tubes in winter?

[Jieboy]

What do you do with the sponsons during the winter? Do you keep then fully inflated or yet them go down naturally? I dont want to damage or weaken them! Thanks in advance.

[Tim M]

I put a bit of air in mine every time I use it, so they stay hard.

[Chopppywaters]

foot pump?

[Powerboat]

Keep them properly inflated.

Remember as it gets colder the air volume in the tube decreases dramatically.

By keeping the tubes hard, they will avoid damage from creasing as they deflate.

Best wishes,

Stuart

[prairie tuber]

My SIB is about 29 years old and during the winter it sits folded up in the detached garage all winter. Mean daily January temperature here is -17C, with some days dipping past -40C. Is it good for the SIB? perhaps not, but it has held up nonetheless.

[Jieboy]

Thanks stuart for your advice and quick response. I will pump them up first thing tomorow. Have a good christmas mate.

Jieboy.

[Andy Moore]

Originally Posted by prairie tuber

My SIB is about 29 years old and during the winter it sits folded up in the detached garage all winter. Mean daily January temperature here is -17C, with some days dipping past -40C. Is it good for the SIB? perhaps not, but it has held up nonetheless.

You are obviously doing the right thing. We should all take note.

[prairie tuber]

Originally Posted by Andy Moore

You are obviously doing the right thing. We should all take note.

Probably not, but thanks for the sarcasm. The point of my post was that hypalon can withstand a pretty wide temperature range. I wouldn't fold or unfold the boat at temps approaching -30 C or colder. However, according to Zodiac, their hypalon Grand Raid SIBs have been used in open arctic waters while air temperatures as low as -30 C.
.

[Andy Moore]

Originally Posted by prairie tuber

Probably not, but thanks for the sarcasm.

I didn't mean to sound sarcastic actually. What I meant was that if you have been storing your RIB in such a manner for 29yrs, then you *must* be doing it right.

If not, it would have sunk or you would have had to initiate major repiars.

[prairie tuber]

Sorry I misinterpreted. Haven't yet sunk, but have done a number of repairs over the years. The repairs have have been due to to heavy/abusive useage rather than storeage (hull fabric abrasion etc..)