Apr 22

Apr 22 Raft Field Repair With Sotar

Our friends from Sotar joined our team for a super in depth guide to field repair on your raft. Trenten, Sotar’s Head Repair Tech, and Jeremiah, COO of Sotar, came down to share some thoughts. Through this process we actually cut a thwart and patched it with a proper field repair using tear aid type B. The type B tear aid is a critical element to proper field repair since it has more backing and is specifically designed to work with most plastic rafts on the market.

Important points for repairing rafts in the field

Don’t be afraid to cut your boat to help get more access to the tear.
You need at minimum 24 hours of compression time for a glued patch to cure properly.
Slowly peel the backing off to expose the sticky side.
Chase out all of your bubbles to make sure the seal is solid.
Run your tubes slightly soft to prevent the repair from failing.

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In today's quick lesson, we're talking about how to achieve a little more power out of your strokes when you're hitting a big wave. Giving the thwart a little kick when you're pushing through a wave can give you a bit of an edge in your paddling. To do this effectively, you want to make sure you are really biting into the water with your blade and planting a good forward stroke. Remember, it is about moving the boat, not the paddle or the water. If you have a well coordinated team, you can do this in any paddle configuration to gain a little more of a push over short distances. If you want to learn more, check out our beginner and intermediate rafting series at the link in our bio.

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Welcome

Apr 22 Raft Field Repair With Sotar

Important points for repairing rafts in the field

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