Canoe with a View : : Canadian Open Canoe forum

Maybe not an obvious question, but how much pressure do you put in your airbags?

Personally I prefer them firm (another story before anyone says anything ) without putting undue pressure on the lashing's and not sticking up proud of the gunwales.

An other top tip is to get some carry mat and cover the top of the bags to protect against puncture if you do take a swim.

When transporting your boat, make sure that the bags are firm otherwise they can flap and cause a puncture, watch out for changes in temperature. This is also important when storing, heat causes the air inside the bags to expand so make sure that you let them down in hot weather (we do get some hot days )

Graeme

Gotta have firm every time. Replace em if they start to sag and don't fill up after a good blow.. drain them a bit if it gets too hot, and blow em in the cold. Its quite easily forgotten but try to remember to leave them a little deflated after a long wet session...

Firm, theres nothing cool about a set of shriveld bags
Mind you at this time of year on an early morning paddle with a frost, I have seen my bags nearly deflated and then later on in the afternoon had to let some air out due to winter sun firming them little puppies right up

Firm but not too plump. I want them to keep me afloat but I like to see where I'm aiming for.

TGB

I tend not to blow them up when I'm on flat stuff, so I guess that's a vote for flat and saggy, but once it starts getting lumpy I like them firm.

It's worth keeping them a little firmer this time of year, airbags expand in the sun, but deflate a little once they are submerged in icy water. It's not normally a problem if they're fitted properly.

I tend to keep mine about the same pressure as a blow up matress...

Cheers
Nix.

I always aim for 41.982 psi - although this is an approximation. This gives a satifying firm and full presence without the worry of the excess strain on the seams and mouth piece.

Of course, when the sun comes out you have to expel a little air. From the air bag rather than into your drysuit! Although if you do enough of the latter, your drysuit will look like an airbag...too much Black Sheep!

Cheers, Windy