ITrek9 mysterious slow leak

I acquired an iTrek9 in July and enjoy its lightness and maneuverability. I recently flew with it from NYC to Miami with no issues. However, over time it has developed a slow leak. Because down here I am right by the water, I tend to leave it inflated overnight so I can head right out in the morning. But when I pump it up to 9lbs psi in the afternoon, by the next morning it is down to about 5lbs and later that day down to 3lbs. I spent 90 minutes using soapy water to find a leak, but could not. Then I brought it to my local Hobie dealer, and they also could not find a leak, so I am stumped. I also own an i11s, but that yak holds air much better. Maybe loses .5 lb/day. Does anyone else here have this problem or should I assume the iTrek 9 has some overall porosity that allows the air to escape w/o making soap bubbles? Is this a design flaw in the new lightweight skin? Given this yak has only one chamber, I do not want any surprises! By the way, I store it in the shade so it does not overpressurized.

Hoping Hobie or someone reading this will have some insight

hot temps it will over pressurize - and cool overnight it will be less PSI. You should always check the pressure if leaving it from morning to afternoon as it can over inflate and cause seam leaks. To find a pinhole you need just to perform soapy water tests... sometimes there can be a tiny pinhole - fish hook? etc... but some pressure loss overnight from temp diff is to be expected.

JBernier,

Thanks for weighing in, but you misunderstand what is happening. The problem has nothing to do with overnight temperature changes affecting psi. Sitting in a constant temperature environment it still very slowly loses air. Maybe 1lb psi every 4 hours? Slow enough that on a typical 3-hour kayak outing nothing is noticeable.

As I wrote, I spent 90 minutes carefully going over the inflated iTrek9 with soapy water and could not see bubbles anywhere, including the around the valve and seams. Then Florida Bay Outfitters, the Hobie Dealer in Key Largo also went over it with soapy water and also found no leak. Nevertheless, the loss of air continues. It is real mystery. The dealer thinks it is a warranty issue as the boat is immaculate.

J

I've had my iTrek 9 since July and leave it inflated so I can transport easily on my roof rack. It barely loses pressure over several weeks. Perhaps 0.5psi at most every couple days.
Usually it is a faulty valve that cause leaks like you describe.

A small grain of sand in the valve can make it leak. Should be possible to find a leak. Warranty won't replace a hull unless there's a defect found - so dealer will need to find the fault so Hobie can determine the corrective action required.

Can you coat the top and then the bottom with soapy water to see if there is a hole in theses areas? My not be in a seam or valve.

Best soapy water may also include glycerin or corn syrup.

Google: Homemade Bubble Solution

Measure 6 cups of water into one container, then pour 1 cup of dish soap into the water and slowly stir it until the soap is mixed in. Try not to let foam or bubbles form while you stir.

Measure 1 tablespoon of glycerin or 1/4 cup of corn syrup and add it to the container.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)