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If you've ever owned an inflatable kayak - or even an inflatable mattress - you'll already know that: Inflation takes a long time. Deflation takes a long time.

by jpm_sd 7y ago

If you've ever owned an inflatable kayak - or even an inflatable mattress - you'll already know that: Inflation takes a long time. Deflation takes a long time. Folding it back up neatly is impossible. Leaks appear out of nowhere and are tough to patch reliably. It's really heavy and floppy to carry around.

evanriley 7y ago
> Folding it back up neatly is impossible. Leaks appear out of nowhere and are tough to patch reliably. Easily my biggest issues with any inflatable item I've ever purchased. You'll never get it back into the box it came in, and you're folding is almost always going to be awful. Like trying to fold a fitted sheet before watching that one youtube video/someone who knows how to do it. If a leak appears I just consider it a lost cause, I don't think I've ever fixed a leak in an inflatable item that I was sure would allow me to use it confidently.
- quakeguy 7y ago
  Having fixed bike tires for years, i can say that once a leak is there, it is due to material exhaustion. You'll end up in a carpet of patches.
toast0 7y ago
Assuming this is a powered craft, you can add powered inflate/deflate and get that time down to probably less time than driving around to your floor in a parking garage would have been. Leaks and weight are still a problem. Although, you could take the bounce house approach and always run the inflator and not fully seal (may reduce the effectiveness of power deflation).
Scoundreller 7y ago
The state of pumping technology has vastly improved. Now they’re li-ion based, charge over USB and astutely let you put the valve on the inflate side or deflate side. One of these or its clones are awesome: https://www.amazon.ca/FLEXTAILGEAR-Portable-Rechargeable-Lightest-Mattress/dp/B07C2WF5T3/ https://www.amazon.ca/FLEXTAILGEAR-Portable-Rechargeable-Lig... Source: have one for a giant inflatable floating that holds 8 adults and weighs 70lbs dry. And had lots of juice left to make new friends pumping up their smaller floaties on a camping trip. But yes, they never fold like they did from the factory.

by jpm_sd 7y ago

evanriley 7y ago

> Folding it back up neatly is impossible. Leaks appear out of nowhere and are tough to patch reliably. Easily my biggest issues with any inflatable item I've ever purchased. You'll never get it back into the box it came in, and you're folding is almost always going to be awful. Like trying to fold a fitted sheet before watching that one youtube video/someone who knows how to do it. If a leak appears I just consider it a lost cause, I don't think I've ever fixed a leak in an inflatable item that I was sure would allow me to use it confidently.

quakeguy 7y ago
Having fixed bike tires for years, i can say that once a leak is there, it is due to material exhaustion. You'll end up in a carpet of patches.

toast0 7y ago

Assuming this is a powered craft, you can add powered inflate/deflate and get that time down to probably less time than driving around to your floor in a parking garage would have been. Leaks and weight are still a problem. Although, you could take the bounce house approach and always run the inflator and not fully seal (may reduce the effectiveness of power deflation).

Scoundreller 7y ago

The state of pumping technology has vastly improved. Now they’re li-ion based, charge over USB and astutely let you put the valve on the inflate side or deflate side. One of these or its clones are awesome: https://www.amazon.ca/FLEXTAILGEAR-Portable-Rechargeable-Lightest-Mattress/dp/B07C2WF5T3/ https://www.amazon.ca/FLEXTAILGEAR-Portable-Rechargeable-Lig... Source: have one for a giant inflatable floating that holds 8 adults and weighs 70lbs dry. And had lots of juice left to make new friends pumping up their smaller floaties on a camping trip. But yes, they never fold like they did from the factory.