valve built in and will blow off before you do any daqmge - check if yours has.

I find foot pumps rubbish - the stirrup type double action hand pumps are much better - can be had for as little as a tenner if you shop around.

SteveB · 02 June 2008, 12:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewUkR6

thanks for this. The pressure gauge attatches to the end of the hose. I did actually think to cover it with my hand and it seemed to remain steady. I tried it again on the boat and if i forced it down with my hand i got a couple of the tubes to remain steady on pressure but another couple didnt want to seem to work correctly.

Might invest in another pump and see if it gets easier! Can i easily damage the SIB by overinflating?

A Zodiac Futura is very critical to correct pressure unless you want a poor handling boat.

I'm confused as to where the guage is being used? There is no hose attached to the tubes ! Do you mean the hose that is attached to the speed tubes underneath the boat?
What about the main tubes? do they give the same problem?

Steve.

John Kennett · 02 June 2008, 14:25

Andrew

I can come round and have a look if you like, and bring another pump too!

John

prairie tuber · 02 June 2008, 14:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

I never bother with a pressure guage - just judge it by foot or hand!!!

Most have pressure relief valve built in and will blow off before you do any daqmge - check if yours has.

And while your at it, smother the tubes in armorall, then organise a betting pool to see whether the tubes blow up or simply disintegrate first!!!

The keel and speed tubes of zodiacs do not have pressure relief valves.

- Always use a pressure guage when inflating the tubes. As was mentioned earlier, proper inflation pressure is citical to a SIB's performance.

- Always verify the quality of the advice you receive on the internet before applying it.

codprawn · 02 June 2008, 14:46

I DID say to check first!!!

I am suprised at Zodiac not fitting them - my humble Quicksilver has them as standard.

John Kennett · 02 June 2008, 14:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

my humble Quicksilver has them as standard.

Your Quicksilver has pressure relief valves? Mine hasn't. Can you post a picture?

Ta!
John

codprawn · 02 June 2008, 16:30

Mine are combined valves - basically you just keep pumping until they vent off. I try not to pump the tubes up that hard but it doesn't do any harm.

They are seperate valves on my RIB.

And I will take photos when I get a chance.

Tim J · 02 June 2008, 16:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

I DID say to check first!!!

I am suprised at Zodiac not fitting them - my humble Quicksilver has them as standard.

It makes sense not having a release valve on the keel...a hard impact on a wave would probably increase pressure enough to drop air.

Locozodiac · 02 June 2008, 18:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewUkR6

thanks for this. The pressure gauge attatches to the end of the hose. I did actually think to cover it with my hand and it seemed to remain steady. I tried it again on the boat and if i forced it down with my hand i got a couple of the tubes to remain steady on pressure but another couple didnt want to seem to work correctly.

Might invest in another pump and see if it gets easier! Can i easily damage the SIB by overinflating?

You should try with a better inflator like a double action vertical high pressure pump, some brands has hoses and adaptors that cannot be embon to sib's air valves, in that case try to embon the new hose to the original air hose using duct tape or 3M black tape to seal air lost while pumping. If attached with the same valve diameter adapter ok.

Will highly suggest to use a hand manometer, seems many Ribnetteers don't care about it's use at all. The sibs/ribs that uses auto presuure relief valves on their boats, as Codprown boat does, don't need it at all. Would say that most of the standard sibs on the market don't use this type of valves yet, only the more expensive brands like some high end Zodiacs to mention one.

Find completely weird that 100% of the Ribnetters that post on the forums use a pressure gauge regulalry to inflate their car tyres for their cars to peform well and extend gas millage and won't we willing to use them on their expensive water toys for the same issue. If they are hard to find will undertsand not using them. But if available and they're cheap, why not.

If you haven't use a manometer previously to compare readings against finger touch inflation procedures, you won't have the slighliest idea of how much missing air should be put into the tubes. Other stupid method is to inflate tubes untill the end cones don't bend. Most of the sib's tubes require a working pressure of 3.5 PSI. You can feel tubes & cone ends hard enough with only 2/2.5 PSI, still 1 more PSI to go.Why guess, that's what manometers are for, use them!

Would you still inflate your car tyres by finger touch ?

Happy Boating

ian parkes · 02 June 2008, 20:56

The futura has huge tubes and more valves / compartments to inflate than most other sibs .
I couldn't imagine how much hassle and time it must take to get it inflated properly with a hand pump . Go get a bravo HP2 electric pump just set the pressure dial and wait for it turn off at the right pressure .
best £99 I ever spent when i had a sib .

Locozodiac · 26 June 2008, 16:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Mine are combined valves - basically you just keep pumping until they vent off. I try not to pump the tubes up that hard but it doesn't do any harm.

They are seperate valves on my RIB.

Seems that by mistake you have posted the over inflation valves issue reply on the wrong forum. Now, this is a new SIB forum, that I know none of the standard less pricy plywood/alum floor sibs comes with overinflation valves, unless you change/add them to sib's tubes.

Your RIB comment "They are seperate valves on my RIB" can be erroneously interpreted by SIB newbies as they will not know the difference between a standard valve (Halkey Roberts Type) and a overinflation valve. Imagine infllating a standard Sib with a tyre air compressor...Booom!!

Happy Sibbing

Poly · 26 June 2008, 16:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locozodiac

Seems that by mistake you have posted the over inflation valves issue reply on the wrong forum. Now, this is a new SIB forum, that I know none of the standard less pricy plywood/alum floor sibs comes with overinflation valves, unless you change/add them to sib's tubes.

Your RIB comment "They are seperate valves on my RIB" can be erroneously interpreted by SIB newbies as they will not know the difference between a standard valve (Halkey Roberts Type) and a overinflation valve. Imagine infllating a standard Sib with a tyre air compressor...Booom!!

Happy Sibbing

loco as ever your post has turned into a bit of a rant and kind of drifts off topic... ...however I don't think you can expect the SIB forum never to have mention of RIBs and likewise SIBs never to be mentioned in the other forums.

Poly · 26 June 2008, 16:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locozodiac

Find completely weird that 100% of the Ribnetters that post on the forums use a pressure gauge regulalry to inflate their car tyres for their cars to peform well and extend gas millage and won't we willing to use them on their expensive water toys for the same issue. ..........
......Would you still inflate your car tyres by finger touch ?

I would suggest that 100% of people do not use a separate pressure gauge to inflate car tyres - they use the gauge that is fitted to the pump (with no knowledge of its accuracy/calibration, or indeed often the correct pressure). I believe only a small proportion of vehicle owners in the UK even own a separate pressure gauge, and actually a fairly large number don't even have a pump!

Most casual cyclists inflate their bike tyres by touch - for the same reason as their boats - the standard pumps don't have manometers built in.

IBWET · 26 June 2008, 17:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

I would suggest that 100% of people do not use a separate pressure gauge to inflate car tyres - correct pressure).

I believe only a small proportion of vehicle owners in the UK even own a separate pressure gauge, and actually a fairly large number don't even have a pump!

Most casual cyclists inflate their bike tyres by touch - for the same reason as their boats - the standard pumps don't have manometers built in.

I use a brass footpump circa 1950 with a leather plunger that will blow up a tyre in a 3rd of the time the modern rubbish takes. I have seperate pressure guage.

I'd be interested in knowing how accurate your 100% is,I would think I'm in the minority but surely I'm not on my own?

I've had the RIB a year and never had to touch the tubes, if I did I'd do It by feel not by guage.

Poly · 26 June 2008, 17:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by IBWET

I'd be interested in knowing how accurate your 100% is,I would think I'm in the minority but surely I'm not on my own?

Just to clarify - and drift even further off topic... I was suggesting that significantly less than 100% of people do use a separate gauge rather than saying that 100% do not.

m chappelow · 26 June 2008, 17:54

someone last week someone asked about tube presures on zodiac futuras on another thread, i called up our local zodiac dealer and he said 3.4 psi max . most pressure gauges on foot pumps are only a guide the best way is to use a seperate pressue gauge with as large dial as you can find for more acuracy, most sibs use less pressure and i dont think its a bad idea to let a bit out if not in use ,also in warm or cold weather conditions and the colour of your sponsons or tubes will have an effect on pressures ,when i launch i usually have a run about in the boat for a few mins then top off the tubes its suprising how much they will drop with a bit of cold sea over the boat. where i normally launch we are prone to local fog or sea frets for the local word and i can trail the sib for an hour with the tubes fine get to within a half mile of the coast and the boat will go floppy and sag on the trailor. mart .

Locozodiac · 27 June 2008, 00:25

Forget about if posted on the wrong forum, don't take it so seriously. According to your personal profile you own a large Rib, so what you have quoted is reffered to your RIB overpressure valve. The original thread was about Inflate Futura and it's a Sib, that's all. Don't know if you own a Sib, don't remenber if you have ever posted having one. Good idea to have separate forums, each one will take water to therir own mill and ocassionaly share some together.

About my "repetitive" car type pressure gauge issue, was an example, sorry to say but we live in different worlds, donw here haven't seen any gas station where you can inflate your car tyres having pressure gauges attached to the air hose, so erroneously concluded that everybody used hand gauges. Thought that UK PCL brand tyre gauges where used worlwide, not only in third world countries. Can't compare cyclist tyres against sibs, cyclist tyres use between 50 to 100 PSI, huge pressure, very low air volume, Sibs/Ribs huge air volume, very low PSI. What gives more rigidity : Air volume + adecuate PSI.

There are many sibbers fans of cone touch finger gauging inflation, is their form for inflating, there has been plenty discussions about inflation procedures, as a result, lots of information available about this topic. Let new sib users decide the advantages of it's use to consider if they would like to use/buy them for a better water performance of their new toys. If a person dislikes using them, doesn't mean that everybody dislikes them too.

Happy Sibbing