On occasion, we do see boards with scuffs or leaks which will need repairing. The first point of call is to locate the problem - we highlight how to do this in our &quot;How To Locate A Leak&quot; video which you can find here; https://vimeo.com/706500429/a4bff9e97b
Once you&apos;ve found the leak and need to apply a patch over it, just watch this video to see how to do so. 
You&apos;ll need the following; 
Something to clean the area with (this comes in the kit we mention, or you can use acetone / nail varnish remover) 
A PVC marine adhesive kit 
A hairdryer or warm climate
Service kit that comes with the board (this has the repair patch in that matches your board) 
Gloves 
Masking tape and a pencil
Something to smooth the patch out with (i.e a wooden spoon) and a weight to apply pressure once gluing is complete. 
With the kit and instructions in the video above you&apos;re ready to repair your board
For the purpose of this video we had the glue and patch on the board to show how to do the repair, but we strongly recommend moving this to a safe area on your work bench / table with a protective layer underneath. https://vimeo.com/706498076

How To Patch a Leak

Blue juice works incredibly well at sealing small leaks. If done correctly it gives a long-lasting repair that will get you back out paddling for many more sessions. The key is to make sure you track the fluid along the rail to the repair and get the board up to a high pressure so that it is forced into and through the leak to create a strong seal.
If you find that the board is still leaking after your first attempt, check that you have tightened the valve properly, as sometimes in your haste to get the board inflated you may not tighten this fully. Check out the video here https://vimeo.com/702785238 for a demonstration

Sealing a Leak

If your valve dust cap comes off, It is a good idea to re-attach this to keep your valve free from debris such as grit. 
To do this, you will need to remove your valve and feed the new string through; you can use any string or thread for this. To remove the valve, you will need the Valve tool from your Repair Kit. 
When you have removed the valve, rethread the dust cap. A top tip is to make sure that the &apos;tail&apos; left on the valve end of the string is quite short, so that it does not interfere with the valve screwing back into it&apos;s basket.

Repairing Dust Cap String

Finding a leak on your board if it’s deflating over time.

Firstly, you need to inflate your board. The more pressure you put in, the more obvious the leak will be, we recommend inflating to around 20psi. Slowly and very carefully work your way around the board, applying soapy water as you go and looking for any air bubbles. A good place to start is around the inflation valve, then check all along the rails of the board, before searching the top and bottom decks. 
Once you have found the leak, you can attempt to repair it: 
- If the leak is around your valve, then you simply need to tighten it up using your valve tool. Check out our How to tighten your board valve article to find out how.
- If there is a small leak, then you should be able to seal this. Email us a video of the leak (with soapy water) on team@redpaddleco.com and we will let you know what will work for you. 
- If you would like a professional repair you can always approach a PVC RIB/Boat repairer near you for help. 
- If you would like our help to diagnose your issue, then reach out to our customer service team on  team@redpaddleco.com. We also have a helpful video showing how to do this here https://vimeo.com/706500429

Leak Location

<p>In the unlikely instance that you need to re glue your Ride board&apos;s i-fins back onto the board, we have a helpful &quot;how to&quot; video, that you can watch below. This talks you through the process, and provides a list of what you will need to carry out the repair too.&#xA0;</p><p>https://vimeo.com/780713244/13c3922999</p>

Regluing i-Fins

There are a few ways to straighten your i-fins. The best method is shown in our video linked below : https://vimeo.com/780713244/13c3922999 
Below are also some instructions, but you can also do this with a hairdryer, or leaving it out in the sun on a hot day and it does just the same.
1) Boil a kettle and leave it for about 5 minutes
2) Fill one mixing bowl with the  boiled water and another with cold water
3) Submerge the bent fin in the hot water bowl and leave it for a minute or so
4) Remove it and then correct the bend in the fin with your hands (be careful if the water is still hot)
5) Plunge the fin in the cold water to set it back in position
6) Repeat if necessary

Straightening i-Fins

The majority of our boards are fitted with cargo points on the nose to hold down your all important kit when out on a paddle adventure. In certain situations these can come unglued and may need replacing. You can find the cargo points required on the spares section of our website, and the glue (Loctite 401) is available to purchase online too. 
You&apos;ll also need masking tape, a pencil, some gloves plus something to push the cargo point down onto the board with (like a wooden spoon for example!). Then just follow the instructions in the video  and you&apos;ll be good to go. https://vimeo.com/706500172

How To Reglue Cargo Points

Your board should be stored in a cool dry place, out of direct sunlight and either rolled up and stored in the bag, If storing for a long time without use, make sure you ease the tightness of the roll so that there isn&apos;t lots of pressure going through the strap into the board, especially near the fin box if you have one of these. It may also be an idea to store the pump separately if you do have the space for this. 
If you are hoping to keep your board inflated, we recommend keeping this on a flat surface or upright (not kept on a rack for a long duration) to prevent changes to the shape of the board.  If you are not going to use it for a while you should reduce the pressure to below 15psi and keep your board in the cool and dry.
Before you pack your board away though, it is very important that you rinse everything in fresh water (Board/Bag/Paddle/Pump/Leash etc) and allow to dry completely before packing it away.

How To Store Your Board

A quick &quot;How To&quot; on rethreading the flat bungees to your board. There is a difference between the single long bungee you have and the two short ones, which is highlighted in this video for you. https://vimeo.com/702755284

How To Rethread Your Bungees

If you have identified that air is escaping from your valve, rest assured that this should be easy to solve. 
There are two reasons why this may be happening: 
a) The valve is removable and it has worked a little loose through use.
b) There is something lodged inside your valve, preventing it from closing fully.                           
A) If the air appears to be coming from the outer part of the valve, you just need to tighten the valve using the valve tool supplied in the repair kit. The tightening techniques below can be helpful: 
With the board deflated, grab the valve basket through the underside of the board with one hand and use the other hand to tighten. Alternatively, you can place the board on the floor, and kneel either side of the fin box to pull the PVC taught (this will create pressure and push the valve basket onto the floor to help hold this still). The valve can then be tightened. 
 

Here is a video where Alex talks you through the process:  https://vimeo.com/548022312/d596e8f2e7                                                                               B) If the air appears to be coming from the inside of the valve, around the dust cap, It is likely there is some debris inside the valve which needs to be removed. This can be done in one of two ways:  

  

Tap down on the centre pin firmly and quickly a few times to dislodge the possible sand/debris. Be careful to look the other way and keep your face away from the airstream, preferably wearing glasses/goggles.  

If this doesn&apos;t work, you may need to remove the valve.Check this video out that explains further:  
 here: https://vimeo.com/703199237

Valve Tightening

You should have a spare fin bolt and nut within your repair kit. If you do need a replacement, we have our very well stocked Red Spares Website where you can find lots of bits and pieces to keep your equipment in top working order. 
If you need any assistance with spare parts, please contact our friendly customer service team on team@redpaddleco.com It would be useful to send some photographs over to help explain the spare items you may need, our team can then help in getting you back out on the water as quickly as possible!

Replacement fin-bolts

Any unanswered questions? Get in touch with us here! 
Our standard Customer service opening hours are Monday- Friday 9am-5pm GMT, but we will try and come back to you within 24 hours, even if it is outside of our normal working hours.

If you'd rather give us a quick call, our phone lines are open Monday - Friday, 9 to 5, and we'd be more than happy to hear from you.

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