^ that

Mine have been , yes.

No. They degrade over time. Speaking from experience.

I think as long as you always wash it off with fresh water it should be fine. Salt kills goretex

It's a big liability if you get water in the board, any water on the inside of the goretex stops it breathing, you can blow the bottom off.

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musorianin said..
No. They degrade over time. Speaking from experience.

How long and what happened Simon?

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decrepit said..
It's a big liability if you get water in the board, any water on the inside of the goretex stops it breathing, you can blow the bottom off.

Is it easy to change one to a screw and O ring?

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NotWal said..

decrepit said..
It's a big liability if you get water in the board, any water on the inside of the goretex stops it breathing, you can blow the bottom off.

Is it easy to change one to a screw and O ring?

Yes, just done one. Fill it full of carbon then tap

Have a Mistrial Speed with goretex plug... can you buy replacement plugs and if so, where?

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NotWal said.. Is it easy to change one to a screw and O ring?

Never done it, but I hear there is a black plastic screw with metric thread that fits. Bunnings stocks it.
Only think is it may still seal even when cracked open (tight threads) so may need a vee cut up the threads longitudinally so it will breathe as soon as the o-ring is no longer sealing.

Of fill it up and install a chinook insert and plug which is easy. Hole saw and glue.....


Back to original question - not a fan. Seen too many fail. Certainly not maintenance free.....

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NotWal said..

musorianin said..
No. They degrade over time. Speaking from experience.

How long and what happened Simon?

Because it's a kind of set and forget thing, you don't see a problem until you notice a bit of water sitting around the seat of the valve one day when the board happens to get a bit of sun. Curious, you finally unscrew it, and "voila", as they say... I don't know how long it had It been a problem as it was a second hand board, and not one I payed much for, so I didn't care that much. Dried it out as best I could, filled the removable bit with resin and screwed it back in. It's a board I keep in semi retirement in Vic. No way, however, would I have one in a new or even half decent second hand board.
I also had a goretex ski suit that eventually shed all this fine white powdery stuff. Wondered what it was until I went skiing in it and came back with a very wet arse from sitting on snowy chair lift seats.

The white coating is not the goretex but a coating on the inside to stop the goretex wearing. The goretex menbrane as long as it's clean and away from abrasion will always be water proof. 3 layer gore is a face material normally with a dwr coating to stop it absorbing water, then the gore then an inner material to stop wear. These are laminated together. The dwr wears of and the outer will absorb water but it won't get through the gore. 2layer gore doesn't have the inner layer it has a coating instead which wears off and gets white and flakey. Once this happens the gore gets worn and then it leaks

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Mark _australia said..

NotWal said.. Is it easy to change one to a screw and O ring?

Never done it, but I hear there is a black plastic screw with metric thread that fits. Bunnings stocks it.
Only think is it may still seal even when cracked open (tight threads) so may need a vee cut up the threads longitudinally so it will breathe as soon as the o-ring is no longer sealing.

Of fill it up and install a chinook insert and plug which is easy. Hole saw and glue.....


Back to original question - not a fan. Seen too many fail. Certainly not maintenance free.....

Yep, I got some nylon bolts from Bunnings that worked well. Eventually though, I filled it all up with epoxy and put in a Chinook insert up near the mast track

I have a 12 year old Carbon Art SP40 and all I can say is that it's still fine.

Flown to Africa and back as well. I have never touched it.

Fill it up with epoxy, then install one of these after market valves, drill a hole and epoxy into place.
This pic refers to a stripped vent, but you get the idea.

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mikey100 said..
Have a Mistrial Speed with goretex plug... can you buy replacement plugs and if so, where?

you can buy replacement plugs shapers.com.au/gore-air-vent/
they are not expensive. Replace annually and you won't have a problem

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Windxtasy said..

mikey100 said..
Have a Mistrial Speed with goretex plug... can you buy replacement plugs and if so, where?

you can buy replacement plugs shapers.com.au/gore-air-vent/
they are not expensive. Replace annually and you won't have a problem

Yep, replace annually, worst thing for Goretex is saltwater.
A standard cobra plug can be used to replace a Goretex one.

It seems goretex and salt water don't mix.
Is this making anyone else laugh out loud?

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Windxtasy said..

mikey100 said..
Have a Mistrial Speed with goretex plug... can you buy replacement plugs and if so, where?

you can buy replacement plugs shapers.com.au/gore-air-vent/
they are not expensive. Replace annually and you won't have a problem

Just ordered a couple. Tnx.

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Shifu said..
It seems goretex and salt water don't mix.
Is this making anyone else laugh out loud?

Not if you sail on a lake

From the Goretex website



Noy buying or selling but I have had no issue with any of my boards with Goretx vents. I try to rinse them every time i sail.

I've had no issues with mine but I work with a couple of big outdoor clothing brands who use goretex and they say most returns they get are due to the item not being washed enough and dirt and sweat (salt) damaging the membrane.

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mr love said..
From the Goretex website



Noy buying or selling but I have had no issue with any of my boards with Goretx vents. I try to rinse them every time i sail.

Garment though.....

Ask them if you put a membrane down a hole and let salt crystalise on it 100x, will it still breathe air?

Ya gotta rinse them and pretty much nobody does as the water sports industry sells them as set n forget.

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Mark _australia said..

mr love said..
From the Goretex website



Noy buying or selling but I have had no issue with any of my boards with Goretx vents. I try to rinse them every time i sail.

Garment though.....

Ask them if you put a membrane down a hole and let salt crystalise on it 100x, will it still breathe air?

Ya gotta rinse them and pretty much nobody does as the water sports industry sells them as set n forget.

It will always breathe air but will stop being water proof

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Ben1973 said..>> It will always breathe air but will stop being water proof

Wrong!!!!!
If there's any water inside it won't breath at all. This is my biggest concern with goretex vents, get one little ding, and you could blow the bottom off your board.

I did some tests, when I was thinking of using them on my boards.
Worked one way fine, turn it around and it's a sealed plug, even if you wait months, it still won't breath.

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decrepit said..

Ben1973 said..>> It will always breathe air but will stop being water proof

Wrong!!!!!
If there's any water inside it won't breath at all. This is my biggest concern with goretex vents, get one little ding, and you could blow the bottom off your board.

I did some tests, when I was thinking of using them on my boards.
Worked one way fine, turn it around and it's a sealed plug, even if you wait months, it still won't breath.

I think I see the issue you had. If you turned the plug upside down so water was sitting on it then yes it will be hard to pass through but in a board with the vent plug on top and the board the right way up there is never going to be a puddle of water over the membrane so air and water vapour will pass through no problem.

to put another way air and vapour will always go through unless there is a solid layer of water on the side it's hitting the membrane. Air will alway pass through the membrane and if there's water on the other side it will go through that.
Air will not go through a layer of water to get the membrane

I need to draw a pic I think to explain

You don't need to draw a picture Ben, I know exactly what you are saying, but you are still wrong.
My test rig, was a container with the vent mounted in the bottom, fill container with water and blow thru the vent as expected. turn vent over, and nothing happened. So emptied container and waited for vent to dry, even when apparently dry 3 months after having water on both sides, it still wouldn't breath in either direction. It doesn't need a puddle of water. to block it. Maybe the water I used was a bit contaminated, it was straight out of the tap, but that's no different to salt water inside a board.

This is not theory, this is a practical test. Even if you can repeat the experiment and get a better result, I'd still strongly advise against using a goretex vent in a board that has got water inside.

I don't like the placement of normal vents on slalom boards, the decks are recessed and the valves sits at the deepest point

^^^ agreed but central is likely to be best for venting. Big big SUPs often have two vents.

The only reason Goretex vents in our application came about was forgetfulness.

That is easily fixed by having the vent at the end of the mast track that you inset the mast base. For that reason I use the Chinook box with the integral vent plug on all my boards. Can't forget to do it up, and it saves an extra install step!!! So why not all boards...?

The fact it works in garments is not applicable to our use. Decrepit's well performed / methodical / logical experiment many years ago sold me on 'normal' vents.

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decrepit said..
You don't need to draw a picture Ben, I know exactly what you are saying, but you are still wrong.
My test rig, was a container with the vent mounted in the bottom, fill container with water and blow thru the vent as expected. turn vent over, and nothing happened. So emptied container and waited for vent to dry, even when apparently dry 3 months after having water on both sides, it still wouldn't breath in either direction. It doesn't need a puddle of water. to block it. Maybe the water I used was a bit contaminated, it was straight out of the tap, but that's no different to salt water inside a board.

This is not theory, this is a practical test. Even if you can repeat the experiment and get a better result, I'd still strongly advise against using a goretex vent in a board that has got water inside.

So your saying the vent worked until you flipped it over? Was it a vent plug with one or two membranes in it? I'm intrigued by this this as it goes against everything I know about gore.

No idea how many membranes, It's just the standard ventplug sold for board use, I'm not sure where it is now, if I can find it I'll pull it apart and check.