Inflatable paddle board product recall (Aug ’22) – But not McConks- McConks no quibble 5 year warranty.

You may have seen some inflatable paddle board brands having issues with their products and them being recalled. It seems there’s been an problem with adhesive glues used at point of manufacture which has led to boards failing on first inflation. Having started out with one company there have since been others added to the mix. And this isn’t just low end brand products either. The problem has affected large, more well known brands. If you missed this and want the product recall details then here’s the link.

McConk’s Andy has already posted about this on social media. Here’s what he said detailing more surrounding the issue –

IMPORTANT INFORMATION RELATING TO PADDLE BOARD RECALLS

Some of you may have seen a number of brands recalling inflatable paddle boards due to faulty adhesives used in the manufacture.

At McConks we’re confident in the quality of our supply chains and are confident that we have not used any of this faulty adhesive in manufacture.

It is our understanding that it is not just the glue that is the issue, but how the glue is used in the manufacturing process – particularly how long the board is left to cure for – which is relative to the environmental ambient temperature and humidity.

At McConks our boards are pressure tested at 20psi for 72 hours once they have been cured. If there is any loss of pressure, then the seams are rechecked and resealed, and pressure tested for a further 72 hours.

We have had a very small number of seam failures of boards manufactured in 2019 and 2020 (pre COVID). Most of these exhibit as slow leaks..These have all been on dry land and in very hot weather, so we are happy that we are not in the position of needing to recall large batches of boards manufactured post COVID. Although obviously we are monitoring the situation closely, and have been since 2019.

However, If anyone is concerned with the seam integrity of their McConks board please do the following:

1. Inflate the board to 20psi

2. Visually check the integrity of the seams for lifting PVC, and then check the integrity of your seams and around the valve by brushing with very soapy water (50:50 washing up liquid and water)

3. If there are any signs of bubbles around any of the seams contact us. If there is any PVC around the seams lifting, please contact us

4. If there are any signs of bubbles around the valve, use the valve tool in the repair kit to tighten the valve until the bubbles stop. If they don’t stop, contact us for further advice.

5. If there are no obvious signs of bubbles, leave inflated for 72 hours and check the pressure again after 72 hours. There should be no loss of pressure. If there is a loss of pressure after 72 hours, please contact us for further advice.

From our industry intelligence, almost all failures from the brands that have recalled have been failures or leaks on first inflation, or the first time the board is used in warm weather. We also understand that this issue is related to batches of boards made within a certain region of China that suffered a prolonged period of extremely high humidity. We only use one manufacturing facility, the same single facility that we have been using since 2017, and this facility is not in that region.

To give you further comfort, we reiterate our no-quibble warranty. You can test your McConks board by inflating to 20psi and leaving in the sun for 60 minutes in the coming heatwave. Our seams should be good for that increase in pressure. We will, of course, replace any boards that do spring leaks.

We’re also working with SUP Services on a new SUP MOT that we will offer to all new customers and all customers still within their warranty period. From the end of September onwards (we don’t want to flood them during their busy period), you will be able to get your board MOTd by SUP services once within the warranty period – and that includes a seam integrity and pressure check. And this is not a knee jerk reaction to recent events – this has been in discussion with SUP services for a couple of months.

And don’t forget to PLOT your paddle!

https://mcconks.com/…/stand-up…/paddleboard-safety/

The McConks no quibble 5 year warranty.

The above doesn’t in any way affect McConks paddle boards, to reiterate.

All our equipment remains tip top – we stake our reputation on this. But. If you should encounter problems with McConks stand up paddle boards we operate a fair use no quibble 5 year warranty. Ultimately we want your experience to be as smooth and painless as possible with maximum fun. And if it’s not fun for you, the paddler, then we’re not having any fun either.

We appreciate that things do go wrong with gear. And to be fair to the brands involved they’ve responded to the issue swiftly. If you are affected and haven’t seen this recall, then we’d advise you to get in touch with your retailer or point of sale company to get the problem resolved. This is as much a SUP safety thing as it is a financial one.

If you’re looking for a top quality, reliable board, then make sure you check out our autumn deals.

And if you’re an irocker or Jobe customer left feeling a little (ahem) deflated about how long it’s going to take to get your replacement board, we’ve got a special deal for you!

Get in touch with us here at McConks HQ if you want to discuss anything regarding SUP manufacturing. We know a great deal about the process and can advise accordingly.