How to Inflate and Deflate a River Raft

Properly inflating and deflating your river raft is a crucial step in your enjoyment of a river rafting trip. Though it may seem like a no-brainer, there is a proper technique to inflation and deflation, and knowing this will not only ensure a good time when you take the boat out, but it will also prolong the life of your raft, as well as help guarantee the safety of all of your passengers.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Air pump

Inflate a River Raft

1. Open all the valves. This will save you time, and allow you to identify any valve leaks before you're on the water and it's too late to do anything about it.

2. Work your way around the boat, either clockwise or counterclockwise, inflating each chamber only until the section begins to take shape.

3. Reverse your direction, topping each chamber off to a maximum of 2.5 psi.

4. Begin inflating each thwart until it holds its shape, working in one direction.

5. Top off each thwart in the opposite direction.

6. Inflate the floors of a self-bailing raft until the relief valves are triggered and they begin to release the excess air.

7. Use a gauge to ensure that the raft is inflated to the proper pressure. The recommended maximum for all rafts is 2.5 psi, but you'll want to check your manufacturer's suggestions to be sure.

Deflate a River Raft

8. Begin deflating your raft by opening all the thwart and floor valves.

9. Open the valve in the last chamber that you initially inflated to shape. This would be the last chamber you inflated before reversing your direction.

10. Release the remaining valves.

11. Use a deflation device or the deflation function on the pump you used to inflate the raft.

12. Allow the raft to rest up to 48 hours to make sure you get as much air as possible out of the raft.

Tips & Warnings

• Check the air pressure in your raft regularly, especially after beaching the raft for any amount of time. Atmospheric changes can cause the air to expand or contract, forcing you to inflate or deflate the vessel on occasion.
• Make sure you remove all debris from the surface you will inflate your raft on, as well as from the raft when you plan to deflate it. Sand is especially abrasive, so be sure to remove it from all the little nooks and crannies to avoid unnecessary wear and tear on your vessel.

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