hi all this is the first board ive owned with a vent plug and i dont get it.
if its to stop expansion by letting air out, how can a small hole in the middle help vent an air pocket that could be five foot from it.or am i missing something.
does anybody use theyre's. cheers Ian.

On a hot day when you release it you can actually hear a little Pssst!..The core is like a big sponge..and air can travel through it..and when hot it can expand.

The boards strength is from the out side pushing in..That's where it's strong..It's not so strong from the inside pushing out..and that's where damage can be done.

Having said that..I leave mine in and done up all the time..JB will probably tell me off for doing this because you should release it after every paddle..and screw it in before every paddle..Jeez..What a hassle..and I don't trust myself to not forget and be out paddling and suddenly realize and go..Doh!!

I only plan to take mine out if it gets very very hot..as in hot to touch..or if shipping on a plane..The cargo areas are not pressurized and thats where it's more likely damage could be done..Maybe that's the real reason that they're there.

A lot of newer boards..Like PSH and C4's don't have a vent plug because they have a different type of core material..so they say.

I would advise to just leave it in..Maybe undo it every 6 months and check the o ring for damage..maybe even replace the o ring every year or so.

I wonder what the others think about all this?..,also just wondering..What type of board is it?

DJ

UK, I would do it up and never think of it again, unless it gets super hot! DJ has the right idea, As I leave my board on the roof of my van all the time, I never undo the vent bolt, because there is air flow, the board shouldn't get too hot. But if I was to leave it inside a car on a 40 degree c day you would definitely want to undo the vent. Expansion in the core is only minor between the 10 - 30 degrees, but if it starts going much above that, and board isn't in a ventilated area, undo your vent bolt.

Boards like PSH that are not sandwich construction, actually use a higher density core, which means less air:more foam. this is stronger and less likely to expand, but also much heavier. For instance in the Naish SUP's we use one of the lightest cores around and then use the pine wood vaneer for strength, thats why Naish boards are so light. Every thing is a bit give and take with construction, But Naish are pretty sure they have it right, their boards are very light and seem to be as strong or stronger than the rest (our rails definitely hold up better.).

So UK, don't stress on it to much. If you are going to store your board for a long period of time, it's sometimes wise to release the valve, but in general only on the hottest of days, and remember, if you take your board out paddling with out the bolt in, your board will be stuffed!!!! you can imagine your board going into the water (which is normally colder than the air temp) and cooing down, as it does this the core contracts which would such in air (or water if it was around the valve at the time). So probably more important is to make sure it is in place before you go out. Also remeber it is a rubber "O" ring, so you don't need to screw the arse out of it, comfortable tight is fine.

Wow that was a long reply for an easy question, sorry to bore you all.

JB

thanks all for the info,eric344, the board pictured is not my board as ive not taken
any photos yet, mine is 2007 model in proteck (black and white deckpad and black
flameball) but it looks the business.because its last years model it came at a
good price IMO, £499 delivered.
CYA IAN