How to Repair a Ripped Dive Float Tube Cover

Scuba divers use float markers to notify boaters where divers are in the water, a necessary safety precaution to avoid being run over by a passing boat upon reaching the surface. A common design of float marker is an inner tube sheathed in a high-visibility plastic cover, which protects the inner tube and raises the marker's profile. Damaged float covers sometimes take on water, and though the float won't sink, it will ride lower in the water and thus be less visible and less effective.

Things You'll Need

  • Scissors
  • Vinyl or canvas repair kit
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove the inner tube cover by unbuttoning or unzipping it and pulling it off. Set it out to dry in a place out of direct sunlight if the cover is not already dry.

    • 2

      Measure the tear in the cover fabric. Cut a patch with scissors from a patching kit that is 1 to 2 inches wider than the tear. Use a vinyl patching kit for a plastic cover and a canvas patching kit for a canvas cover.

    • 3

      Spread the cover on a table so the area around the tear is lying flat.

    • 4

      Coat the bottom of the patch with the adhesive sealant provided by the patching kit.

    • 5

      Press the patch flat over the surface of the cover so that no wrinkles form. Continue pressing down with even pressure for a few seconds to ensure a good grip.

    • 6

      Wait overnight before putting the cover back on the inner tube and putting the float marker in the water.