Float Tube Repair Kits for the Tubes (Which One to Get!)

Float tubes are one of the most exciting things you can own. When you love fishing and relaxing as much as I do you know that some times the water gets ruff, things happen and tubes tear. There are a handful of float tube repair kits that can help patch things up.

There are a number of float tube repair kits and here is a comprehensive list of our top four:

Tear-Aid Vinyl Repair Patch Kit, Green, Type B
O’Brien Tear-Aid Patch Kit
Kwik Tek Airhead Tear-Aid Repair Kit
Classic Accessories Inflatable Pontoon Boat Repair Kit

There are a number of similarities with each of these kits and a number of differences. I will take you through each option and tell you which one I would use if I was you!

Float Tube Repair Kits

If you have an issue with your float tube, don’t throw it away! There are a handful of really great products out there meant as a patch repair kit that can save you money.

Many of these kits have multiple patches so you can really get your money’s worth.

Something to consider when you are purchasing a repair kit is how big of an area needs to be fixed or it has holes in a couple of spots. Make sure you look at how big the patches are so you pick a kit that is sufficient.

Carefully read the instructions included in the kit, to make sure that you don’t waste anything or have to start all over again. All of these kits vary a little bit, so take the time to double check the steps before going ahead. I am speaking from experience here.

Let’s take a deeper look into each of the four best options out there.

Tear-Aid Vinyl Repair Patch Kit, Green, Type B

This kit contains:

1 – 3″ x 12″ TEAR-AID Patch, easy to cut with scissors
1 – 7/8″ x 7/8″ Patch
2 Alcohol Prep Pads
1 – 1 3/8″ x 1 3/8″ Patch
Instructions
1 – 12″ Reinforcement Filament, this aids in repairing torn edges

The kit uses a vinyl coated stick patch. It is made with oils that will not turn the adhesives gooey and will ultimately lose their stick.

This particular vinyl is made with inhibitors that keep the oils in the vinyl, ensuring that it will have a long lasting stick. This is great because there is nothing worse than a patch losing it’s grip while you are already on the water.

The Tear-Aid patch in this kit is clear so that you can place it on any float tube and not distract from the original coloring and design of the rest of the float tube. It is also UV resistant which will keep the patch from yellowing for years to come.

The stick creates instant adhesion. It resists to turning gooey in high heats and can conform to irregular surfaces.

In other words, this repair kit is simple to use and made to last a while. It’s great for repairing tubes. If you have a couple of other things to fix up, it’s great too since there is more than one patch included.

The review for this product is 4-stars! It has tons of positive reviews. It’s really good quality for the price, $10 or less depending on where you purchase the kit from. Oh, and it’s Amazon’s best seller.

If this sounds perfect for your tube, you can order it here from Amazon. If you need to go pick it up ASAP, it is available at Ace Hardware, Dick Sporting Goods, and Sportsman’s Warehouse.

O’Brien Tear Aid Patch Kit

This kit works for and with:

See-through patch so to work with all colors of float tubes
2″ (5.1cm) round patch
Peel and stick application
Easily able to be cut with scissors
Used for vinyl repair
Prevents abrasions, salt water, moisture and temperature
Works on irregular surfaces
Will not come off when stretched out
Water and airtight

After reviewing this product I saw there were lots of positives.

This particular patch works not only on float tubes but on a list of versatile float objects as well. So take this with you on your river trips, to the beach or over to the pool with your floaties.

This is a way to quickly fix any damage on the spot. It is done without vinyl patches. The patches in this kit are round. They are 2″ and are easily able to be cut with scissors.

After cutting to the shape and size you want and need you will then peel off the back of the patch and stick it to the leaking float tube.

Because of this, you get to avoid using liquid adhesives. You also can forget worrying about if these patches will pull off when stretched out.

Somethings that you should know about this repair kit is that it’s sold mostly online. It’s not available in stores nationwide, so keep that in mind. It’s also a little bit more money than the first option.

On Amazon, O’Brien Tear-Aid Patch Kit is $15.27, about $5 more than the first kit on the list. However, it might be better suited for your needs. If you want to read more information or purchase this kit, click here.

Kwik Tek Airhead Tear-Aid Repair Kit

There is not as much information for this repair kit as the others.

However, Kwik Tek does say this:

UV-resistant
Peel and stick application
Air-tight and watertight
Good for tubes, pool liners, air mattresses, pool toys

Kwik Tek Airhead Tear-Aid Repair is clear so that you are able to use it on any vinyl colored tube or fabric.

You can use it to fix a list of punctures on a number of items. Not only is it airtight but it has a patch with the ability to springs back, last long and no tare repeatedly.

From the description, I can guess that it may not be as heavy duty as some of the other patch repair kits out there. It depends on your needs. There aren’t many reviews or Q&A to get any customer experience on the product.

This product can be found in stores and online at Cabela’s. If you want to take a look at this repair kit, click here.

Classic Accessories Inflatable Pontoon Boat Repair Kit

This kit is meant for an inflatable pontoon so it is a bit more heavy duty and instruction based.

This kit includes:

1 oar lock with cotter pin
4 clevis pins to secure frame
1 pontoon bladder patch kit
1 inflation valve wrench
Extra wing nut to secure the seat
1 pontoon inflation valve
1 Valve inflation adapter

With these things, you will be able to easily transport this pack and take it with you to multiple places.

The clevis pins are used to be able to secure the pontoon frame. The tools and valves are used to be able to replace inflation valves anywhere.

There is also an inflation adapter that allows for a variety of pumps to be used. Along with that is a bladder repair kit that will help you maintain a highperformance and oar-locks.

This repair kit is really meant for repairing a pontoon, so it’s not great to buy for any other purpose. However, if you do have an inflatable pontoon, this is an excellent option.

Since there are more things in this kit, it is more expensive. A small, medium or large option is available. The prices range from $20 – 60. If you would like to purchase one of these repair kits, you can click here.

Which One to Choose?

If I were to pick one of these repair kits for my tubes, I would choose the Tear-Aid Vinyl Repair Patch Kit, Green, Type B.

This is the best option for a number reasons. Let me explain the reasoning.

It’s the most price friendly
Comes with multiple patches
Most highly reviewed
Bestseller
Available in a lot of locations, so it’s trusted

Not every product is going to work perfectly for your needs. My recommendation may not pan out for you. The best option is to read reviews before you try and to follow the instructions when trying to repair your tube.