2010 Naish boards with Gore-tex vent plugs

[[MB] SUP]

For owners of the new 2010 Naish boards with the Gore-tex vent plugs. Just a FYI make sure the vent plug seats all the way down to the o-ring. I used a grip gauge to measure the depth and the actual grip when bottoming out, it turns out the threads arent deep enough. The vent plug wont seat correctly. I used a bench grinder to trim the threads on the plug to have it seat correctly on the o-rings and used a little teflon tape on the threads.

Todd

[DavidJohn]

Thanks for the heads up.. I'll check mine when I get my new Bamboo Mana.

Here's a pic showing what they look like.

DJ

[[MB] SUP]

DJ,

They are way off the mark on the depth drilled, just hard to tell.

Todd

[Dwight (DW)]

Are you saying your insert had less than 6mm of thread depth? How could you tell it wasn't seated? You can't see down in there. If anyone else tinkers with the vent beware you may break it, if you mess with it without using the correct tool. A metric socket wrench. Not pliers! Also beware the required torque is very light (5-7 in lbs) Don't F**K up your board being inquisitive. I've installed enough vents to be able to feel the o-ring when it seats. I suppose you could pour a cup of water in the vent cavity and see if the water holds or vanishes. That would be safer than having people mess with it.

[[MB] SUP]

DW,

I used a grip gauge to measure the depth and used that against the actual thread on the plug. The hole drilled into the board stopped before getting into the foam. It also looked like they used some sort of counter sink bit. You can finish the drill hole yourself but need to watch out for the threads in the hole.

In short the hole drilled into the board isnt deep enough nor is the threading they put into the hole, and the plug it's self is long.

Oh and I work for the airlines, the grip gauge is used for bucking rivets to tell the actual depth / thickness of the skin and stringers.

Todd

[ehrawn]

Does anyone know if the goretex plugs are the same thead size as the non-goretex ones? My 9'6" Hokua has the standard plug and I want to replace it with something I don't have to remove so often. Where can I get one to try?

[snakos]

waouuu!!

i'm waiting for my nalu 10'6 bamboo.
and i can't imagine this. can't believe too.

should i really verify the vent plug?

i'v just spent 1390€ !

i don't any aircraft engineering tool to do this.
should i found a local shaper who came from the nasa?

hello naish!! what about this !
thx

[Dwight (DW)]

hello naish!! what about this !
thx

If it worries you, just pour a cup of water on top of the vent. If the water doesn't vanish, your vent is sealed perfect. Go have fun.

It doesn't worry me.

[mrpete]

GREAT !!
I received a new 2010 Mana and it had this new gortex vent plug. I was happy because from what i read they are good. The manual that came with my board showed the old vent screw though. My dealer said i didn't have to mess with it. A couple of times. Becuse I noticed it was "loose" or "wiggly" very slightly in its recess. So i didn't. And have been out in the water several times. Now i'm very concerned that it wasn't seated (didn't know it was screwed it) and water has gotten inside my board!

[[MB] SUP]

Pete,

This was the first thing I checked, especially when it comes from the dealer.

It's like DW said I wouldn't worry to much, but I would do the water test as stated above.

I took mine out made some adjustments and put the plug back in finger tight, and then a half turn after that.

[Jim]

My Bamboo Mana arrived this morning, it has a solid black plastic vent screw instead of the Goretex one I was expecting to see.
So, perhaps there is a problem with the Goretex vent screws.....?

[mrpete]

MP SUP,
thanks for the info. I should have listened to my instincts on the vent plug. To try to clarify, i origonally thought the plug must have been a hard plastic insert glued into the board, using the gortex membrane as a (flexible) connection between the insert, and the "cap" (the part that you see) to connect the two. This is the only way i could come up with it being "OK" that the visible vent plug allowed some movement when i touched it. So now i figure that my plug wasnt even screwed in all the way to begin with regardless of whether or not it bottoms out on the "O" ring making the seal, or the foam below, not making the seal. The fix doesn't seem hard at all, experience has taught me how to be carefull with plastic and threads etc, i'm just really bummed that i pulled the equivalent of "forgetting to screw in the vent plug" for a few sessions with something i "wasn't suppposed to worry about"...
oh well life goes on!
Thank you though for the heads up. I would have not been able to fix it if not for your thread, so thanks!
Pete

[linter]

well, after surfing my new mana four times, i decided to do the vent test.  came out of cool water, put the board in the sun on the sea wall, filled the indent w/ water and then watched as it start bubbling.  many little bubbles.  more bubbles.

i took a walk.

i came back.

and the water was gone.

okay, maybe the water evaporated in the sun.  i doubt it, but maybe.  so now i'll try it in the shade, then report back...

[Richard]

I, too, wanted to verify that the plug on my Mana was happy. So i tried to open it with a 16mm thin walled spark plug socket. Socket would not fit into recess and I ended up breaking off the cap that you see with the Goretex trademark on it. The cap seems to serve as just a cover for the membrane. The cap has nothing to do with watertight integrity of vent. So, I just glued the cap back on, while making sure that air could still flow freely. Good as new.

Linter, the bubbles you see are from cold dense air inside your board as it heats up and expands, escaping through the vent. Most likely.

Several sessions later my board weight remains unchanged. It only weighs 97lbs. Just kidding, it is around 26lbs.

Richard

[Richard]

GREAT !!
I received a new 2010 Mana and it had this new gortex vent plug. I was happy because from what i read they are good. The manual that came with my board showed the old vent screw though. My dealer said i didn't have to mess with it. A couple of times. Becuse I noticed it was "loose" or "wiggly" very slightly in its recess. So i didn't. And have been out in the water several times. Now i'm very concerned that it wasn't seated (didn't know it was screwed it) and water has gotten inside my board!

mrpete, the cap feels wiggly because it is connected to main body of vent by a number of thin plastic legs. These allow cap to feel somewhat loose.

Perhaps Naish should provide details about the vent with their boards.

Richard