Question 1

Where is Airtight Inflatables located?

Accepted Answer

Our shop is located in the town of Confluence Pennsylvania, about a mile from the middle Youghiogheny River put in and a couple short blocks from another whitewater industry icon Immersion research.
 
You can find us on your favorite mapping App or GPS at:
711 Williams St.
Confluence, PA 15424

Question 2

Why are your boats all black?

Accepted Answer

We have chosen to use natural neoprene ruber coated fabics for our boats which have a high concentration of carbon black in it instead of color additives/fillers. The natural neoprene rubber has a demonstrated a track record of what we consider the best mixture of air retention, durability, and material flexibility for storage without requiring protectants like 303 or Armorall.
 
If you would like a different color boat, or designs on your boat, our boats are paintable using any hypalon or most rubber paints.

Question 3

Why Shouldn't I use protectants like 303 on my Shredder?

Accepted Answer

The natural neoprene rubber we use has natuarl protective qualities from the added carbon black instead of color additives like are used in Hypalon and PVC boats. Using protectants on Shredders will typically do more to degrade the glue seams than it will do to extend the life of the materials.

Question 4

How should I store my boat?

Accepted Answer

Storage of the boat should be done with two primary concerns:
 
1) Store your boat dry. After you get off the water allow your boat to dry out inflated within a few days of use, water is the universal solvent and will eventuially degrade our glue seams if given the time to do so.
 
2) Avoid storing near pests! Rodents like mice and rats, and insects like ants love to make homes in the natural neoprene rubber we build our boats out of. All of these pests will typically chew several holes in your boat of given enough time. No one likes unrolling their boat in the spring and finding it unusable due to pests.
 
Longer term storage: if you choose to use anything to protect the boat we suggest some talcum powder to absorb any remaining moisture. And place the boat away from pests we suggest a Rubbermaid type box for winter storage.

Question 5

What glue should I use for repairs?

Accepted Answer

We recommend using Shore 1-part Hypalon adhesive (now also referred to as Clifton FA 1065) or Clifton 4844 1-part Hypalon adhesive for repairs, however most any neoprene or Hypalon contact adhesive should work on our boats. Note that these adhesives have a shelf life of about 12 months unopened and about 3-4 weeks once opened and resealed.

We can sell small amounts of our glue locally, however, we are unable to ship glue but several adhesives are available from other retailers like NRS, West Marine, Down River Equipment, and several others.

If you have never performed a repair NRS has an excellent YouTube video to walk you though the basics of Hypalon raft patching.

Question 6

Do you repair boats?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we offer repairs on our own products at a ressonable rates. Please contact us to discuss your repair needs and our timeframe for current repairs.
 
Unfortunately, we can not offer repairs on other companies' products as the size of our shop and 40 years of Airtight products on the market keeps our repair space limited.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions