sorry if this has been answered in recent vent plug threads I looked but couldn't find, also it's probably a dumb question also but hey,

i have carbon art speed boards and mistral slaloms all but one board out of 5 have the goretex vents and with some mixed opinions on them paranoia has set in and I'm sure my 112 is feeling heavy, looking at the vents they are hex shape so do these come out or not? And simply replace with a new one?

They come out, but be careful, the top is just a light cap, and it's very easy to dislodge it.
I'll be back after I've eaten with some pics
Here's a pic of the tool I made to undo the vent, the vent itself, and a vent with holder I've removed from a board.



The trouble is there's not much clearance between vent and holder, No standard socket will fit. So I've just bent up a piece of tin, that fits most situations but didn't work on this one. The leak was around the insert anyway so I just cut it out and replaced with a normal plug. An actual vent is in the middle. You can see the nut on the back, it looks like it's designed to be fixed from the back. In a board this nut is thrown away it it screws in from the front. This is one of the problems, the top you can see is only a lightly fixed cap over the gortex, it's very easy to break it off.

I was very keen to use these on all my boards, but after doing some tests I decided not to.
I mounted the vent in a tub and filled it with water, then connected a tube to the rear, seemed to work great, I could blow bubbles in the water through the vent, but no water flowed out. Then I turned the vent upside down and couldn't blow through it anymore. Left it to dry out for a few weeks, but still couldn't blow through it.
So I concluded that if water did get inside the board and onto the back of the vent, it would no longer pass air. So I only use standard vents now.

I haven't had a lot more to do with them except replace the one that was leaking around the insert. I think this was because the vent was slightly proud of the board and it got a knock, pushing the insert in and creating the leak.

The thread on the goretex vent is a bigger diameter than an ordinary plug, so you can't just unscrew the goretex and replace with a plug. You have to use a new insert.

I had the same problem with mine.
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/Goretex-vent-plug-buggered

Ok cool thanks for the info! il have a go and make a tool for the job,
do different brands share the same thread? Or is it a case of contact the manufacturer of the board for the replacement vent? Not sure if I'd get one from mistral?

You can purchase from these guys

shapers.com.au/gore-air-vent/

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eastcoast said..
Ok cool thanks for the info! il have a go and make a tool for the job,
do different brands share the same thread? Or is it a case of contact the manufacturer of the board for the replacement vent? Not sure if I'd get one from mistral?

As far as I know there is only one manufacturer of goretex vents. Make sure there isn't a leak elsewhere in the board, loose foot strap plugs under jump pads is atypical place for a well hidden leak. If the board does have water in it, I wouldn't advise using a goretex vent, you may just blow the bottom off your board!

Nice one lads thanks for the tips il order some and let u know how it goes ????

If the board has water in it and you lay the board upside down the water may pool around the vent & be unable to pass through the goretex. That means the air can''t get to the vent past the pooled water and if the board heats up the pressure can build up & the board split. I have a few boards with the vents, I replace them every few years & store them right side up if in the car. I think they are great. Risk of a problem is much less than the risk of forgetting to screw up a normal vent.

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BRUCE H said..
If the board has water in it and you lay the board upside down the water may pool around the vent & be unable to pass through the goretex. That means the air can''t get to the vent past the pooled water and if the board heats up the pressure can build up & the board split. I have a few boards with the vents, I replace them every few years & store them right side up if in the car. I think they are great. Risk of a problem is much less than the risk of forgetting to screw up a normal vent.

Agree

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BRUCE H said..
If the board has water in it and you lay the board upside down the water may pool around the vent & be unable to pass through the goretex. That means the air can''t get to the vent past the pooled water and if the board heats up the pressure can build up & the board split. I have a few boards with the vents, I replace them every few years & store them right side up if in the car. I think they are great. Risk of a problem is much less than the risk of forgetting to screw up a normal vent.

Very good point about storing the board right side up.
After my experience, I reckon annual replacement of the vents should be part of routine maintenance.
i bought my CA 2nd hand, are the new ones supplied with spare plugs?

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BRUCE H said..
If the board has water in it and you lay the board upside down the water may pool around the vent & be unable to pass through the goretex. That means the air can''t get to the vent past the pooled water and if the board heats up the pressure can build up & the board split. I have a few boards with the vents, I replace them every few years & store them right side up if in the car. I think they are great. Risk of a problem is much less than the risk of forgetting to screw up a normal vent.

Sorry Bruce, it's not that simple. When testing goretex vents, I found once the inside of the vent had been wet, it wouldn't pass air for months afterwards, even though the vent was left out in the open in my warm shed. I know they claim, that as soon as the vent dries out it will pass air as normal, that's not what happened to the one I was testing.
I recommend using a standard plug once the board has any water inside, regardless of which way up you store it.

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Stretchy said..
I had the same problem with mine.
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/Goretex-vent-plug-buggered

Me too, I don't rate these vents any more.
I hear there are plenty of failures in SUP boards.
I'm replacing all of mine with 12mm x 1.5 nylon screws.

^^^ +1 I would not go near them, and if i had them I'd replace.

Easy solutions for those who don't believe in normal vents cos they're too much trouble

Always poke a fine screwdriver down the hole of a new board so u know they drilled it out
Make sure the seating surface for the o-ring is flat
Change the o-ring each season when u do ropes and tendons and stuff
If you really really can't remember to do it up, put the vent plug in the mast track or come up with a routine to ensure it gets done up. eg a guy i know has a tennis ball in the footstrap to ensure it does not crush but the ball has a spare vent plug screwed into it so he (1) has a spare! (2) associates the tennis ball removal so he can sail with "oh yeah and did I do the vent up...?"

I asked Ben severne.

he said he fills the vent hole with resin and never has a problem

^^^ Board wax perhaps

But hey Ben, ever used a board for 5 yrs as your only one...?

Exocet put the vent at the bottom end of the mast track. You have to tighten the vent before you can put the mast base in.

Te Hau,
where do you get the nylon screws?

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BRUCE H said..
Te Hau,
where do you get the nylon screws?

I got the nylon screws from Bunnings. It was a bit expensive as I had to buy a pack of them

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Stretchy said..

BRUCE H said..
If the board has water in it and you lay the board upside down the water may pool around the vent & be unable to pass through the goretex. That means the air can''t get to the vent past the pooled water and if the board heats up the pressure can build up & the board split. I have a few boards with the vents, I replace them every few years & store them right side up if in the car. I think they are great. Risk of a problem is much less than the risk of forgetting to screw up a normal vent.

Very good point about storing the board right side up.
After my experience, I reckon annual replacement of the vents should be part of routine maintenance.
i bought my CA 2nd hand, are the new ones supplied with spare plugs?

Hey Stretchy and others,

FYI, Goretex recommends replacing the valve every twelve months as the Goretex material wears over time with sand and salt.

It's also worth noting that depending on the literage of the board you may need more than one plug to sufficiently release the pentane gas expelled from the EPS blank. Goretex recommends on larger craft to install one at the nose and one at the tail.

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BRUCE H said..
Te Hau,
where do you get the nylon screws?

Bunnings, but they are 12x1.75mm , the goretex vents are 12x1.5mm.
I ran a 1.75 pitch tap through the housing, no load so looks all good.

Come to think of it most of the rental boards in Maui have their vents permanently filled up and they receive a fair bashing & are often left on the car roofs in the sun.

I think most boards leak a little.
If u paint a board on a warming day ( even with the vent plug removed ) you will notice tiny pin hole bubbles coming through the wet paint.
This has happened many times on different boards.
I think they just naturally breath ( and suck water in and out ) a little. i dont think this is a problem with closed cell foam unless you have de lam issues.

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BRUCE H said..
Come to think of it most of the rental boards in Maui have their vents permanently filled up and they receive a fair bashing & are often left on the car roofs in the sun.

And styrotech boards don't have a plug, and my mates flown them from NZ without a problem. I guess it depends how confident you are in the lay up. Other boards have delamned with the vent screw undone (as sworn by the owner?)

Hello. Where do I purchase an older style plug, rubber washer and holder. I assume easy to drill insert and fibreglass in place, I am sure I am taking on water from under the rubber pad, once I have a plug the board will dry out. I think I will put 2 in. It's 12 foot 6

If it's a urethane blank, it's closed cell, a vent plug will do nothing. If it's a styrene blank and you use polyester on it, it will melt, you'll just have a big hole.
So be sure you know what you're doing.

I think Surf Sail Australia have them in their online catalogued, any chinook agent should have them as well.

^^^ agreed

also 40knots if your board is styro core and soaked up water, having a vent to open is not the solution.
It is hard to get out.....

what's the board?

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CheaterFive said..

Stretchy said..

BRUCE H said..
If the board has water in it and you lay the board upside down the water may pool around the vent & be unable to pass through the goretex. That means the air can''t get to the vent past the pooled water and if the board heats up the pressure can build up & the board split. I have a few boards with the vents, I replace them every few years & store them right side up if in the car. I think they are great. Risk of a problem is much less than the risk of forgetting to screw up a normal vent.

Very good point about storing the board right side up.
After my experience, I reckon annual replacement of the vents should be part of routine maintenance.
i bought my CA 2nd hand, are the new ones supplied with spare plugs?

Hey Stretchy and others,

FYI, Goretex recommends replacing the valve every twelve months as the Goretex material wears over time with sand and salt.

It's also worth noting that depending on the literage of the board you may need more than one plug to sufficiently release the pentane gas expelled from the EPS blank. Goretex recommends on larger craft to install one at the nose and one at the tail.

how do you replace the goretex valve with a new one? Do they just screw out?

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Windxtasy said..

CheaterFive said..

Stretchy said..

BRUCE H said..
If the board has water in it and you lay the board upside down the water may pool around the vent & be unable to pass through the goretex. That means the air can''t get to the vent past the pooled water and if the board heats up the pressure can build up & the board split. I have a few boards with the vents, I replace them every few years & store them right side up if in the car. I think they are great. Risk of a problem is much less than the risk of forgetting to screw up a normal vent.

Very good point about storing the board right side up.
After my experience, I reckon annual replacement of the vents should be part of routine maintenance.
i bought my CA 2nd hand, are the new ones supplied with spare plugs?

Hey Stretchy and others,

FYI, Goretex recommends replacing the valve every twelve months as the Goretex material wears over time with sand and salt.

It's also worth noting that depending on the literage of the board you may need more than one plug to sufficiently release the pentane gas expelled from the EPS blank. Goretex recommends on larger craft to install one at the nose and one at the tail.

how do you replace the goretex valve with a new one? Do they just screw out?

Yes, but it is a bit tricky. I have a socket that fits the vent head and fits inside the insert in the board. Its important that the socket is seated all the way to the bottom of the insert and engages the bottom of the vent plug head, otherwise you just shear off the top of the vent plug head when removing or installing.

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CheaterFive said..

Stretchy said..

BRUCE H said..
If the board has water in it and you lay the board upside down the water may pool around the vent & be unable to pass through the goretex. That means the air can''t get to the vent past the pooled water and if the board heats up the pressure can build up & the board split. I have a few boards with the vents, I replace them every few years & store them right side up if in the car. I think they are great. Risk of a problem is much less than the risk of forgetting to screw up a normal vent.

Very good point about storing the board right side up.
After my experience, I reckon annual replacement of the vents should be part of routine maintenance.
i bought my CA 2nd hand, are the new ones supplied with spare plugs?

FYI, Goretex recommends replacing the valve every twelve months as the Goretex material wears over time with sand and salt.

This right here is the inherent problem with those, "every twelve months", that doesn't tell you when it will start leaking, all it does is admit they will leak. It could start to leak after one month, or in 11 months, you cannot assume that it will be good for 12, and only 12 months, seriously?
To hell with those! I'll take the good old fashioned screw in type any day over something that is recommended to be replaced.

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Mark _australia said..
^^^ agreed

also 40knots if your board is styro core and soaked up water, having a vent to open is not the solution.
It is hard to get out.....

what's the board?

Now I love these boards have 4 in the family (brother, sister and wife) and recommend that's why I want it fixed.
Starboard ast blue
i will be using epoxy sorry I called it fibreglass.