How hard should my tubes be ?

[lc0021]

Huh - visitors.. I hate them. I can take the wind or the rain - but visitors really just interfere too much with boating. Here I am on a Sunday evening, surfing the net after they've been here, scoffed lunch and wine and left. Another good Sunday gone down the tubes.....

ANyway - now as I'm here....

How hard should the tubes on a rib be ? I've noticed last Sunday (might have noticed again this Sunday if THEY hadn't arrived) that my rib is making a slight kind of drumming noise in the water which it hasn't been doing all summer. Obvioulsy with the cooler weather the tubes a little soft now - and I suspect this mave have a lot to do with it (though the weather is still a little unpredictable - there may be a another one or two warm Sundays left - so I'm not pumping them up yet ....)

Could this be it ? How hard should the tubes be ? what are the consequences of running them soft ?

[Alex Brown]

Off the top of my head, I think my Humber is between 2 and 3 psi for tube pressure. I bought a little guage with the rib so I could check the pressures - I know they're stated on the console so that's what I generally go by.

If they're soft, I also get that noise I think which you refer to as a 'drumming' sound at the stern end when at speed especially when starting off first thing in the morning.... once the sun is out that goes completely.

I went out on a rib which had tubes without a great deal of air in them a couple of years ago, and it heeled nicely to port - later on that day when we found the pump and the air was put back in, the thing was spot on level again.

-Alex

[Tim M]

Do a search; there was quite a long thread on this a few weeks ago.

[tcwozere]

Avon recommended 3psi for my Searider. If you give them a call, they should be able to tell you..

01554-882000

[petersgc]

I haven't got a pressure guage, and never seen anyone else with one (if I wanted to get all fiddly and technical I'd have got a yaght!! ).
I was told to make them "drum hard" when going out. I let them down a bit when its out of the water incase it gets hot and they expand too much.

[Brian]

There is really no need to get yourself all bent out of shape on this.
Just pump em up till they give a bit.
Not drum hard. Not so soft you fall off the tube when stepping aboard ( I think the technical term is "not flaccid"!).
I last put some air in my tubes two years ago and it's on the water 24/7.

[George8910]

Originally Posted by petersgc

I haven't got a pressure guage, and never seen anyone else with one (if I wanted to get all fiddly and technical I'd have got a yaght!! ).
I was told to make them "drum hard" when going out. I let them down a bit when its out of the water incase it gets hot and they expand too much.

Hi - I had a gauge as part of the kit with a zodiac futura - 'screwed' in like the valve cap - didn't seem to work... if valves are standard fitting zodiac dealers could be a possibility

[paul tilley]

brian has got it right ,the mod reccomend working pressure of 1.5psi ,if your racing go pretty hard but normal use they need some give in them .any show you go to they will be blown up too hard as it looks and feels better

[Daniel TD5]

would haveing the tubes to hard make for a hard ride when jumping off waves

dan