Call the industry to unify inflation valves

[OzBungy]

Cabrinha call those valves the Airlock 2. There's quite few brands that have the same valve (a quick look on the internet show Cabrinha, Slingshot, Cloud, Switch, Best, North)

The Airlock valve is essentially a refinement of the Boston valve. Boston valves require a tapered adapter jammed into the valve. Airlock has the adapter built into the valve.

The problem with Boston valves is that when the adapter is jammed in some people press down hard on the valve which is sitting on the ground. It can cause the bladder material around the valve to tear.

I have both Boston and Airlock. I never had a problem with the Boston valves, but I think I prefer the Airlock. No adapter is better.

The beauty of the Boston and Airlock valves is their simplicity. It's basically a hole with a rubber flap and sealing dust cap. No springs, rings, clips, adapters.

I have zero problems with the Boston/Airlock valves. I can't help but wonder what problem or advantage brands are trying to deal with using complicated valves.

[bragnouff]

Hi,
I've managed to lose the rubber flap at the bottom of an AirLock style valve, and I'm wondering if any of you have any idea of where to find those critically important pieces of rubber. Seems like it's called Umbrella valve Seals.

[Toby]

would be great if there would be one type only.

And I guess cheaper if all brands buy the same, higher demands.

[Windigo1]

Fully agree I have both types as well no issues for me also after using them for years on dozens of kites. I also have a slight preference for the Airlock. I don't like the trend of using Halkey Roberts (SUP) valves on kites they are too heavy and bulky.

[galzohar]

I like the Cabrinha valve a lot because it fits practically all hoses from all brands. It's also very quick to deflate.

Duotone, for comparison, often won't manage to fit a hose that isn't Duotone, or will be difficult to fit.

[Kamikuza]

I like the Cabrinha valve a lot because it fits practically all hoses from all brands. It's also very quick to deflate.

Duotone, for comparison, often won't manage to fit a hose that isn't Duotone, or will be difficult to fit.

BuT iT's So MuCh BeTtEr

[purdyd]

I like the Cabrinha valve a lot because it fits practically all hoses from all brands. It's also very quick to deflate.

Duotone, for comparison, often won't manage to fit a hose that isn't Duotone, or will be difficult to fit.

I prefer the Cabrinha airlock 2 valve. For one it is easy to service or replace.

Try doing that with a duotone valve.

But I think there is a solution here. My duotone pump hose bayonet works fine with airlock valves because it has the same bayonet and inside diameter.

The reason a lot of pump hoses don’t fit duotone valves is the outside diameter.

If we could somehow come up with an industry standard for the hose bayonet including bayonet dimensions, inside, outside diameter, depth and tolerances

That would be a step in the right direction.

[decay]

Personally, my favorite valve setup is a standard Boston Valve BUT using the modern screw on hose adaptor:

Screw adaptor 1.jpeg (10.21 KiB) Viewed 367 times

Screw adaptor 2.jpeg (18.96 KiB) Viewed 367 times

What I like about this setup is:

- very secure connection between hose and valve, esp with my pumps as I tape this adaptor onto the hose end.

- the best seal between the hose and valve = stable and more accurate pump gauge readings.

My second choice is the Cab style airlock 2, but often the bayonet connection is loose/leaks depending on the pump.

Everything else is a complete mess of incompatible valves and hoses and no actual real world advantage.

Cheers

DK

[purdyd]

Then you must rotate the hole hose or pump to screw it on?

If it’s the hose, then it has to attach to the pump probably with a bayonet mount and you have the same leaking issue?

My second choice is the Cab style airlock 2, but often the bayonet connection is loose/leaks depending on the pump.

Which is why pumps need better standardization.

[rw30]

Here's a spreadsheet I've made to collect some data about the mess we have in the kite's industry

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

feel free to add entry for SwitchKites:


bar / kite connection, kite side:
node loop loop node

split: V
valve / adapter: 3 / 3