Hi all,
Regarding the LT's vent screw, when is it to be unscrewed? With my 6 month old board, I haven't thought to ever unscrew it yet.
Also, a bit off topic, but anyway, I have a plastic kayak with a vent and when I return from a sesh, I open the vent and I hear a rush of air exiting. I guess the air inside warms up.
Cheers,
snapperfish.

Pull it out after sailing, put it in before sailing. I know people who never pull them out, but the general idea is to undo it to avoid board damage from expansion and contraction.

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Subsonic said..
>>> the general idea is to undo it to avoid board damage from expansion and contraction.

Contraction shouldn't be a problem, I glass my boards in a vacuum bag.
Expansion of the air inside is the big worry, either from leaving in the sun/hot place, or travelling in the pressurised hold of a plane

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decrepit said..

Subsonic said..
>>> the general idea is to undo it to avoid board damage from expansion and contraction.

Contraction shouldn't be a problem, I glass my boards in a vacuum bag.
Expansion of the air inside is the big worry, either from leaving in the sun/hot place, or travelling in the pressurised hold of a plane

Or going up a decent sized mountain... have you ever seen a bag of crisps at Threadbo ?!

Don't touch it , unless It's sitting in or on a hot car for a long time or on a plane or going up a really high mountain.
I think for average personal use there is more danger from forgetting to screw it in every time , getting sand or salt in the seal and the o ring failing from constant squashing abuse.
The only time I ever touch a vent screw is when I first come across a board . I reseat the hole and grease in a new o ring.
I just lied . When recently moving from VIC to QLD I opened all vent screws because my boards went in the top of a rail container.
Apart from that , never , and never had a delam or water ingress.
But that's just me .
Id like to know from a multiple boards repair guy , is there generally more serious damage from a puffed up board or forgotten or failed vent plug .
That would answer the original question right there.
PS : I own a old box head made RB that constantly sits on top of my car and it doesn't have a new fandangled vent screw. And it's laughing it tits off in the face of danger. And it's over 20 years old . It's saying while waving it arms , " kids these days ".
PPS : in regards to your plastic kayak , it won't matter if you unscrew the plug or not . It won't matter if water gets inside or not.

I drive over mountain passes all the time. Sea-level to 7,000 feet is a big change in air pressure. If the board is equilibrated to sea-level pressure, then the screw tightened, then taken up to 7,000 feet, you can delaminate the structure. "Can" not "will." By why risk it?

My boards ride in the van with the vent screws removed. I use airplane-style red flags on my footstraps to remind me to put them in.

Imax you know I'm gonna come in with my usual now lol

Undo it and have a system to remember to do it up before sailing. There is a guy here with dark coloured boards who fills up the vent with epoxy, I've fixed all his boards multiple times each. I think 3 boards fixed twice each season for about 3yrs now..... about 10 repairs..... I like it but his wallet doesn't.

I've seen euro boards blow up over and again.

I've seen a SUP implode big time hitting cold water due to the blocked goretex vent.

Why oh why don't we just have a manual (Cobra-style) vent on all boards, right on the mast track so you can't stick the base in without seeing it protruding?

imax, I've forgotten to do up the plug a few times, all thathappens is a bit of water gets in, just leave in the sun with the vent at the lowest point you can manage, and stick a wick in the vent. At first the wick comes out saturated, but after a while it's dry, Probably still a bit of moisture in the board adding a few grams. But the other alternative, as Mark says, is a delamn of the bottom. This is a couple of orders of magnitude harder to fix, and may not be economically viable.

So that's it folks , vent your plugs.
Im still keeping mine in , I like living on the edge . I also don't tape my mast
I must admit , I am worried about a black board I own .
In six months when this topic pops up again hopefully my expensive black board hasn't exploded . I think I'll vent that one , but I just know I'm going to forget to do it up. The only way to not forget is to do it to all boards , all the time , but then I've become a slave to the machine. Then I'll have half a dozen boards to forget to do up .
I don't want to become a vent screwing guy , next I'll become a vegan , or worse , tape my mast

Its so bloody simple.
Tape your mast every time you sail. If your a cheapskate, buy a $2 roll of duct tape from a cheap store. Cut off a piece 6" long, tape your mast.
Come in, take tape off and stick in car/wagon/van. Reuse!!
Vent screws.
The manufacturer says, Release valve when not sailing, tighten valve when sailing.
The fine points. If you shove a wet board into a board bag, DO NOT open vent screw.
If you want to prolong life of your board, take board out of bag and release vent screw/bung whenever.
When you go to sailing location do up vent screw. Simples.
Its like with Covid 19, wash your hands. Remember that and vent screw, same ****.

I'm not a cheapskate, but I do run my hand along the luff where the join is before I go to the tip to make sure it's in .
Does this check take longer than taping ?
Were going to need experts.
If your rigging on sand , possibly , on grass , ???
I have my methods , it's been years since I shoved a mast up a luff and the mast separated . Technique . But I check every time .
I stick my mast base in the mast before luff shoving . It keeps that end clean . All this without tape.
So it can be done .
Waiting for angry luff shovers replies

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Imax1 said..
I'm not a cheapskate, but I do run my hand along the luff where the join is before I go to the tip to make sure it's in .
Does this check take longer than taping ?
Were going to need experts.
If your rigging on sand , possibly , on grass , ???
I have my methods , it's been years since I shoved a mast up a luff and the mast separated . Technique . But I check every time .
I stick my mast base in the mast before luff shoving . It keeps that end clean . All this without tape.
So it can be done .
Waiting for angry luff shovers replies

To each his own I reckon IMAX. I only started taping about 8 years ago when I broke one half of a perfectly good mast because it separated unbeknown to me. I guess my checking of separation whilst rigging wasn't up to your standards. What ever works for you

oh, and I haven't had one separate since

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segler said..
I drive over mountain passes all the time. Sea-level to 7,000 feet is a big change in air pressure. If the board is equilibrated to sea-level pressure, then the screw tightened, then taken up to 7,000 feet, you can delaminate the structure. "Can" not "will." By why risk it?

My boards ride in the van with the vent screws removed. I use airplane-style red flags on my footstraps to remind me to put them in.

LOL! In Oz we barely have any Mountains over 7000', and we virtually never have to drive over them to sail.
But I can certainly see it could be a problem where you are.