Hobie Mirage i12s - Manual (Page 5)

4
Inflation Tips and Precautions
· The boat can be inflated either with our hand pump or an
electric pump. The electric pump can inflate the boat to a
moderate pressure and save a lot of time with about 90%
of the required air volume. You will need to use your hand
pump to inflate the chambers to the correct pressure.
· Do not use an air compressor. Damage to your boat
caused by over inflation from an air compressor is not cov-
ered by your warranty.
· After 2 or 3 days there may be a small decrease of pres-
sure due to temperature change. If so, add a few pumps of
air to each chamber.
Kayak Deflation Steps
1. Open up the forward hatch on the firewall.
2. Clear any water or debris out of the valve areas.
3. Slowly press down on the valve stem to start letting air out
of the kayak. There will be an initial burst of air, but that will
slow down very quickly. Once the air flow has slowed down,
press the valve stem all the way down and turn it clockwise
to lock it into the "open" position.
4. Follow this same procedure with all of the chambers.
· Before undertaking a long trip, inflate the boat for a full 24
hours to be sure all chambers are completely airtight.
If you are seeing a consistent decrease in air pressure, fol-
low the instructions for leak detection in the kayak repair
section of this manual.
· Do not over-inflate the kayak. A pressure of 3-5 PSI is
adequate if you have a pressure gauge. The easiest gauge
of a good working pressure is to have the chambers inflated
to a firm pressure when you press on them.
· Do not pump to a high pressure and let the kayak sit out
in the sun. If the kayak is going to be in a warm environ-
ment, slightly under-inflate the chamber and allow the heat
from the sun to increase the internal chamber pressure.
When kayaking, the colder temperature of the water may
cause a slight loss in chamber pressure. It is a good idea
to carry a pump with you so that you can add some air to
the chambers if necessary.
· If you notice that the bow area is sunken in when inflat-
ing, make sure that the forward Twist&Seal Hatch is open to
prevent a vacuum from building inside the bilge area.